In retrospect, Mr. "Hitman" Bang Sihyuk will probably go down with the executive who had the world under his thumb but let it slip away.
I have said quite a few times that Bang should have moved BTS to USA as soon as concerts resumed there and run them thru.
Its successes in USA and elsewhere in 2021-22 would probably have silenced the Korean politicians. Incels would have balked, but they are, in terms of power and influence, not really relevant.
When IU posts the 2nd part of her concert behind the scenes clip I will write an essay about how much she was influential about bringing KPop down (the impact was HUGE), but for now I will write about a topic nobody wants to discuss.
Will KPop ever reach close to a world domination status again?
I seriously doubt it.
Sure , sales of KPop acts have exploded in this year. How long will it last? I give 3 years. The whole edifice was built because of BTS, and none of the newer acts have been able to establish themselves firmly. Which is why I had said a few times that BTS last for at least 2 more years and IU, who always undermined KPop whenever she could, sent away to some filming expedition for 2 years as well.
Arguments for a lasting BTS popularity are meaningless. They could remain quite powerful after 2025. But will they be so domineering in the world like 2020-22? I doubt it. It is like a star player who had the best years, and after that something calls aging takes over and the player's position is taken by someone younger and fresher. I agree with bbgc that 2025 might see a flash of interest on BTS but after that it will probably not be able to exercise such dominance to the world.
Ditto to all these 4th Gen acts, vying for world attention. Virtually all of them have foreign members(including Stray Kids with 2 Australians - no one even knows how their military services will be forced. I doubt Christopher and Felix will ever see a day in a K-O-R-E-A-N training camp), so none of their successes will be exclusively K-O-R-E-A-N. With K-O-R-E-A's declining birth rate, this trend will only exacerbate.
Itzy will probably be the final group from a major company to include no foreign members.
So no 4th Gen success will be entirely K-O-R-E-A-N and will reflect some influence from their foreign members, who often tend to be the members getting the most attention.
The game has changed, and I don't see KPop ever getting world domination. It will settle for some share of the pipe, but not with an exclusive stranglehold over the world's pop culture.
