I wonder if K-Pop was ever welcomed in American idol.

Would love to see ROSE come and meet the contestants and sing with them. BLACKPINK.

But who else? Aespa? Twice? NCT? GOT7, STRAY KIDS, etc.

Checked out this album after I saw fans hyping it up but honestly I was quite disappointed. Imo the title tracks is probably the one of the worst in the album even if its the concept they were going for. The only good tracks (the rest feel quite forgettable to me) are 1) Moonstruck (One of their best imo) and 2) Brought the heat back. But the latter​ doesn't feel like it belongs in the album.

Anyway that's just my opinion and not exactly why I'm making this post. I just want to know what is your personal opinion on this album doesn't matter whether you're a engene or a casual listener, how was this album received when it came out etc.

This is just me asking out of curiosity and not to bash their music or anything cuz I do have songs from them I really like and that's why I checked out this album. So I want an honest opinion on their music without insulting the group.

​IVE and some IVE members have been criticized so much lately...A lot of it is toward Wonyoung, and I feel like a lot of it is either misdirected, (should be shared as direct complaint to Starship), or just totally off. Like I heard someone complaining that Wonyoung was winking in a brand photo, I think the photographer would've told Wonyoung if she wasn't supposed to wink, why are you getting mad at her about that?! Obviously winking is her trademark, right? So why would someone get so mad that she winked in a literal brand photo. She didn't set up the photo herself. Also, Wonyoung and Yujin are literally the centers of IVE, apparently some people are mad at them?! Be mad at Starship, not Wonyoung and Yujin...Wonyoung was literally one of the centers of Iz*one, so people shouldn't have been so surprised in my opinion....Also, like I said earlier, Wonyoung and Yujin do not choose where they stand for concept photos, there are literally photographers behind the camera telling each member where to stand...also Wonyoung and Yujin also happen to be the tallest members of IVE, right? That also probably has something to do with them constantly being at the center...also, for those who don't know there is a video of IVE at the airport, and Wonyoung looks apprehensive about standing at the center and Gaeul tells her it's okay to go...so obviously they have specific positions they are told to stand in, because usually with many kpop groups that I've seen, you can see the normal pattern the group stands in, thoughout many of their concept photos, and many times it also involves visual unity. ​(anyway, people being upset that Wonyoung is winking in official photos made me a little mad lol and I just wanted to share my thoughts😅) Plus, people are mad at the girls about these things and they don't even make the rules. They judge everything that specifically Wonyoung does.

What do ya'll think about how people are responding?

I have been listening to A2O Lite Neon and I kept getting the feeling that I heard something very similar before. I could not figure it out and it finally dawned on me: Pink: Get the Party Started is what it's reminding me of. https://youtu.be/mW1dbiD_zDk?si=v9WcsBVv9IZzlhO-

I know Jihyo, Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung have already announced their departure

But I'm honestly pretty happy for Twice being able to move onto a new chapter of their career, they have been Twice for so long and have put so much hard work and time into their group it makes me happy to see some of the members going onto new things that they're passionate about!

I personally think Nayeon will continue on as a soloist perhaps Momo too?

After IVE debuting with 400k streams with Looks Can Kill and their chart placements being weaker than usual, I think I’m realizing the overall lack of success of 4th gen in the last couple years, generally speaking. I know IVE is still super popular but I mean the general 4th gen success.

There are a couple stable groups, but most groups seem to be past their peak and don’t have as much stable growth anymore.

3rd gen had a chokehold on the industry for a long time, the biggest groups only started slowing down a couple years ago and BTS is still super popular, with TWICE and BLACKPINK still having big fandoms.

Groups like I-dle and ITZY (it hurts to say but TXT) never topped their peak numbers and generally 4th gen gets less and less success every year, even though in theory they should be dominating the industry.

This is more so aimed at girls groups I guess, because Stray Kids, ENHYPEN, and ATEEZ see steady numbers, TXT keeps up too; but 4th gen should be the dominant force in K-pop right now but for some reason it doesn’t feel like they are.

Let me know if I’m wrong, because I’d love to be 😭

I hope the title doesn't come across as judgy, it's not meant to be. Just, so many 2nd gen songs have been trending and groups like F(x) have grown so much in popularity. I wonder, where does that come from? I joined during 3rd gen so I was aware of 2nd gen groups but I feel like up until recently they weren't talked about much other than among people who actively still stan 2nd gen groups. I'm happy it's happened as it's also ignited my love for 2nd gen but I'd love to hear y'all assumptions as to why things changed this way! :)

looking at the 3rd Gen Girl group trio (Red Velvet, Twice, Blackpink) they seem to have had a more stable core fanbase PLUS GP hype, espeicially when they were the same age as current 4th gen ggs. i noticed howewer, that 4th gen ggs seem to be losing the GP faster than how the 3rd gen did.

for example with Itzy, Le Sserafim, IVE, etc., fans called them flop 3 years in the career, but now that those groups are around the same age as Itzy, they’ve also been experiencing chart decline recently. i see their fans getting worried that they might debut and maintain lower and lower chart position every comeback until they won’t chart anymore, just Itzy.

another interesting thing is how fast the GP seemed to have moved on to 5th gen.

