The fifth generation of K-pop is making its presence impossible to ignore. RIIZE and BOYNEXTDOOR both landed in the top 10 of Melon’s Global-K Chart for the week of June 15 to 21, right after their respective comebacks. With streaming numbers surging and fandom activity spiking across three major markets simultaneously, the latest chart results make one thing very clear: the new guard has fully arrived.
What Is Melon’s Global-K Chart?
The Global-K Chart is an integrated K-pop chart published by Melon, one of South Korea’s leading music platforms. It pulls data from three major streaming services across three countries: Melon in South Korea, Tencent Music Entertainment Group (TME) in China, and LINE MUSIC in Japan. Together, those three countries represent a combined population of roughly 1.6 billion people, around 20 percent of the global population.
What sets the Global-K Chart apart from a standard streaming chart is its scoring method. Rather than measuring audio streams alone, it also factors in fandom activity indicators such as follows and likes, giving a more complete picture of how deeply an artist is connecting with their audience across all three markets.
The chart also carries significant weight beyond a weekly ranking. It will feed directly into select award categories at the Melon Music Awards (MMA 2026), scheduled to take place over two days on November 14 and 15, making strong chart performance now relevant to end-of-year recognition.
RIIZE Climb to No. 2 With Second Mini Album ‘II’
RIIZE made their comeback on June 15 with their second mini album “II”, which features six tracks including the title song “Do Your Dance”. The response across all three markets was immediate. Streaming figures surged right after release, covering not just the new tracks but also previously released songs that fans returned to in celebration of the comeback. Fandom activity indicators, including fan sign-ups and likes, also rose rapidly, pushing the group to second place on the Global-K Chart.
| Detail | Info |
| Group | RIIZE |
| Comeback Release | June 15, 2026 |
| Album | II (Second Mini Album) |
| Title Track | Do Your Dance |
| Global-K Chart Position | No. 2 |
BOYNEXTDOOR Secure No. 6 With Debut Full-Length Album ‘HOME’
BOYNEXTDOOR entered at sixth place, powered by the release of their first full-length album “HOME”, which dropped on June 8. The album’s lead track “VIRAL” generated early buzz, while the broader record is described as an autobiographical project that candidly unpacks the emotions and memories the members accumulated throughout their career so far. The symbolic weight of a group’s first studio album, combined with strong and sustained engagement from their loyal fandom, pushed their activity indicators high enough to secure a firm top 10 finish.
| Detail | Info |
| Group | BOYNEXTDOOR |
| Album | HOME (First Full-Length Album) |
| Title Track | VIRAL |
| Release Date | June 8, 2026 |
| Global-K Chart Position | No. 6 |
Full Global-K Chart Rankings: Week of June 15 to 21
| Position | Artist | Notes |
| No. 1 | BTS | Holding strong since May |
| No. 2 | RIIZE | Comeback with mini album “II” |
| No. 3 | aespa | Continued strong global presence |
| No. 4 | CORTIS | Consistent top-tier performance |
| No. 5 | ILLIT | Sustained chart presence since May |
| No. 6 | BOYNEXTDOOR | Comeback with full-length album “HOME” |
| No. 11 | (G)I-DLE | Pre-release “Crow” from ninth mini album |
| No. 14 | BABYMONSTER | Digital single “Sugar Honey Ice Tea” |
Girl Groups Also Make Their Mark
(G)I-DLE climbed to 11th place on the strength of “Crow”, the pre-release track from their upcoming ninth mini album “We Made”, released on June 15. Fan support across Korea, China, and Japan intensified quickly around the track, reflecting the group’s continued global pull.
BABYMONSTER also made the chart following the release of their digital single “Sugar Honey Ice Tea” on June 8, landing at 14th place. The summer-themed track drew strong responses from fans across all three markets.
BTS, aespa, CORTIS, and ILLIT Hold the Top
While the comeback acts generated the biggest movement this week, the upper tier of the chart remained steady. BTS continue to hold first place, sustained by the consistent firepower of the ARMY fandom. aespa and CORTIS followed at third and fourth respectively, while ILLIT secured fifth, extending a strong chart run that began in May.
The fact that both veteran acts and newer fifth-generation groups are thriving simultaneously on the same chart points to a K-pop landscape that is growing rather than cycling out, and the Global-K Chart’s tri-market scope makes that momentum visible in a way no single-country chart could capture.
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