but the question was is your career over, not wether or not the artist could chart well.
I know, but people say: "Their career is over.", because they can't chart anymore. Most people are obsessed with Charts, sales and streaming numbers even tho at least 90% of the Music Industry can't be seen on any chart, all around the world not just in Kpop.
This is why I call these people "Popularity stans", because they think your life doesn't mean anything if you're not in a mainstream media.
Display MoreThis thread being revived just to repeat the same ageist takes is honestly gross. Acting like someone magically expires as an idol once they hit their late 20s or 30s isn’t reality, it’s just bias people keep passing around until it sounds “normal.”
Idol careers don’t end because of age. They slow down or stop because companies don’t want to invest in older artists when it’s easier to debut another 17-year-old and start over. That’s a company issue, not an age issue.
Also, limiting this convo to K-pop only is wild. I follow LDH in Japan, the famous EXILE TRIBE has been active since 2004, with men in their 30s and even late 40s still dancing hard, selling out Tokyo Dome and major venues like it’s nothing. No one over there is saying they “should move on” just because of their age.
So yeah, saying someone in their 30s shouldn’t be an idol anymore is preposterous. Age isn’t the problem. The way the industry and some fans treat age is.
Talking about Japan when they have the graduation system (aka the best system) normalized.
IMO it should also be the way for kpop, a win win solution.
Idol should be treated as a training phase, not the main business.
Talking about Japan when they have the graduation system (aka the best system) normalized.
IMO it should also be the way for kpop, a win win solution.
Idol should be treated as a training phase, not the main business.
I don’t agree that idol should be treated as a temporary “training phase,” and Japan isn’t a monolith anyway. The graduation system exists in some idol spaces, but groups like EXILE TRIBE aren’t built on that model at all, and they’re still very much idols in performance, branding, and fandom culture.
Saying idol should be temporary is a choice industries make, not a rule of nature. If someone can still perform, draw audiences, and wants to stay active, there’s no real reason age alone should disqualify them. That’s exactly the bias I’m pushing back on.
I know, but people say: "Their career is over.", because they can't chart anymore. Most people are obsessed with Charts, sales and streaming numbers even tho at least 90% of the Music Industry can't be seen on any chart, all around the world not just in Kpop.
This is why I call these people "Popularity stans", because they think your life doesn't mean anything if you're not in a mainstream media.
okay but if someone isn't charting and selling say 500k albums then clearly they're not over, thats the kind of situations i was thinking about.
Talentless and fanbase are two completely unrelated concepts.
afcorse they are i didn't intend to lump them together
Don’t have an account yet? Register yourself now and be a part of our community!
