From Trending to Personalized: YouTube Signals a New Era in K-Pop Fandom

YouTube is retiring its long-running ‘Trending’ tab on July 21, marking the end of a feature that has been around since 2015. The platform says the move is because very few users actually visit the Trending page anymore. Instead, people rely heavily on personalized recommendations powered by algorithms that tailor content to individual tastes and communities.

"Hardly anyone uses the Trending page anymore," YouTube explained, pointing out that viewers now gravitate toward content that matches their specific interests rather than universally popular videos. This change in user behavior is shaking up how content is discovered across the site.

This shift is especially noticeable in the K-pop world, where the old goal of hitting the Trending tab during an album launch or music video drop has lost some significance. Instead, groups like NewJeans, Stray Kids, and ILLIT focus on formats like Shorts and livestreams to stay connected with fans worldwide. These personalized, bite-sized experiences make it easier to build and keep attention without relying on a general trending list.

In place of Trending, YouTube is expanding its ‘YouTube Charts’, a feature that started in 2018. Originally focused on music, podcasts, and trailers, these charts will now cover more types of content and include regional breakdowns. For K-pop fans and artists, this could mean more transparent and organized ways to see how well songs and videos perform in different parts of the world. Meanwhile, gaming content will be given its own separate discovery page, and the old Trending tab’s space will focus more on music-related features.

This transition also reflects the competition from platforms like TikTok, which have completely changed how people find and watch short videos. TikTok’s algorithm is highly personalized, and YouTube responded by launching Shorts in 2021. The K-pop industry has embraced Shorts heavily, using them for dance challenges, sneak peeks, and viral moments that push artists’ visibility without needing to rely on Trending.

Many viewers say they haven’t actively used the Trending page in a long time, usually discovering new videos through their homepage or subscriptions instead. The trend is moving away from broad trends and more toward niche engagement, and YouTube’s change mirrors that.

"Hardly anyone uses the Trending page anymore," YouTube said.

While getting rid of Trending might ease some worries about fairness and transparency in what gets featured, it raises fresh questions about how algorithms affect which creators get seen or miss out. YouTube promises to keep investing in domain-specific charts and personalized recommendations rather than broad popularity lists.

The end of the Trending tab highlights a bigger shift for both digital platforms and fan cultures. For K-pop especially, getting noticed isn’t about landing on one big list anymore; it’s about constantly engaging with fans in digital spaces shaped by algorithms and community preferences.