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After Ronaldo and Messi, this BTS star becomes Instagram’s most influential celebrity, beats Selena Gomez, Billie Eilish, and more
BTS’ member ranks 3rd on Instagram’s global influencer list, trailing only Ronaldo and Messi. With record-breaking engagement, he’s now the top music influencer, beating Selena, Taylor, and Billie.

BTS member V, aka Kim Taehyung, has reportedly beaten top global influencers to become the third most impactful celebrity on Instagram. With the singer’s return from military service and the kick-off of his solo and group activities, V has seen a dramatic rise in his Instagram followers, along with massive jumps in views, likes, and engagement, his posts now racking up millions within minutes. He’s the only BTS member to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with football legends Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who hold the first and second spots. The data comes from influencer analytics platform HypeAuditor. In the music scene, the K-pop idol dominates, ranking above Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, and some of the biggest Western names in the game.
BTS’ V becomes the third most influential celebrity on Instagram
The data dropped right after the Singularity crooner’s Paris Fashion Week appearance, where thousands lined the cobbled streets just to catch a glimpse of him, suited up as Celine’s global ambassador. According to HypeAuditor, Taehyung is the only Asian celebrity to ever land a spot this high. On the regional front, the second-youngest BTS member ranks third in the US and Brazil and takes the top spot in the UK. The singer sparked a frenzy the day he returned, becoming the most Googled celebrity of the day, with every visible item and accessory on him selling out almost instantly. As of July 4, Taehyung had 68.07 million followers on Instagram, over 12.4 million from the US alone, marking the highest American fanbase for any K-pop act so far.
Models Kendall Jenner and Kylie Jenner take the next two spots, after Selena and Billie Eilish. Meanwhile, in the music category, BTS V’s bandmate Jimin lands at No. 4, followed by BLACKPINK’s Lisa, Beyoncé, and Jennie in 5th, 6th, and 7th place, respectively. As for Taehyung, his follower count jumped by 1.22 million in just 25 days post-discharge, the fastest growth rate among K-pop idols.
According to data from SocialBook, the influencer marketing platform that tracks engagement, Taehyung’s rate over the past 60 days is 20.6%, the highest among celebrities worldwide. What’s worth noting is that this insane level of engagement comes despite his Instagram comment section being restricted. V ranks 75th in total follower count, yet his posts regularly pull over an average of 14 million likes each, a number even the biggest names rarely hit.
The Winter Bear crooner is currently in Paris with K-drama star Park Bo Gum and Suzy Bae. On the day he left from Incheon Airport, South Korea, dressed in a white tee and denims, he shot straight to Google Trends in nearly 40 countries. He again swiped the top four trends later that day after stepping out in Paris for lunch with designers and showrunners, just a day ahead of the brand’s springwear collection debut.


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