I think this is the best time to experience the Korean wave.
As we all know kpop fandoms are terrifyingly competitive. And I remember when Exo were selling a million albums, a lot of people were saying that no other group will be able to sell a million for a long time...until BTS came along.
And then BTS started their succesful record breaking sales, which made people speculate that EXO were going to flop and dissapear. However EXO held tight to the 2nd position.
Seventeen debuted in 2015, and experience(d) a slow and steady growth, until their album 'The ode' sold about a million copies(Please help me out carats) and oh boy...do I remember people underestimating Seventeen, saying that they arent going to ever sell a million. But fast forward to 2021 and they have four albums that have sold 1 million copies.
During their obsession Era, EXO apparently 'flopped' by selling 800k copies of their Obsession album', however during a comeback where half of the mmebers are in the military, intl ExoL come togethor and secure them sales of 1 million of DFTF. Once again showing others that 'we aint going nowhere'
People called Twice the 'local cutesy girlgroup' as an insult, however in 2021, this cutesy local girlgroup sell 43k copies in the USA and chart #6 on BILLBOARD 200.
NCT are another group, who have jumped in their sales. NCT 127 averaging a million, and NCTdream, selling a mind- boggling 2 million copies of their album, which is insane.
My kpop fan heart is swelling with pride. So many groups in the same VERY competitive industry are thriving and coexisting at the same time. It is a beautiful sight to witness.
Kpop fandoms are so adamant that if one group is succesful, somehow its impossible for other groups to have success at the same time. But the kpop industry is proving all of these toxic and competitive fans wrong.
I could go on and on. But its becoming too long now.