Just to preface this, we’re all adults here, so I expect anyone joining this conversation to be able to discuss things calmly and in good faith. Please don’t go into stan mode or turn this into a fanwar. We are way too old for that.
I’m genuinely trying to understand what happened. I drifted away from K pop shortly after EXO’s Lotto era, and when I eventually came back, I was honestly shocked to see BTS being talked about so casually in everyday spaces and even played on the radio. Back when I left, BTS were far behind EXO. EXO were completely dominant and felt untouchable at the time.
So how did that shift happen exactly? What changed between around 2016 and the point where BTS started surpassing EXO in visibility and impact? And over the years, why wasn’t EXO able to stay at the top or surpass BTS again?
I’m not asking this to instigate fanwars or discredit either group. I’m asking because there’s a big gap in my understanding during that period, and I genuinely want to know how things changed so drastically, especially since it once felt inevitable that EXO would be the group to reach those kinds of heights.
Also, who’s more popular between the two now in Korea? I always knew EXO were the National Boy Group at their peak, with a lot of love from the general public, not just fans. I’m wondering if BTS ever reached that same level of popularity with everyday people in Korea too, or if their dominance is more global than domestic.
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