BTS Holds No. 1 as ATEEZ and 2PM Surge in August Boy Group Brand Rankings

BTS remained at the top of the August boy group brand-reputation rankings, leading a top five that also featured major month-to-month gains for ATEEZ and 2PM. The monthly list measures the public conversation surrounding male idol groups through a combined review of participation, media coverage, interaction and community activity.

The latest analysis covered data collected from July 8 through August 8. It offers a snapshot of visibility rather than a music chart, bringing together several signals that show how actively a group is being discussed and engaged with across the period.

BTS extends its lead

BTS placed first with a brand-reputation index of 10,830,235, a 26.13 percent increase from July. The group’s result put it well ahead of the field and reflected strong attention around keywords including “ARIRANG,” “ARMY,” and “The City – New York.”

The analysis also identified “captivate,” “perform” and “collaborate” among BTS-related terms that ranked highly during the month. Its sentiment reading was especially favorable, with positive reactions accounting for 93.61 percent of the group’s analyzed response.

That combination of scale and positive discussion underlines BTS’s continued ability to dominate a broad attention metric. The ranking does not measure album sales or streaming alone; instead, it captures the many ways a group can remain present in fans’ and the wider public’s conversations. A monthly index can be affected by promotional activity, appearances, new material and the sustained work of fan communities, making its results a useful measure of attention rather than a definitive verdict on popularity.

ATEEZ, CORTIS and SEVENTEEN fill out the upper tier

ATEEZ rose to second place with an index of 2,678,598, recording a 104.27 percent increase from the previous month. The jump marked one of the most significant movements near the top of the August table and moved the group into a prominent position behind BTS.

CORTIS followed in third with a score of 2,512,983, while SEVENTEEN ranked fourth at 2,129,485. Their placement keeps the upper part of the chart closely packed after the leader, with each group maintaining a distinct level of public visibility over the measured period. The result also points to the breadth of the current boy-group landscape: established global acts, long-running teams and newer names are all competing for attention in a rapid news cycle.

The top five was completed by 2PM, whose index reached 2,052,934 after a 167.28 percent rise from July. That was the largest percentage increase among the top five, demonstrating how quickly momentum can shift when attention, community activity and media discussion build at the same time. Such changes are especially notable because the index combines multiple forms of engagement instead of tracking a single release or platform.

A broad mix of generations in the top 30

Beyond the leading five, the August top 30 included BIGBANG, Stray Kids, EXO, TWS, ENHYPEN, SHINee, NCT and INFINITE, followed by groups spanning several generations of K-pop. BOYNEXTDOOR, TVXQ, Super Junior, BTOB, Wanna One, MONSTA X and B1A4 also appeared in the ranking.

The remainder of the list featured ZEROBASEONE, VIXX, RIIZE, ALPHA DRIVE ONE, TXT, IDID, HIGHLIGHT, XLOV, Block B and KickFlip. The range of names illustrates how veteran acts and newer teams can coexist in the same conversation-based measure, even when their current schedules and promotional cycles differ. It also leaves room for groups to build a presence through projects beyond a conventional comeback, including performances, digital content and public appearances.

August’s results therefore tell two stories at once: BTS’s position remains formidable, while the jumps by ATEEZ and 2PM show that significant movement is still possible below the summit. With another month of releases, performances and fan activity ahead, the next ranking will reveal whether those gains can be sustained.