Blackpink, Twice and BTS really changed the game for the 4th generation.

The 2nd generation changed the game for 3rd generation and the 3rd generation made kpop much more popular overseas. Especially BTS, Blackpink's and Twice's international success changed the game. And I don't say it's because of them that 4th generation groups are selling so much but that they are part of it and that they brought kpop international on the next level. Their fame has definitely brought more fans to kpop.

Of course there were other groups like EXO or Red Velvet etc., but in my opinion these three are mainly responsible for it.

And just like the 2nd generation paved the way for the 3rd generation, the 3rd generation paved the way for the 4th generation. How much the fourth generation will pave the way for the 5th generation, we will only see when the fifth generation starts.

Quote from Armedryu

Twice

Quote from BRIYANI

I will go ahead and say BTS indeed did open the (physical)market for kpop in many countries. The reason why many US stores sell kpop albums now is bcos of them

Without question. Even Blackpink and Twice benefit from their success there. Don't know why some people can't admit it. It doesn't mean they need BTS but it still helped, so where is the problem because in the end all groups have a influence on each other. Everyone has their parts where they slayed and brought attention for kpop.

For BTS it was definitely the US market, Blackpink gave us a new standard for music videos and fashion label interest in kpop and Twice showed us a new level of success in the Japanese market.

Quote from tetetete

no one paved the way for bts

Quote from Afriyieau1

In the western market, that’s totally true

don't get me wrong, I mean no disrespect but I'm one of these people who say BigBang's, Wondergirls, 2NE1, SNSD made kpop more known in the western market. That they started it. BigBang was the first group who won an mtv award and SNSD / Wondergirls / 2NE1 all had US performances. And they started the youtube trend. For me that is paving the way or what else is the definition of paving the way?

But again. Don't get me wrong. I don't want to belittle BTS success there. Even when the 2nd generation made kpop more known in the western market, everything which BTS reached was because they made it possible.

Bts changed more for the 4th generation than the 2nd generation changed for the 3rd.

I hope you know what I mean. Again, no disrespect.

EDIT: guys, I never meant disrespect to army or bts. bts success is because of the things they made possible and nobody else. i just wanted to say that 2nd generation maybe helped a little tiny bit. If you disagree I'm totally fine with it. I never wrote it to disrespect any of you or them. In the end BTS made things possible which nobody reached before them or after them and that is alone thanks to them and their fans.

Quote from Afriyieau1

If 2nd generation indeed paved the way for BTS, then there should have been other groups succeeding before BTS happened

How does a nugu group with no connections and media hype end up beating all other groups from the big companies to succeed there??

And also I’ll always say this. Just because you do something first does not translate into paving the way. To pave the way is to make it easier for something else to succeed after you. If anything, 2nd generation made it harder for BTS to break down the barriers in the west looking at all the stereotypes they built up against them. 2nd generation didn’t make it easier for BTS at all and I stand by that.

BTS success in the US is because of armys and armys alone. Armys were the ones to promote BTS to the general public. Same ones to get US retailers to start stocking BTS albums and the same ones sending gifts to radio stations to get BTS songs played. Even got billboards to announce and promote BTS comebacks. Kpop didn’t do shit for BTS. There were old threads on the old akp sites that got revived after BTS Grammy nomination. 2nd Gen stans were in the thread mocking BTS and talking about the fact that their highly successful faves couldn’t even break the western market, nugu BTS was bound to fail and armys will soon be humbled chasing western validation. See how that worked for them. Now that BTS is highly successful they want their faves so badly to be included in their success. That’s why they started all that shit about their faves being the ones to pave the way for BTS. Mind you their same faves they called failures earlier. I even wonder how your faves pave a way they never walked on before

Anyways this “paved the way” discourse has been beaten to death. So many giant kpop personalities, articles from well established resources and Koreans themselves all admit BTS paved the way. I ain’t gonna bother with the opinions of kpop stans on akp who think otherwise

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That came way to personal. You totally misinterpreted my intentions.

I swear I wrote a book in this comment to explain myself but deleted it because it makes no sense.

I didn‘t make that thread to discuss if someone paved the way or not for BTS. It was started by your comment so please don‘t make me look that way.

My intention was only to say that every generation helped the next generation in some way. If there is a different definition for paved the way it just a serious topic for you I take everything back and apologize.

Quote from Dreamer95

Wow, you included Twice, a shocker

Why not ? Dreamer you hurt my feelings. I always said that. I just don‘t like you arguments about Blackpink lol.