Indie singer HANRORO makes waves in Korea’s music scene

HANRORO performs at her solo concert at Korea University’s Tiger Dome in November 2025. Courtesy of Authentic

HANRORO, a 26-year-old indie singer-songwriter is reshaping Korea’s music scene by dominating streaming charts, selling out arenas and landing on bestseller lists simultaneously.

Debuting in March 2022 with the single “Let Me Love My Youth,” HANRORO has seen a meteoric rise in recent months. Her 2024 track “Landing in Love” saw a strong resurgence on the charts late last year, climbing to No. 2 on Melon’s daily chart in mid-January. On the weekly chart for Jan. 12-18, she secured second place, closely trailing Hwasa’s “Good Goodbye.”

Her success extends beyond streaming. In late December, her three EPs swept the top three spots on the weekly album sales chart of major online retailer Yes24 — a rare feat for an indie artist.

Her literary debut, the novel "Jamong Salgu Club," even climbed to No. 4 at Kyobo Book Centre, the nation's premier bookseller. Despite its dark themes, the book’s sales surged alongside the popularity of her music.

From small halls to arenas

HANRORO is increasingly seen as an artist who graduated from indie star status to idol, evidenced by her explosive concert growth.

In 2023, her first solo concert was held at a 400-seat hall in Hongdae. By November 2025, she performed two sold-out shows at Korea University’s Tiger Dome, a venue with a 5,000-seat capacity. Tickets for the arena shows sold out instantly, with the audience dominated by men in their teens and 20s.

HANRORO / Courtesy of Authentic

A key factor behind the rise is what some people call the "K-pop-ification" of indie music. Her agency, Authentic, used a K-pop trainee-style system to help develop her music. CEO Kim Won-ho, a veteran of indie label Pastel Music and K-pop giant SM Entertainment, put HANRORO through a year of structured training and branding, including the release of behind the scenes content, a typical part of idol group marketing.

“HANRORO has resonated with young listeners who want something outside the mainstream,” music critic Kim Do-heon said. “She blends comforting melodies with the abilities of a creator who writes lyrics, composes music and writes novels.”

A defining voice for Gen Z's anxieties

A Korean literature major, HANRORO writes all her own lyrics, crafting narratives that capture Gen Z’s emotions, from anxiety and conflict to frustration.

Her breakout hits include “Let Me Love My Youth,” which compares youthful insecurity to the arrival of spring, and “Landing in Love,” which delves into a mix of emotions, from love to resentment to forgiveness, that follow a breakup.

She also drew attention with “Don’t Be Afraid to Fall,” featuring the lyrics, “A scar on the forehead is a badge of youth. We are each other’s good band-aids.” These poetic lines, widely praised by fans, resonate deeply with their own experiences.

HANRORO performs at the Pentaport Rock Festival in August 2024.
Courtesy of Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival

HANRORO's rise has been fueled by her artistic talents, helping her go viral on social media and win celebrity endorsements from the likes of BTS’s RM and Le Sserafim. While her official music video for "Let Me Love My Youth" has taken two years to gain 3 million views, a live performance clip of the song on Mnet’s "LIVE WIRE" broke records with 4.5 million views in only six months.

"Her popularity seems to have skyrocketed due to the craze for melodic pop-rock, a thirst for female solo singer-songwriters and the algorithmic spread of short-form videos," said music critic Lim Hee-yun.

HANRORO ranked fourth on YouTube Music's weekly top artist chart in mid-January, trailing only Kenshi Yonezu, DAY6 and IU. She is now set to expand internationally, with her first overseas solo concert scheduled for Jan. 31 in Taipei.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.