The answer should be a no brainer but i dont see ppl talking about it when comparing 3rd gen to 4th gen achievements. A lot of people mention Burning Sun as a bigger factor. Well think about it. After Itzy's Dalla Dalla and g(idle) (which debuted before covid started being a thing) no other 4th gen groups managed to make waves in SK until 2021 when covid stopped demanding restrictive procedures like mask, lack of contact and quarantines.
After 2021, groups that debuted after it started to flourish as we've seen with how 2022 was a strong year for 4th gen.
Curiously enough bgs seemed to have been affected the most compared to how 3rd gen bgs did at their time.
So do u think its safe to say that covid affected other groups popularity in sk like loona and treasure for example? And bgs were even more affected by covid in sk than ggs?
Im sleepy so idk if this makes sense just a random thought sorry