Google posted a short video recap of its 25-year term as a search engine on December 11, where BTS and BLACKPINK were announced as the most searched boy and girl groups, respectively.
BTS, composed of V, RM, Jin, Jungkook, Jimin, J-Hope, and Suga, debuted in the K-pop scene in 2013. They have since been shattering and setting records in music charts, performing in sold-out shows individually or as a group, which enabled them to establish a massive fan base around the globe known as ARMY.
The K-pop group renewed their contracts with Big Hit Music in September. All seven members, however, are on hiatus to fulfill their military service requirements. They are expected to make a full group comeback in 2025.
Meanwhile, BLACKPINK debuted in 2016 under YG Entertainment. The quartet, composed of Jisoo, Lisa, Jennie, and Rosé, has been setting trends and collecting world records such as the most-viewed YouTube music channel and the most-streamed female group on Spotify.
One of their impressive accomplishments this year was when they performed at the prominent Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California, making them the first K-group to headline the event. They renewed their exclusive contracts with label YG Entertainment early this month.
Other pop artists included in the recap were Beyoncé for the most searched performance and Taylor Swift as the most searched songwriter in Google’s history.
Also in pop culture, the most searched cast was Harry Potter stars Alan Rickman (Severus Snape) and Robbie Coltrane (Rubeus Hagrid), who passed away in 2016 and 2022, respectively. Meanwhile, Barbie appeared as the most searched toy.
