From an SM stan, I think that really only SM groups have paved the way...

Quote from Umimem888

Hi, I'm new here and have been lurking for a few weeks. I have no idea if this thread has already been made or if I broke any rules so pls forgive me if so. I just had a thought and wanted to see if anyone agreed with me so I decided to make an account. This will probably be my only thread ever.

Now, hear me out! Sorry I am not so eloquent. I'm an SM stan and have been one since 2010! I 95% of the time love their releases and I think that out of all of the groups that are/have been active in Kpop, they have had some of the most historical, most important, and largest contributions to the Kpop music industry in general. Many of the groups have revolutionized the history and business of Kpop and become the foundation of how kpop groups are made. SM groups have paved the path that almost all other groups are walking on now, and most other groups active today are following in their footsteps.

Now I do strongly believe that it is mostly SM groups and Big Bang who have done this. I don't think I'm forgetting any but I might be.

I personally don't think BTS is paving the way, and the reason is this: how can BTS pave the way when they're not walking anymore??? They are literally FLYING. The way I see it is, how are they paving the way when no one else is EVER going to follow in their footsteps?? I honestly believe that no other kpop group ever in a million years will achieve what BTS has achieved. No other kpop group will be able to reach the heights they have reached. Not sure if what I am saying makes sense but basically BTS is just so far out of reach that they are not paving the way and we are just left sitting in their dust. (Not trying to shade any groups if it seems like I am; while I mostly like SM groups, I listen to and like quite a number of other groups as well!)

Tl;dr

Only SM groups have paved the way. To pave the way means to pave the way for other groups to follow in your footsteps. BTS is not paving the way because they are literally soaring and no one else will ever be able to follow in their footsteps. Does anyone else see what I'm saying or am I just rambling? Or both??

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Are you trying to say SM paved the way for others groups to fly?

Did the old school SM groups pave the way for their next gen groups to fly?

Are their current gen groups flying or will they continue paving the way while current flying groups are flying

Or their will be no more flying as you said and that they are just going to keep paving?

Quote from Umimem888

Wait i kind of love this outlook??? but i do also think that having precedents and predecessors certainly help, like guiding stars or goals to reach almost. But ofc fans will take their faves the farthest. Anyways thank you for your wonderful insight!

new artist looking up to a senior artist as role models and hoping to be just as successful is the guiding star or goal for them new artists

fans of those new artists paves the way for the new artists so that they can achieve that goal/dream.

it's the fans that paves the way

we really don't know who really paved the way. Maybe the way always existed but we never saw it.

What I do know is ARMY paved the way for other fandoms. Our plans and strategies for charting, our team work has inspired others to follow and support their faves. Even our hard work of pushing for album sales in the west, paved the way for other kpop acts to be shipped in the west hence making many million sellers now.

ARMY had to fight the system and break glass ceilings for others to walk easily. Just ask if other acts and fandoms have to face racist and vile comments and treatments from the west (to the level that BTS and ARMY had to face). They didn’t because ARMY and BTS are at the front, all of them shielded behind us. Hence, we paved the way

So bow down to your saviour kpoppies

Yes I can ramble too.

The only person who paved any way in SM, is LSM himself.

The idol trainee system, is what makes an Kpop distinctive industry. In that, he pave the K-pop industry itself.

Rest are all natural developments -new artistic concepts, new markets etc. were matter of time, Even Seo Taiji, though credited as pioneer, adapting Western tech or genres, was not new to Korea, so would have happened anyway.

So LSM is definitely the path maker.