There is no "Yet to Come" - the Global Empire ended today

I see the entire KPop enterprise as a war against the Established Pop Culture, let it the Anglo-American or whatever you feel like.

The 3rd Gen reached the farthest , even toppling the entire Status Quo of Pop Culture during 2020-2021.

However, it is over. It has ended.

Some people cling on to the idea of "Yet to Come" . I won't argue other points, but will only argue that one.

First of all, the stranglehold BTS had on almost every other acts on earth is now gone, as seen in the resurgence of Taylor Swift, who had been defensive when BTS was conquering the world but is back to power.

And the world tour of Harry Styles, who is now busy trying to recapture the world to the Establishment, with no counters from KPop.

BlackPink's fame was great but it did arena tours in most countries. Not worldwide stadium tours; even in K-O-R-E-A it began with a disadvantage against a certain domestic singer.

BTS' empire is already crumbling like Alexander the Great's Empire after the conqueror died.

The key point of BTS' rise was giving the younger generation some kind of hope and self-importance by telling them to love themselves. Whether people like or not, the covid lockdowns did help BTS' fame to rise this high with other acts not really being able to do anything against it, and it conquered countries after countries at a ridiculous ease.

With them not being able to do anything, the countries they had conquered would be reconquered by their original acts in a matter of time.

Repeat watching of these clips eventually gets old. Which is why I say the half life of BTS' domination is around 1 year. By end of 2024 only around 25%, probably less, of BTS' aggregate fans will remain.

Plus a key factor is the Jungkook does not look like he will want to finish his military service by 2025.

He appears to have some ambition to strike on his own. The 2027 contract end date takes the military services into account, so which means Jungkook's contract will end in 2025, instead of 2027.

Even if he chooses to extend the contract till 2027 with other members, which I don't think will happen, foreign tour schedules will be restricted because of the laws of Korea restricting foreign promotion of military age idols.

So any reunion on 2025 would be just temporary. If lucky, 2 more years. But more likely 2025 only.

Third, after almost 3 years of operating separately, would they want to reunite? Even if that happens, it will be probably temporary.

Fourth, although some of the fanbase will remain and some of those who left will return temporarily if they make their comeback after 5 years of no real albums, times would have changed and the act who would be #1 by then would probably reflect the realities of 2025 better than BTS, who is tied to the covid epidemic which people will completely want to forget by that point of time.

Fifth, the effect of the worldwide domination (164 awards, 121 from outside of Korea) which made every act on earth fear BTS would be gone. It would be just another act fighting for the domination of world, and whoever in power by that time would not be too afraid of it, especially when by 2025 its average age would be more than 30.

Some people think BTS will be able to maintain enough fanbase to tour for a long time like Rolling Stones. Well, Rolling Stones will go on as long as Mick Jagger is around, and I have studied its history. Only Mick and Keith Richards are original members; the late Charlie Watts stayed with the group for 59 years, but he is NOT an original member, joining one year after the group began; and Ronnie Wood, the current remaining member, dates from 1976, 14 year after the band began.

BTS being a dance, trendy group, it is hard to imagine that the ethos of 2025 would be the same as 2022 to maintain them at their halcyon level. Especially when it will have to take another hiatus no later than 2028 because of Jungkook's military services.

Reality is harsh. Yes, BTS might recapture some of its glory on 2025. But it dictating the world opinion back in 2020-21 is unlikely to be repeated.

Quote from Water_oWl

yeah no it's too long

I have to cover all the basis of my reasoning.

Quote from Ves

Wait, I feel robbed. Where's the part where IU scissor kicks in to save the day?

She is like hyena, only showing up later to seize the spoils

Quote from susanamendes

Why does anyone think that JK won't be done by 2025? I do think the whole group will be done by then.

I'd they'll have the same strength as they used to is another story. There's a reason why they call this now chapter 2.

I'd love for it not to be that way though

The members have to finish their service by early 2025 so they have to join by mid-2023, but JK is showing no signs of limiting his activities.

Alistair Horne wrote that Napoleon's downfall came forth because Tallayrand, who handled Napoleon's diplomacy, fell for Czar Alexander I of Russia.

Same thing - BTS' ultimate return will probably be stopped by JK, who fell to the former owner of Edam. Not romantically as some akgaes might think, but to the idea that one can be one's own boss.

Quote from BTS-ae-1320

You have no idea how on weverse, ARMYs are putting ideas already for 2025 & how c'mon like BTS WILL STILL BE RELEVANT!!!!!!!!

plus, i'd like to see another group try (no hate to other groups) to do what BTS has done, including the 70 daesangs. ARMYs won't forget ab BTS & BTS will probably extend their contracts because of ARMYs and to keep on doing it (namjoon even said that).

PLUS, BTS WILL ALWAYS BE POPULAR, WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT!!!!!!!

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Will they returning in 2025 impress some Armys?

yes.

Will they returning in the 2025 impress the whole world?

No.

Some people talked about them becoming like Rolling Stones and touring at old age.

Is Rolling Stones relevant in today's world?

Not really.

BTS was a mover and shaker of the world in 2020-22.

Will it be by that point of time?

No. Some other act would have taken the spot.

They will retain some popularity. But they won't be the world's leading act.

Quote from BlackpinkHouse

Wait so you think the end of the pandemic and the resurgence of American megastars like Swift is what caused BTS' downfall? What about da Senior Singer?

To me, i dont think any of those are the reasons why BTS voluntarily relinquished their crown and laid down their swords. I think the mortal blow to BTS came from within their borders. A treasonous, treacherous ambush from a group literally NOBODY could have predicted.

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I think the way this song conquered Korea, including Butter (and Celebrity for that matter), was the biggest story of 2021 and one of the seminal moments in Kpop history. Aespa literally slayed the biggest boygroup and Korea's greatest soloist in history, and did it in one fell swoop.

I think this was BTS' Gettysburg, Waterloo, Stalingrad. Gettysburg ended the Confederate dream to become an independent country, Waterloo ended the French bid to conquer Europe, and Stalingrad was the greatest defeat ever suffered by Germany and was the turning point of WWII. Similarly, after Next Level, BTS never regained the unquestioned dominance they enjoyed with Dynamite, not with PTD, MU, YTC or any of their solo projects. This was the beginning of the end of their Evil Empire.

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I will write about the impact of Edam Entertainment when the gallup is announced, probably next Monday.

Aespa was silenced by the senior singer so I won't go too far about it.

Quote from piedpiper134340

Absolutely no one is the world's leading act forever, I don't know what's the points you're trying to make.

BTS already made history, and can still break records, whether as a group or as solos. Maybe someone else will be number one in Spotify or Billboard, but it will be BTS filling stadiums

They could have ruled the world for longer by abandoning the irrelevant Korean market, but Bang had secured investment on the government retirement fund and

(that is about $250 million now)

That became the trap which destroyed BTS.

Bang could have bought that share out and send BTS out of Korea permanently, but he got stingy.

Quote from Yinye

All these “think” pieces about BTS, plz bookmark this one for when BTS comes back in 2025 + remains relevant and unbothered.

Will they dominate the world by then?

And will the dominant act at that point of time stay still and let BTS take its position?