Why Is Labubu So Popular?! You Can Blame This One Beloved K-Pop Star
One K-Pop star took Labubu from obscure to "everywhere."
Published April 12 2025, 1:57 p.m. ET
Let's face it — popular items and toy trends don't always make sense.
Toys like Furby and Beanie Babies might make some sense since they're unique and fun to play with. But do you remember those little fuzzy worms that were all over social media for almost a year? Probably not, because they were utterly nonsensical. Yet wildly popular.
Another toy started trending on TikTok in 2024 and 2025 that had outsiders scratching their heads because, quite frankly, they're pretty ugly and ridiculous. And yet, people are going crazy for the chance to collect them, raking in huge collections and bragging about their unboxing on social media.
Those toys? Labubu — created by Pop Mart.
Why is Labubu so popular? It all comes down to one particular K-pop star.
Why is Labubu so popular? You can pretty much blame one member of the K-pop group BLACKPINK.
It seemed like Labubus were nowhere, and then one day they were everywhere. So how did it happen? Chinese toy company Pop Mart, which brands itself as "a rising global force in pop culture and entertainment," created a toy series called The Monsters, designed by Kasing Lung.
Within this series is Labubu, a toothy-grinned rabbit toy with furrowed brows and a mischievous expression.
The elfish little creature went from obscure to everywhere after BLACKPINK star Lalisa Manobal, who goes by the stage name "Lisa," started sharing her obsession with Labubu on social media.
Her fans quickly latched on to the toys and started ordering and unboxing them with enthusiasm.
From there, it grew like so many Gen Z trends did. Once an item is everywhere on social media it becomes "must have." Now, Labubu is an obsession, and Pop Mart likely has Lisa to thank for the sudden explosion of popularity.
Fans have become obsessed on their own now that Lisa has introducd them to Labubu.
Of course, it's not all Lisa. There's something to be said for the toy's design and quirky nature that makes it a sought-after item for Gen Z collectors.
Unboxing videos are very popular anyway, and if you can unbox one of the coveted rare Labubus, you're creating content gold.
On TikTok, for instance, one duo unboxes a number of mystery Labubus, prompting their followers to chime in with the ones they're obsessively searching for. Sea Salt and Lychee Berry seem very popular.
By the way, no one wants the green Labubu, Green Grape.
If you want to buy in on the obsession, prepare to crack your wallet open a little wider than you might expect. On Pop Mart's site, they run around $84 on up into the hundreds of dollars. And resale value can be even higher, for those who have the rarer and more coveted Labubus.
It doesn't make any more sense than any other toy trend. But on the other hand, it brings people joy. And there's always room for joy in the world. Even if it happens to grin menacingly at you from a too-human face and sells for $84.