TORONTO -- The unmitigated rise of K-pop couldn’t be denied this year, even as countries struggled with a global pandemic and a tumultuous news cycle.

K-pop pioneered the virtual experience for fans, amongst cancelled tours and grounded flights.

CTVNews.ca rounds up some of the top moments K-pop gave us this year:

K-pop fans show what it means to be a global citizen

Whether it was , protesting in support of the Black Lives Matter movement or crowdfunding for victims of police brutality – K-pop fans were on the front line of social justice this year.

Because of their intense online presence, their initiatives for good spread faster than most news headlines – so when they care about something, it packs a punch.

Whether it’s at his rallies, pushing for climate justice by urging governments to pursue green alternatives, or providing education on cultural appropriation and calling out problematic behaviour from their favourite idols and fans alike, K-pop fans have proven over and over again that they’re not “just some kids.”

BTS’ iconic year

You can’t have a K-pop round-up without mentioning BTS, and indeed it’s getting harder every year to come up with new superlatives to describe their achievements - but this truly was an iconic year for the seven member super group. Their hit ‘Life Goes On’ went to number one on the Billboard Top 100 chart (the first song in Korean to ever do so) and the disco-inspired ‘Dynamite’ – another first.

Rapper Suga’s mixtape ‘D-2’ took no prisoners when it dropped in May, Jin’s gorgeous vocals in ‘Abyss’ had us daydreaming and ‘In the Soop,’ the group’s mini-series out in nature, had us laughing.

But in true BTS fashion, they continued to thank and credit their fans for their success – wishing for ARMY’s health and safety in almost every interaction.

Wonho returns

After a devastating year in 2019, Wonho (formerly of the group Monsta X), had a solo debut after signing with a subsidiary company of Starship Entertainment. Although fans tirelessly campaigned for his reinstatement to the group, especially after – knowing that Wonho has returned to the industry he loves was truly a gift to 2020. Wenee’s (his new fandom name) watched in delight as Wonho quickly became the “it boy” online with his ‘Open Mind’ music video which made the rounds on TikTok. The opening of his YouTube channel and Instagram account have provided both Wonho and fans a chance to reconnect and share the love.

SHINee’s back!

Legendary group SHINee is finally back together again after all three elder members – Minho, Onew and Key – were discharged from military service. Shawols were gifted a truly chaotic (but oh so Shinee) reunion moment backstage that showed off the intense connection the group has shared through the years. This was also a massive year for group member Taemin, who dropped three singles, ,’ promoted with SuperM and of course dominated every stage he stepped on.

Mamamoo returns

After promoting separately for a time, all four members of girl-group Mamamoo reunited for songs ‘Dingga’ and ‘Aya,’ from their 10th mini-album ‘TRAVEL’ that dropped this November. The girls have proven their cultural heavyweight status since their debut in 2014 – and this year only added fuel to their fire.

‘Psycho’ collaboration stage

In June, one of the most popular collaborations occurred during a KBS Music Bank special, featuring Red Velvet’s song ‘Psycho’ went viral. AB6IX’s Daewhi, Golden Child’s Bomin, Stray Kid’s Hyunjin and Astro’s Sanha’s seamless performance has been viewed more than 17 million times to date.

BLACKPINK in your area

Hot on the heels of their massive performance at 2019’s Coachella music festival, BLACKPINK continued to prove why they are the biggest girl group in the world. From collaborations with Lady Gaga, Selena Gomez and Cardi B to their Netflix documentary ‘Light up the Sky’ which gave us a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the members’ lives. BLACKPINK continues to outdo themselves every year.

‘Road to Kingdom’ and ‘I-Land’

Reality TV and K-pop often go hand-in-hand, but this year was truly spectacular.

In the male sequel to 2019’s ‘Queendom’ show, ‘Road to Kingdom’ had seven boy groups competing for a spot in 2021’s ‘Kingdom’ competition show. The Boyz, Pentagon, ONF, Golden Child, Verivery, Oneus and TOO continuously wowed fans and viewers with their stage presence and choreography. The Boyz were eventually crowned the winner.

‘I-Land’ was another highly anticipated reality TV series that saw 22 competitors vying for seven spots in a newly created boygroup. The show was a collaboration between CJ E&M and Big Hit Entertainment – which showcased BTS, TXT and many other K-pop stars as special appearances and mentors. Six members were voted in by the audience and the seventh by producers, resulting in the debut of the boy group ENHYPEN.

Monsta X is all about love

Fans of Monsta X had a lot to celebrate this year, as the group turned up the heat in their all-English album ‘All About Luv’ in February, which ranked fifth on the Billboard 200 albums chart, and the group’s collaboration with Two Tuck Gom had a ridiculously cute where the members spent the day with an adorable young fan.

Their latest comeback featuring the single ‘Love Killa’ from the album ‘Fatal Love’ paid homage to movies like ‘Fight Club’ with dance moves that had fans swooning.

Twice’s mega comeback

This year was special for fans of Twice, as member Mina rejoined the groups’ promotional activities after stepping back to take care of her mental health in 2019. All nine members had a breakthrough comeback with their second studio album “Eyes Wide Open,” in October, with the earworm ‘I Can’t Stop Me,’ becoming an instant staple on any K-pop playlist.

Twice was also featured in the League of Legends digital K-pop group K/DA’s album, benchmarking the fast-blossoming relationship between the gaming industry and Korean music.

Exo stays at the top of their game

Members of Exo have had a busy, busy year.

Baekhyun released his solo EP ‘Delight’ which sold a million copies and had everyone dancing to single ‘Candy.’

Lay’s promotions in China had him taking part in the dance battle show ‘Street Dance of China 3’ [translated title] and dropping his EP ‘Lit’ – featuring a truly epic music video by the same name.

Kai’s long-awaited solo debut mini-album swept the internet up in its grasp, topped off with the smooth music video for ‘Mmmh’ and an art film that went along with the whole project.

After an emotional announcement at the beginning of the year that he was getting married and was expecting his first child with his fiancée - member Chen welcomed his daughter in the spring, which fans have quickly dubbed “princess.”

Xiumin was discharged from the military to the delight of EXO-L’s everywhere, marking the first member of the group to complete their mandatory military service.