When did 4th gen ACTUALLY start?

  • I think most people want it to be 2017-2019 but that just is not right....

    4th gen for me and many Koreans started in 2020-2021

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  • What group debuted in 2020?

  • 2020 is when the 4th gen officially started. 2017-2019 was 3.5 gen but still 3rd gen.

    I know it's unfortunate some of your favs can't compete with to 3td gen groups, but pretending they are in the 4th gen won't change the reality.

  • 2018 any other answer is copium.

    it's literally the date the industry accepts.

    you'll see pann users calling nct 4th gen but they're their own beast due to the concept, and debating when the generations started, but they're the minority.

  • lmao @ people in here saying 2018 same year dx4 came out and bp didn't even take off yet and love scenario smashing.....

    this year was the ultimate proof 4th gen only in 2021 with multiple 4th groups starting to surpass 3rd gen groups digitally and even in sales


    that's why the actual new 4th gen groups are easily surpassing 3.5 gen groups

    IVE and aespa with itzy

    enhypen with txt

    once newjeans comeback and ygnewgg/smnewgg debut it will be obvious cause 3.5 will decline faster

  • if 4th gen started in 2018, then you all have 2 years more of success before 5th gen starts stomping in your favs, do you all really want to have only 2 years of bragging left? lets agree that it started in 2020


  • Not at you putting groups with 14 year olds like Wonyoung (Izone) in the same generation as Irene who is over 30 lol.


    4th gen started with Stray Kids/Idle/Loona/Izone.


    The 4.5 generation started with Ive. Just like how the 3.5 generation groups like BP and Twice represented the peak of Kpop's 3rd gen, we will probably see the 4.5 gen groups like Ive and New Jeans represent the peak of 4th gen.

  • if 4th gen started in 2018, then you all have 2 years more of success before 5th gen starts stomping in your favs, do you all really want to have only 2 years of bragging left? lets agree that it started in 2020

    That makes no sense. Just because 4th gen groups debuted in 2018, doesn't mean they were stomping 3rd gen groups right away. Far from that.

    3rd gen started in 2012-2013, but 3rd gen groups only started dominating in 2015-2016. Their peak was 2018, which was when 4th gen groups started debuting. 4th gen haven't reached a peak yet, this year is equivalent to 2015, at least for ggs, so we have to see.

  • it started in 2019 people that said otherwise they only want their fave to be part of the 4th generation.

    if you go and read pann articles you can see that groups that debuted before 2019 are never in 4th generation discussions

  • 2018, but I do think something shifted in how the industry in 2020

  • I want to say 2019 but really, it's 2020.


    As for Wonyoung, her generation is gen z and Irene is a millennial. But people generations are different than idol group generations. Wonyoung debuted young but most of her other members were well into their 20s. That is why Iz*One was 3.5 gen along with all the other 2018 idol groups. Honestly, Iz*One itself can be considered a pre-debut promotion since it was never meant to be Wonyoung real group anyhow.


    Wonyoung is now debuted with IVE and is now in her correct generation which aligns with her age.

  • it's 2020 with aespa's debut. that's when the shift started.

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