Newer generation Big4 groups are proof that money and privilege can’t buy star power. Most of them just aren’t interesting enough without their company name attached.
These groups debut with everything handed to them. Massive budgets, instant media attention, playlisting, brand deals, and company stans ready to inflate streams and sales from day one. And yet, even with all of that, many of them still fail to stand out. Their popularity feels kind of artificial. Once the company stops pushing, the numbers slow down, the buzz disappears, and suddenly no one outside the fandom is really paying attention anymore. You only heard about them if the group have cb especially if their company using the guerrilla social media marketing tactics or if there some worth talking controversy.
What makes this worse is that we already have clear counterexamples. Groups like Ive and Gidke didn’t debut with Big4 backing, yet they still outperform a lot of newer Big4 groups in public recognition, impact, and general interest.
The truth is simple, but fans hate admitting it. Company privilege can get you attention, but it can’t make people care. Star power either exists or it doesn’t. Some groups have members people actually want to watch and listen to. Others only look impressive because a powerful company is standing behind them.
The uncomfortable reality is that many newer Big4 groups are just boring. They’re overfunded, overstyled, and overhyped, but painfully empty. Earlier generations were full of idols with presence, personality, and memorability. Newer generations seem way too focused on perfect visuals, producing groups that look good but leave no real impression.
