On July 30, 2025, Google officially crowned BTS’s V (Kim Taehyung) as the most searched K‑Pop idol of the entire 21st century—not just this year, not just this decade, but the whole freakin’ century 🌍. He also topped Wikipedia search traffic among K‑Pop artists. Fans erupted in joy, calling him “idol of idols” and declaring his influence spans beyond trends—it’s legendary.
This isn’t a flash-in-the-pan moment: Taehyung has consistently ruled Google Trends since early 2024 and maintained that momentum through the first half of 2025. Meanwhile Jungkook reportedly ranks second on the same search list, with icons like PSY, Lisa, and Jimin trailing behind.
What’s sparked this insane search dominance? Simple: Taehyung moves—even under the radar—are seismic. For example, his brief appearance at Jin’s solo concert on June 28, 2025, wearing a black vest, led to a 100% spike in search interest globally. That’s how every little gesture becomes headline news.
It’s not just fans talking. Korean media and entertainment analysts have dubbed him “world‑class,” and Artemis-level in influence. Forbes Korea even named him among the “Top Global Breakout Stars,” calling him a trendsetter whose influence transcends music. On the global influencer stage, he ranks third, only behind Ronaldo and Messi. That makes him the highest‑ranked Asian and top entertainer—leaving Selena Gomez, Kendall Jenner, and others in the dust.
Let’s talk numbers: V boasts over 68 million Instagram followers, with 12.4 million from the U.S. alone. He added 1.22 million followers in just 25 days after completing his military service in June—and still holds the highest engagement rate among all celebrities at a staggering 20.6%, with average likes clocking in above 14 million per post .
In short? Taehyung doesn’t just break Google—he owns it. Fans flooded X (Twitter) with comments like “Idol of idols for a reason,” and declared him a “once-in-a-century star.” Some quoted, “The universe did us a favor by letting us exist in the same era as Kim Taehyung” and celebrated his influence, beauty, and authenticity as entirely self‑earned.
Even his casual content drops—like that quirky Instagram photo dump featuring everything from a lone slipper to a shirtless gym selfie—go viral and reinforce why ARMY calls him lovable, unpredictable, and endlessly fascinating.
So what’s the takeaway? While many idols chase trends, Taehyung is the trend. He ranks #1 in search across 75 out of 81 countries, all without releasing new music or a massive project post-army. He’s doing this living up to his own legacy, movement by movement, post by post—whether intentional or just existing.
Taehyung remains the undisputed king of presence. When he walks onto any stage—or even stays off it—the world tunes in. He’s not just a star. He’s Google’s most searched K‑Pop icon of the century.
