Global music magazine Rolling Stone ignited a fierce social media controversy when it published an article on November 7, 2025, initially describing BLACKPINK as “the biggest K-pop group in history.”

This definitive claim, made in a piece analyzing why BLACKPINK members were ineligible for a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist, prompted immediate and intense pushback from the global fanbase of BTS , leading to a rapid editorial revision.

The Contentious Claim and Magazine’s Correction

The article’s original description referred to BLACKPINK as “(without a doubt) the biggest K-pop group in history, and has been for years.”

  • BTS Fan Reaction: BTS fans (ARMY) swiftly criticized the statement, asserting that objective metrics like album sales, awards, and chart performance on major global charts like the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard 200 prove BTS holds the overall record for historical dominance.
  • Editorial Revision: Within approximately six hours, the widespread controversy forced the Rolling Stone editorial team to revise the article. The new, less absolute phrasing changed the description to “the biggest K-pop girl group,” a distinction that is globally recognized and supported by streaming data.

BLACKPINK’s Record-Setting Streaming Dominance

In defense of their group, BLACKPINK’s fans (BLINKs) highlighted numerous global achievements, particularly their record-breaking performance on major streaming platforms in 2025:

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BLACKPINK (Credit: X)

  • Spotify Global Chart Record: Fans pointed out that the group’s new song, ‘JUMP’ (released July 11, 2025), has charted the longest on Spotify’s global chart among all K-pop group releases in 2025. Furthermore, the single made BLACKPINK the first K-pop group to top Spotify’s Global Weekly Top Songs chart twice (following “Shut Down” in 2022). “JUMP” held the No. 1 spot on the Daily Top Songs Global chart for six consecutive days and garnered over 44 million streams in its debut week.
  • YouTube Music Global Data: Recently released global streaming data for the past 12 months provided an official ranking that favored the group’s massive online reach:
  • Group Ranking: BLACKPINK placed first in the global group ranking, followed by NewJeans (second), and BTS (third).
  • Rosé’s Solo Milestone: Member Rosé ranked No. 1 among all K-pop artists over the past 12 months with a staggering 4.14 billion views, a historic first for a solo K-pop artist.
  • Next-Generation Performance: Fifth-generation group BABYMONSTER was also noted for its strong performance across both YouTube and Spotify.

Significance of the Incident

This highly publicized incident underscores the increasing intensity and stakes of fandom debates as K-pop continues its global expansion.

The battle over a single phrase in a major foreign publication demonstrates how the immense cultural and commercial power of both BLACKPINK and BTS has made every public metric a flashpoint for their dedicated fanbases.

In group activity news, YG Entertainment has confirmed that BLACKPINK is preparing for a highly anticipated comeback in January [2026].

The powerhouse rookie girl group BABYMONSTER has further cemented its status as a “Next-Generation YouTube Queen” by achieving another massive streaming milestone.

On November 16, 2025, at approximately 9:13 p.m. KST, the music video for their B-side track, “Really Like You,” officially surpassed 100 million views on YouTube.

B-Side Success and Time to Milestone

The achievement is particularly notable as “Really Like You” is a B-side from their first full-length album, DRIP, demonstrating the group’s depth of popularity beyond their title tracks.

  • Release Date: The music video for “Really Like You” was originally released on January 17, 2025, at 12 a.m. KST.
  • Time Taken: It took the video approximately nine months and 30 days to reach the 100 million view mark, a strong pace for a non-promoted track.
  • Track Style: “Really Like You” is a track described as having a 1990s hip-hop and R&B style, characterized by a groovy sound, heavy rapping, sensational vocals, and a rhythmic beat. The music video features a lively, refreshing atmosphere with natural visuals and expressive acting, set in a school-like environment.

Expanding the “100 Million” Video Collection

With the addition of “Really Like You,” BABYMONSTER now has a total of nine official music videos that have exceeded the 100 million view threshold.

Fandom War Erupts: Rolling Stone Forced to Edit BLACKPINK Description After BTS Fan Backlash - 2

BABYMONSTER (Credit: YouTube)

This list of popular videos showcases the group’s consistent global demand and their successful trajectory since their debut under YG Entertainment.

The nine music videos that have achieved this milestone are:

  • “BATTER UP”
  • “Stuck In The Middle”
  • “SHEESH”
  • “FOREVER”
  • “DRIP” (The title track of the album)
  • “CLIK CLAK”
  • “HOT SAUCE”
  • “WE GO UP” (Title track of their second mini-album, which recently hit 100M views in October)
  • “Really Like You” (The newly added B-side)

This impressive cumulative viewership record is further amplified by the group’s overall YouTube performance.

Congratulations to BABYMONSTER for their continuous success!