2024 saw the exit of New Jeans, 2025 saw the exit of IU - will 2026 see the exit of BTS?

2024 saw the end of New Jeans. What happens after that is a soap opera, not Music

and 2025 saw the end of IU as a major player in Korean pop scene . Nobody in Kpop covered the songs she released and no one paid filial duty, showing her days as a Senior Singer has ended.

The return of BTS did not make worldwide news. Seokjin, whose refusal to leave the group creating this disaster, is having his own concert , taking off time from others who might want to do their own concerts.

I have said a few times that Suga and RM, who contributed greatly for Jungkook enlisting efen though if he had stuck it out (he could stick it out until 2028) he would have gotten the exemption, should NOT be allowed to do their own tour before Jungkook as a punishment but Bang will just do nothing about this. Jungkook has said almost nothing after discharge - he id probably thinking a lot now.

The biggest detriment for BTS' return is that it is now too old to gain newer fans.

The situation which led it to world domination has ended and it is now a new ball game, and bang is more interested upon Katseye than them. Bang went to see LeSserafim and Katseye (Illit was just thrown in - I think the members now know they are abandoned. They will mostly concentrate in Japan from now on , with a very high chance of Yunah, who clearly not belonging in there, replaced by a Japanese member. Yunah should have been cut when Yeongseo left but at that time the head of Beliftlab did not want more drama)

But Bang did not bother to show up in the BTS festa , showing his priority is elsewhere.

So BTS is already rejected by Bang, who threw it under the bus to escape his own problems, while almost making MHJ richer than all of them (although , of course, not richer than Annie Moon but that is another story)

BTS' dynamic energy is now gone. They are now a bunch of washed up ex soldiers. It is not even discussed too much at AKP anymore.

I personally think BTS in 2026 has a very high chance of ending up like IU in 2025.

Quote from BIGnorBANG

The HYBE over BTS died as soon as they went on "hiatus". They're big, but won't bring in new fans like before, unless they revamp themselves compared to before. In addition, they're in their late 20s/early 30s, so their priorities are different compared to before, and they'll more on solo work (despite not brining in the revenue compared to group activities).

BSH is probably salivating atm at them uniting, but they're in a stronger position compared to before enlisting, as they renewed their contracts on their own terms (no doubt), so he won't have as much control over them.

They are too old to bring any more fans.

I expect this round of contract, which will probably end in 2027 but no later than 2029, will be the last one.

Seokjin and RM will remain since they are good toadies of Bang. Can't say that for the others.

Quote from qamar-atti

jungkook is not giving us even a late night live.

That tour seems far away😭😭😭😭. Tbh All of them seems to be taking their well deserved free time to enjoy normal life because unlike popular opinion military enlistment was not some kind of vacation 😒😒😒.

Also, jin has the most fun concert out of all kpop concert I have seen. I was wondering how would he pull off his tour and man he is amazing, heavenly vocals (he sang 21 songs with little backtrack), funny stage ideas and excellent crown engagement. 😍😍

After watching his 2 days, I think he should have include more stops in his tour like Sea countries.

Since BTS will do a tour in 2026 that means no JK tour till he turns 30

Whatever Seokjin does is irrelevant since he won't be someone who had a potential to dominate the world. The noble thing for him was to withdraw from the group, serve in the military or whatnot, and let the group have its tour and destroy Taylor Swift. His greed started the whole process.

Quote from BIGnorBANG

Hey unnie! You've predicted something... IU is replacing the NewJeans 'Welxome to Korea" poster... I wonder if the boys will replace IU in a few years time...

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They had to find someone quick and IU was the most available.

By that time she is replaced they will find someone younger than BTS. (BlackPink was the rep before NJ)

Quote from lia09

Their tour will be successful, they don't rely on GP or twt hype, BTS is a fandom driven group. It's not like they were getting any social media hype or new fans pre enlistment era, I think their hype died long ago but they've fandom big enough to carry them for next couple of years. If they're wise they'd focus on building their solo careers, but I think they're focusing on short term goals.

Which means they made the transformation from an act for the entire world to an act to their fandom only , a transition IU made last year.

But unlike IU, who did not have too many fans outside of Korea to begin with, they had the entire world as their playground so this is kind of unfortunate.

Quote from supa

IU is more public driven whereas BTS is more fans driven. Fans driven will last longer.

Actually, IU's recent releases are more fans driven and farther away from the public, doing what she feels like to do instead of catering to public tastes.

Quote from supa

That explains why she is not doing as well.

True, and given how BTS is acting now I am afraid that is the direction BTS is taking in its next album.

Quote from BIGnorBANG

Since that is the case (and I believe what you say), it makes you wonder how well their album next Spring will do in sales and streams.

Loyal armies will buy the albums. Streams will be quite weaker than expected.