I guess the only exception right now is Aespa. Maybe New Jeans if they weren’t put on hold. But I remember when they were saying that “the new TWICEPINKVELVET” was “this group” “and that groups” but i feel like they spoke too soon? i agree that twice struggled with charting, but Twice is Twice, just like Blackpink, they still did massive worldwide tour numbers recently. will any of these 4th gen ggs be able to do massive tours like twice and blackpink 10 years into their careers?

So I’m honestly so curious to see where these 4th gen gg groups would be, both in charts, influence, tour numbers, and general public perception in 10 Years (just like TWICE, BP, and even Red Velvet).

**Please correct me if i’m wrong with the charts data.

I'm late, but since our footwork kings TEEN TOP is back with their banger DON'T STOP.
I'm looking for the nostalgia 2 - 3nd artists and songs appreciations, knowing I probably know all the songs.

I'll start:

SHINee: Sherlock, it'll always be my fav song of them.
The whole vibe to it and our angel Jonghyun being goofy with the high notes in videos.

INFINITE: Bad, it may be one of their most famous songs. Even though it's repetitive, it still catchy. Speaking of, they dropped a new song this year called I Still Remember.

Block B - BASTARZ: Make it Rain. The aggression in all their songs are lowkey overwhelming some times, but the beats are so good oml.
P.O has a big role in Teach You a Lesson btw.
--ZICO: The collabs he makes are cheff kisses. People still listen to BERMUDA TRIANGLE.

Nuest W: HELP ME, the feelings you get at the beginning of the song, and the high notes. I can listen to this song none stop.

VIXX: Beautiful Killer, the whole VOODOO album is build diff. We all know they're the kings of concepts and Beautiful Killer falls right into it.

Okay hear me out... GOT7: Hard Carry. People are forgetting that GOT7 have been longer in the industry than they think. Even though we know what happened, they'll always be that one 3rd group.

I want to throw in my shaylas BTOB, B.A.P, MX, SVT, I can go on about Wanna One, girl groups, single artists..

BUT: What are your thoughts?

-- J

*Delete if necessary

​

Hello everyone! 💜

I have to admit that I’m a little nervous about posting here, since it’s been a very long time since I last posted anything on Reddit. My first post already touched on this topic a little, and after spending a long time away from social media, I wanted to come back and share a thought that has been on my mind for a while.

This is something that concerns K-pop fandoms, but fandoms in general as well. I don’t claim to have all the answers, and I’m not trying to single out any particular community. It’s simply a personal feeling that I’d like to put into words and, if possible, discuss with other fans.

I find it sad to see some fan spaces becoming increasingly negative.

In my view, fandoms should first and foremost be places for exchange and sharing around a common passion. Places where we can meet people who like the same things we do, discover new perspectives, build connections, and share moments of joy.

In a world that already feels difficult enough at times, these spaces can also become little bubbles of fresh air m places where we can take a breath, recharge, and regain a bit of lightness. That is also what makes them so precious to me, and I wish we could preserve that aspect.

Yet sometimes I feel that on social media, some people spend more time hating what they dislike than celebrating what they are genuinely passionate about.

All it takes is looking at the posts that circulate: hateful posts, provocations, and conflicts seem to generate a huge amount of engagement, while positive fanbase initiatives ,whether votes, streaming, creative projects, charitable actions, or simply celebrating artists, sometimes go largely unnoticed.

Of course, visible interactions do not necessarily represent an entire fandom. The people who participate in conflicts are not necessarily the majority, and many fans probably continue to enjoy their passion peacefully, away from these controversies. Still, I wonder whether, by constantly rewarding outrage and provocation, algorithms contribute to giving negativity a disproportionate amount of space.

After seeing the same conflicts repeated over and over, we can end up feeling as though fandoms are nothing more than communities fighting one another, even though there are also countless people creating, sharing, supporting, and helping each other without necessarily seeking attention.

Another aspect that concerns me is the use of social issues in fanwars.

Issues such as xenophobia, misogyny, racism, and other forms of discrimination are serious and deserve to be addressed thoughtfully. It is important to be able to criticize problematic behavior from artists, companies, or fandoms, question certain things, and demand accountability when necessary.

