6 Viral K-Pop Trends of the Last Five Years

In November 2012, the notorious music video for Korean soloist PSY's "Gangnam Style" became YouTube's most-viewed video, with its animal-inspired dance moves and catchy lyrics taking over dance floors across the world. In the years since its release, "Gangnam Style" has remained an iconic moment in K-pop history, and has paved the way for a vast array of K-pop dance challenges that have taken over social media. Here are just a few that have taken off since then.

"Any Song" by Zico (2020)

There's nothing like a viral dance challenge to start the year, and Zico's #AnySongChallenge could not have come at a better time. With simple and fun choreography, the challenge gained the attention of K-pop fans and even major celebrities, as stars like Tiffany Young, Sandara Park, and CHUNG HA took to Instagram, TikTok and Twitter to show off their moves to the super catchy tune. The video that started it all, featuring Zico and MAMAMOO's Hwasa, has garnered millions of views on his Instagram account alone, and the challenge has been credited as one of the moments that helped TikTok's K-pop community truly explode.

"Kill This Love" by BLACKPINK (2019)

In April 2019, fans of BLACKPINK were given a challenge in the form of a dance cover contest to the group's song "Kill This Love." It was an amazing opportunity to have fun while filming a full-length dance cover for a cash prize. What made it even sweeter was that it granted BLINKs a chance to enjoy themselves as they jammed to the group's new hit. The flood of covers allowed fans to binge a handful of videos and support each other in the process, while the song's iconic point choreography became one of the most replicated K-pop moves of the year.

"IDOL" by BTS (2018)

Members of supergroup BTS are no strangers to viral moments, with music videos garnering millions of views in a matter of days. Before J-Hope and Becky G made waves with the "Chicken Noodle Soup" Challenge, it was in August 2018 that the group gave fans their first viral dance challenge to the tune of Love Yourself: Answer's "IDOL." The #IDOLCHALLENGE, which was kicked off by ARMYs from South Africa, was such a hit that clips of fans performing the dance were included in an official "IDOL" music video, a rare moment of fans dancing alongside their idols on the global stage.

"Ko Ko Bop" by EXO (2017)

This viral challenge was, surprisingly, initiated by a fan. Inspired by a move from the choreography, an EXO-L posted a video of herself doing an exaggerated version of it, and the fans loved it. Since its start in 2017, this challenge has seen millions of participants in all levels of dancing abilities, but one thing is for sure: this challenge is a whole lot of fun. Most fans can't help laughing or smiling halfway through their videos, and everyone truly loves to see it. The dreamy, summer-friendly visuals of the MV only added to its rewatch appeal.

"Gashina" by Sunmi (2017)

Sunmi's "Gashina" has an everlasting hype that is well deserved, as the award-winning song became a well-known bop. With its popularity, a K-pop dance challenge was soon to follow. "Gashina" went viral as fans learned the dance, showing off notable moves in the choreography, and it went on to become a popular selection for public dance challenges. The song also cemented Sunmi's reputation as one of K-pop's most distinct soloists, with a stage presence that translated effortlessly into bite-sized social media clips.

"TT" by TWICE (2016)

Although technically not a challenge, "TT" became a signature dance move that many K-pop stans recognize. This TWICE hit is basically a rite of passage for all K-pop fans and stars. Nearly all currently-active idols have had their moments dancing along to the 2016 hit, and the music video itself has garnered hundreds of millions of views. Years after the song was originally released, K-pop stans still flood social media with videos of themselves dancing along to the infectious chorus. There's no denying that "TT" is the epitome of viral K-pop dances.

Did you participate in any of these viral trends? Were there any others we missed? Let us know in the comments below.

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