It showed several things.
1. The acts debuting after New Jeans thoroughly failed to impress the Koreans, who supported unknowns such as Hwang Garam or Zo Zazz instead. Both are suspected of cheating in Melon, but the Korean listeners did not care.
2. Huntr/x did not show a strong performance in the gallup polls.
3. It again showed bts' military service was in vain.
it would have gone much farther by abandoning Korea altogether and just touring, never setting foot in Korea ever, ever again.
It seems Hybe is not confident enough about BTS' 2026 tour. If it is not overwhelming, it is going to be seen as a big failure.
The time to do a tour was 2022. When they went to Sofi center at the end of 2021, they should never have returned to Korea. Never.
Whatever the individual members have done since then, except Jungkook's Seven (ft. Latto), is , I have to say, meaningless.
4. Given the way things are going, 2026's gallup polls might be headed by the former owner of Edam Entertainment again, who will be 1,353 years old.
Although IVE has the support of the teens in Korea, the 1,353 years old will still have the support of 20s and 30s
5. With BlackPink, aespa and IVE still strong, the 4.5th gen will have no chance. I am afraid that until the now 1,352 years old turns 1,360, 8 years from now, the new gen of KPop might have no chance as the old guard's control strengthens.
