I just started watching A2K and it got me thinking about just how many survivals shows we had recently. JYP had Y2K, YG had the babymonster thing, R U next, now dream academy. Plus all the new groups the companies are planning on debuting even though they can't manage the ones they have (*cough JYP *cough ). And so many of these groups just get left behind, CLASSY hasn't had a CB in 10 months, Everglow was left to gather dust for a year, Nmixx and Itzy are not doing well, lightsum is in a pretty bad state even though Gidle is doing well and they're from the same company.
Currently NJ, Lee Sserafim, IVE, Gidle and Aespa are the top 5 but the rest? There's just so much and I worry about Aespa with SMs management. It feels to me like companies are just rushing to capitalize on the market without plans to sustain these groups in the future. Every bubble has to burst, that is the rule I live by. The real-estate market burst, the stock market, and kpop is bound to burst too. Plus with all the money laundering these companies are doing I think its just a matter of time before it all comes crashing down.
What I think will start to happen is too many groups will debut leaving companies abandoning the previous ones, the market will become so oversaturated that the west will loose interest as well. Once the western money goes out it's over. Kpop just can't sustain itself the way Jpop does, that's why everyone and their mother is appealing to the west. I just feel bad for all the groups.