K-pop & gaming lead YouTube trends among Canadians in 2025
K-pop continued to shape popular culture in Canada through 2025, with YouTube's annual lists revealing the enduring influence of global music, gaming, and creator communities on Canadian viewers.
K-pop dominance
KPop Demon Hunters, an animated show, emerged as one of the year's top trending topics. Songs from the show - including "Soda Pop," "Golden," "How It's Done," and "Your Idol" - were featured in Canada's leading trending songs and Shorts lists.
"APT" by Rosé and Bruno Mars was named the top song in Canada on YouTube for 2025. The video became the fifth-fastest music video to achieve 1 billion views and set a new record as the quickest K-pop track to reach this milestone, surpassing the previous record held by "Gangnam Style."
Music trends
YouTube Shorts helped both new and older tracks achieve viral status in 2025.
Viral dance trends elevated older hits such as Connie Francis' "Pretty Little Baby" and the Black Eyed Peas' "Rock That Body". Newer songs like Doechii's "Anxiety" also reached widespread audiences after circulating in Shorts.
The top trending songs reflect a mix of K-pop, pop, and independent artists. In addition to "APT," tracks by HUNTR/X and Saja Boys from KPop Demon Hunters, Lady Gaga, Chappell Roan, and The Weeknd featured on the list, highlighting the variety of genres Canadians are engaging with.
Gaming momentum
User-generated content continued to be a major draw among Canadians, with Roblox experiences like "Grow a Garden," "Dandy's World," "Forsaken," and "Steal a Brainrot" featured among YouTube's top trending topics. Other notable topics included Blue Lock, Nintendo Switch 2, and Squid Game, pointing to the ongoing popularity of gaming and web-based entertainment.
Creators to watch
Five Canadian creators were featured on YouTube's 2025 unranked list of "Creators to Watch," with content areas covering K-pop, sports fandom, gaming, and crafts. Ontario-based SleepyCrafter, launched in 2025, rapidly grew to nearly 3 million subscribers by blending gaming, crafting, and pop culture.
Mia Plays and Kouman, creating content together in Farsi and amassing over 1 million combined subscribers, recently opened a 4,000 square foot studio in North Vancouver, reflecting growth within Canada's creator economy.
Litreary content creator Morgannbook has built a community through author interviews and commentary. She launched a new podcast, "Off The Shelf," expanding her presence on the platform and engaging with the Canadian 'BookTube' community.
Blue Jays Today, with a focus on Canadian baseball analysis, saw a surge in popularity during the team's World Series run, underlining sports fandom's pull on the platform. TheCrochetCrowd, led by Nova Scotia creator Mikey, engages a national audience around crochet while discussing mindful crafting and its mental health benefits.
Platform impact
The year's lists indicate an expanding diversity of content on YouTube in Canada. Canadians are participating in a broad spectrum of global and local cultural moments, from K-pop and Roblox to sports and crafting. User-driven and creator-led video continues to have a defining role in music discovery, fandoms, and niche community-building.
"Pop culture continues to be defined by the ways creators and fans use video," said Alexandra Hunnings Klein, Head of Communications, YouTube Canada.
