Yuqi of K-pop girl band i-dle / Courtesy of Cube Entertainment
I-dle member Yuqi continues to dominate the Chinese music market as she was named Woman of the Year in Music 2026 by streaming giant Tencent Music.
The artist’s agency announced Sunday that Tencent selected Yuqi based on her commercial influence and artistic output across its platform and the broader Chinese music market throughout 2025. The honor was awarded under the theme “Where she is, there is light.”
Tencent Music representatives highlighted her vibrant energy and expanding creative role.
“She participated in writing and composing all songs of her first single ‘Motivation’ last year, showing her talent as a next-generation female singer-songwriter,” the platform said. They added that the lead track “M.O.” not only recorded first place in Korea but also achieved good results in China.
Streaming data underscores her market dominance. Yuqi landed on the Tencent Music Korea Chart a total of 147 times, placing in the top 20 on 122 occasions. She swept the platform’s 2025 year-end honors, taking home Singer of the Year, Solo Singer of the Year, Song of the Year for “FREAK” and EP/Single of the Year for “Motivation.”
Furthermore, her solo tracks “Radio (Dum-Dum)” and “FREAK” secured Tencent Music Gold certifications, a milestone denoting 500,000 equivalent sales across downloads and streams. “Radio (Dum-Dum)” has maintained a top 10 position on the Tencent Music Korea Chart for 50 consecutive weeks since its release, proving its sustained popularity.
Broadening her reach beyond standard pop releases, Yuqi recently participated in “Magic Together,” the 10th-anniversary theme song for Shanghai Disneyland.
Her individual accolades arrive as i-dle — comprising Miyeon, Minnie, Soyeon, Yuqi and Shuhua — drives a record-breaking international touring run. The quintet held a massive show at the Taipei Dome on Saturday as part of its “2026 i-dle WORLD TOUR [Syncopation] IN TAIPEI,” making them the first K-pop girl group to perform at the venue. Tickets sold out instantly during presales.
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.