So I absolutely do not think we should turn a blind eye to these problems in the name of positivity or protecting our favorite artists.

However, I find it troubling to see these causes sometimes used as weapons to discredit an artist or fandom that someone dislikes. To me, there is a difference between genuinely trying to understand an issue, raising awareness, and standing up for the people affected, and using a serious subject as an additional argument in a fan war.

What also concerns me is the way some complex issues are sometimes reduced to a few screenshots, out-of-context excerpts, or viral posts.

Social issues often have historical, cultural, and systemic dimensions that take time to understand. This does not mean that every situation requires endless analysis before we can express disagreement, but I do think it is important to take the time to learn, provide context, and listen to the people directly affected.

Sometimes I feel that certain causes are only brought up when they can be used to attack a rival fandom, and then disappear once the controversy is no longer interesting. I find that regrettable, because these issues deserve attention that goes far beyond the boundaries of a fan war.

When they are repeatedly used superficially in endless conflicts, I also worry that we may end up trivializing problems that should continue to concern us.

What particularly bothers me is when outrage becomes a justification for harassment.

We can call out behavior without humiliating someone. We can disagree with an opinion without launching a hate campaign . We can demand accountability without assuming that everything becomes permissible simply because we believe we are defending a good cause.

To me, calling out a problem and harassing someone are not equivalent. An intention that we consider righteous does not automatically make every method used legitimate.

This seems even more contradictory when people claim to be fighting hate while participating in humiliating or aggressive behavior themselves.

I am not saying that we should avoid confrontation at all costs, or that every criticism can be expressed without causing disagreement. But I do think we can question actions, words, or ideas without dehumanizing the people on the other side.

All this collective energy could instead be used to build something positive.

It could be used to share reliable resources, support organizations, promote petitions, raise awareness of important causes, create charitable projects, or simply highlight the initiatives of fans who are doing wonderful things.

I do not think every fan necessarily has to be an activist or turn their passion into social engagement. Everyone has their own priorities, limits, and way of experiencing their fandom. Entertainment, music, and the simple pleasure of appreciating an artist also have their place, without us constantly needing to justify what we like.

But I find it unfortunate to see so much energy swallowed up by conflicts that sometimes end up overshadowing everything else.

Collective projects, meetups, creative work, cultural exchanges, and charitable actions are also part of fandom life. Yet these aspects sometimes seem less visible than controversies. I wish we could give them more space again.

I know that fandoms are not perfect spaces. They are made up of different people, with their own opinions, sensitivities, disagreements, and contradictions. There will always be conflicts, and I do not think a healthy community is one in which everyone has to agree.

I simply believe that we can try to do better.

I would like us to think a little more about what we encourage through our interactions. Are we helping useful information circulate, building connections, and sharing our passion? Or are we sometimes fueling conflicts that end up taking up more space than what brought us together in the first place?

I would like to see more spaces where we can love, share, debate, and even disagree without constantly feeling as though we have to fight someone.

Spaces where passion is not measured by the hatred we feel toward other artists, where standing up for a cause does not require putting down another community, and where positive fan actions can receive as much attention as controversies.

Ultimately, I simply find it sad that the negativity surrounding fandoms can sometimes hide all the wonderful things they are capable of creating.

That’s all sorry for the long post! 😅 I had been thinking about all of this for a while, and I wanted to make my thoughts a little more tangible. I hope I managed to express how I feel without being too confusing.

And what are your thoughts on all of this?

Do you also feel that negativity is taking up more and more space in certain fandoms, particularly in K-pop? How do you experience this dynamic on social media? And do you think it is possible to preserve positive spaces while still being able to criticize problematic behavior and seriously discuss social issues?

I would genuinely be interested in hearing about your experiences and perspectives, even if they differ from mine. I hope we can discuss this calmly and respectfully, taking everyone’s opinions and experiences into account. 💜

I'll give different batches of 5 groups, and for each one, four of the groups will have something in common. Guess in the comments which group is the odd one out, and why.

1. Le Sserafim, Aespa, NewJeans, NMIXX, Fromis_9
2. Kiss of Life, TripleS, Blackpink, Twice, Babymonster
3. Hearts2Hearts, Billlie, I-dle, FIFTY FIFTY, ITZY
4. A2O Lite, QWER, Say My Name, Rescene, Meovv

Come up with your own in the comments!

Answers

1. Aespa is the only group to not have at least one member leave the group

2. Twice is the only group without a Thai member

3. Hearts2Hearts is the only group to not have a member who participated in a survival show Sheon was in Girl's Planet, Soyeon was in Produce 101, Chanelle was in R U Next, Chaeryeong was in Sixteen

4. QWER is the odd one out, outside of this group, the other four are the four most recent girl groups to get their first music show win