Im Young-woong hits 14.2B Melon streams at 10-year mark, BLACKPINK fans demand more on shared debut anniversary

Im Young-woong debuted August 8, 2016 with 미워요. Ten years later, his Melon stream count sits at 14.2 billion—the highest cumulative total on the platform for any South Korean artist.

He became the first solo artist ever admitted to Melon's "Diamond Club," the threshold for surpassing 10 billion streams. A 미스트롯 competition win broadened his reach beyond trot's core audience. At his 2024 solo concert at Sangam World Cup Stadium, he surrendered all ground-level seating to preserve the soccer field's grass. His fanbase generated enough economic clout to earn its own term: 히어로노믹스 (Hero + Economics).

August 8 also marks BLACKPINK's 10th debut anniversary. They launched in 2016 with 휘파람 and 붐바야. They set the highest first-week sales record among K-pop girl groups. They became the first K-pop girl group to headline Wembley Stadium. Their catalog spans 뚜두뚜두, Kill This Love, How You Like That, and Pink Venom. They just wrapped the world tour DEADLINE.

The anniversary arrived with friction. One X post criticizing group inactivity—"It's the 10th anniversary, not the 8th or 9th, but group activities are being deprioritized"—drew over 5.34 million views. Another fan wrote: "Don't just end it every year by uploading a few group photos on Instagram reminiscing about memories."

The members operate under separate deals now. Jisoo, Jennie, and Lisa each run individual agencies. Rosé signed with The Black Label. Two artists, one date, two very different anniversaries.