a bit hard to digest since this company “created kpop” and “paved the way”.
exo was their last group that dominated over every other group in the industry but their reign was cut short by bts blowing up internationally and then subsequently becoming a household name in Korea. red velvet has always been blackpink and twices forgotten triplet. just when nct (sms resident flops) started showing an uncharacteristic massive unflopness during the pandemic era, they got bested by bts, seventeen, (and now) stray kids. aespa had a great 2021 but they soon got buried under a mountain of successful girlgroups that came after them (exhibit A: IVE, Exhibit B: NewJeans)
hybe has bts (no words needed), jyp has stray kids (next bts as their fans like to say), yg has blackpink (biggest gg). but what does sm have other than some supergroups and industry has-beens? i don’t think they’re in possession of a single ‘Top Group’ and they haven’t been for a record five (going on six) years… theyre so outdated and behind it’s a bit embarrassing to see them try ‘new things’ like ncts weird five million members and units or weird aespa AI concept or their cringe ‘super groups’ feeding the sm family agenda. they’re trying so hard to be quirky with that kwangya business but like just stop 😭 maybe focus for once.