Recently, News1 conducted a survey among K-pop industry professionals to determine the most anticipated artist of 2025. A total of 34 music agency experts participated, each nominating an artist or group and providing their reasoning. BTS tops the list with a total of 5 votes.
At the height of their global popularity, BTS temporarily suspended group activities while the members began military service. Jin enlisted in December 2022, J-Hope followed in April 2023, Suga began his alternate duty in September 2023, and RM, V, Jimin, and Jungkook enlisted as active duty soldiers in December 2023.
Despite this hiatus, BTS members’ solo releases have continued to receive immense love. Jungkook’s July 2023 single “Seven (feat. Latto)” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and his November solo album “Golden” debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, reaffirming the global impact of group.
As the members begin to complete their military duties, anticipation grows for their group’s activities in 2025. Jin was discharged in June last year, and J-Hope completed his service in October. The remaining members are expected to finish their duties by June this year, raising expectations for the entire BTS group’s return.
A music industry insider who voted for BTS commented: “Their return as a full group in 2025 is highly anticipated and I look forward to their activities.”
Another noted, “By June 2025, all members of BTS will have completed their military service. Even during the hiatus, they maintained their dominance in K-pop, making their return even more exciting.”
This expert also noted, “Just the news of BTS’ return is enough to send HYBE’s stock soaring and changing the outlook of the K-pop industry, underscoring their unprecedented influence.”
Meanwhile, BIGBANG member G-Dragon trailed BTS in the poll, receiving 4 votes. After releasing his solo single “POWER” in 2024, his upcoming third album, containing the pre-release single “HOME SWEET HOME”, has raised expectations. Additionally, the album is expected to include collaborations with BIGBANG members Taeyang and Daesung, marking a partial reunion of the group.
Furthermore, aespa ranked third with 3 votes, while RIIZE and MEOVV ranked fourth with 2 votes each.
The complete ranking is as follows:
- BTS (5 votes)
- G-Dragon (4 votes)
- aespa (3 votes)
- RIIZE and MEOVV (2 votes each)
- Various artists (1 vote each): 82MAJOR, IST Entertainment rookie girl group, NewJeans, Dynamic Duo, DAY6, LUCY, RESCENE, MONSTA PLAVE, WHIB.
Among the 34 industry professionals there are representatives of HYBE, SM, YG, JYP, Jellyfish, FNC, YueHua, WAKEONE, C-Jes, AT AREA, WM, The Black Label, Woollim, IST, Antenna, C9, ATTRAKT, Nuova music, Cube and more.
