Yes another of those generation debates .
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I claim that 4th gen started with aespa and truly kicked of in 2022!
I think 4th gen started with aespa & stayC. It specifically picked up with Next Level in 2021, the first 4th gen national hit song and overall more specifically with the debuts of most major 4th ggs in 2022.
Therefore groups like Idle and Loona are 3.5 gen. And groups like Everglow and Itzy debuted at an awkward time right at the end of 3rd gen yet before 4th gen actually started. Bad timing really. Hence the confusion.
Also I think many of the ggs who debuted in 2022 were meant to debut in 2021 but because of the covid many debuts were delayed. So covid kind of prolonged the start of 4th gen by a year, the period being late 2020/21 to late 2022.
So the debut of this gen lasted 2 years instead of 1, like the 3rd gen which kicked of around 2015/2014 with groups like Red Velvet, Twice, Gfirend, OMG, Lovelyz.
Like aespa, Red Velvet started the 3rd gen, but it only fully took of with the debut of most 3rd gen gg in 2015.
But because of covid, those debuts who probably would have happened in 2021 were delayed into 2022. So 2022 is like the 2015 of 3rd gen and by all rational and raisonable metrics.
Think about it, a gen last around 7 years right? So if 3rd gen started around 2014/2015. 4th gen shouldn't have started before 2020/2021. Right around aespa/stayC debut.
Also aespa and stayc debuted at the end of 2020. So if i had to chose approximatively, 4th was meant to debut around 2021. And because of the covid, there were some delays so it actually really kicked of for the most part in 2022 with the debuts of Ive, Ssera, NewJeans, Nmix, Fifty Fifty and XG lead by national hit songs such as Love Dive and Hybe boy.
And if a gen last around 6/7 years, it means this gen will end around 2026/27. 2027 is probably the most raisonable date since most of 4th gen was actually deleyed/extended by one year. So the end of gen 4 should be as well.
Therefore we are still deep into the 4 gen and therefore all the groups that debuted this year and even next year are still 4th gen groups. 4.5 gen more specifically.
And everyone who says that they are 5th gen are either mistaken of either using the term to amplify their groups success by only comparing them to their 5th pairs or just a promotional tactic to appear more new and fresh or whatever.
But in reality, it's not true and it’s misguided.
Why if so many people question weither Idle/Loona is 3rd or 4th gen, then why shouldn't people seriously question weither Kiof/Illit/BM/Meovv/Katseye are also 4th gen?? (4.5 more specifically).
And how if 3rd gen started in 2015/14, how can it end just 5 years later in 2019?? Just for Itzy's sake? Lol. Not questioning their impact of course, dalla dalla was huge! But a group alone can't judt start a whole generation.
Obviously the more early end of the 3rd gen didn’t happen before 2020. Therefore we're still in the 4th year of gen 4th still. So how can groups that debuted in this year be anything but 4th gen???
Please answer those questions...