RESCENE Stays on Top: Inside September 2026’s Rising Singer Brand Reputation Rankings

Some rankings shuffle every month. This one didn’t — and that’s exactly what makes it interesting. RESCENE has held onto the number one spot for another month running, but the real story lies just beneath them, where two names posted jaw-dropping jumps that completely reshuffled the mid-table.

How These Rankings Are Built?

The Korean Business Research Institute compiles these monthly rankings using big data spanning media coverage, consumer participation, fan interaction, and community awareness — collected this cycle from August 25 to September 25. The result is a brand reputation index that captures real momentum rather than just chart performance.

September 2026 Top 5 Rising Singers

RESCENE’s Commanding Lead

RESCENE didn’t just retain first place — they extended their lead with a striking 17.33% jump in brand reputation score since August, pushing their index well past double that of second-placed ATEEZ. That gap alone signals a group whose fan engagement and media presence are compounding rather than plateauing.

The Real Story: Seongri and Jang Han Byul’s Massive Surges

While RESCENE and ATEEZ held their positions at the top, the bigger headline is buried in third and fourth place. Seongri rocketed up the rankings with a staggering 99.28% increase in his brand reputation index — nearly doubling his score in a single month to land at third place. Right behind him, Jang Han Byul posted a 78.21% jump to claim fourth. Two rising solo acts posting near-100% growth in the same cycle is a rare pattern, suggesting a specific event, release, or viral moment likely drove both surges simultaneously.

CORTIS rounds out the top five, finishing in a tight race just behind Jang Han Byul.

Beyond the Top 5

The broader top 30 features a mix of veteran groups and fresh faces, including Stray Kids, NCT, i-dle, aespa, ENHYPEN, MAMAMOO’s Hwasa, BABYMONSTER, and EXO’s D.O. — a snapshot of how established acts and emerging soloists continue to coexist within the same “rising” category.

These monthly trackers have become an established gauge within the broader Korean Wave (Hallyu), reflecting how digital engagement increasingly shapes an artist’s commercial standing alongside traditional chart metrics.

For more on what’s driving K-pop’s biggest names this year, check out TechnoSports’ roundup of K-pop’s global milestones in 2026.

FAQs