Rolling Stone unveiled the new list of “The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time” that has “compiled our staff and key contributors, and it encompasses 100 years of pop music as an ongoing global conversation.”
With Aretha Franklin, who’s won 18 Grammys, on the top of the chart and Whitney Houston and Sam Cooke following in second and third places, two names stood out for Korean listeners, IU and BTS’ Jungkook.
Jungkook’s name was spotted in the 191st place. “Jung Kook, the multifaceted youngest member of BTS, boasts a long list of talents — he’s a strong performer, written several songs, and is known to be extremely hardworking and humble despite the success he’s experienced at such an early age. He’s also an extremely gifted singer. In 2022, when his track with Charlie Puth, ‘Left and Right’ became the fastest song by a Korean soloist to surpass 400 million streams on Spotify, Puth referred to him as one of the only artists ‘to have ever sent me perfect vocals.’ He hits high notes with ease and harmonizes with his members effortlessly, always giving his audience new ad-libs and unexpected vocal riffs to keep things interesting, from his official solo tracks like ‘Euphoria’ to the covers he uploads for fans on BTS’ SoundCloud.”
IU ranked 135th. “Since her 2010 breakout hit ‘Good Day’ (which garnered deserved praise for its magnificent three-note climax), IU has become one of the most highly regarded vocalists in South Korean music. Despite having a soft voice, she has a wide range, a powerful delivery, and a versatility that’s allowed her to move easily from bossa nova to Nineties chamber pop and from jazz to ballads. In 2022, she became the first Korean female soloist to headline a concert at Seoul’s Olympic Stadium, selling out the venue in five minutes, with peers and admirers like Jung Kook of BTS, Jihyo and Jeongyeon of Twice, and TXT’s Soobin and Beomgyu there to celebrate her triumph.”
