Idk if anyone else has noticed this but I feel like the way people engage with new groups has changed SO much and I honestly think companies are kinda shooting themselves in the foot with it.
I’ve been into kpop since 2015 and I remember when a group debuting was exciting, but it wasn’t like they immediately became the center of the entire industry. Like when aespa debuted, obviously people were excited, but TWICE was still TWICE yk? A new group coming out didn’t suddenly make established groups less interesting. It felt like groups had time to grow into their popularity and each comeback was another opportunity to build on that.
Nowadays I feel like every debut is treated like the next biggest thing in kpop history. People are obsessed before these groups even have a discography, there’s endless discourse about their potential, their visuals, their families, whether they’re gonna surpass xyz group, etc. And then like 2 years later when they’ve actually developed as artists and have more music to show for themselves, the conversation has already moved on to whoever just debuted.
And I’m not saying people shouldn’t be excited about rookies!! I literally love discovering new groups. A2O LITE has me feeling things about kpop I haven’t felt in a while lol. But I feel like there’s this weird middle category of groups now that aren’t new enough to have that shiny rookie appeal but also haven’t been around long enough to be considered respected veterans. ILLIT is one group that comes to mind for me.
And obviously these groups still have fans and are successful. That’s not really my point. I’m talking more about how culturally central they feel in the broader kpop conversation.
I also feel like some fans are constantly scouting for the next big group, whether it’s to find their next obsession or to compare them to their current favs. And I think companies are feeding into that by making every debut this massive event.
Idk I just think it’s kinda sad that it feels like groups get the most attention when they have the least experience. I miss when debut hype felt like the beginning of a group’s rise instead of something they spend the rest of their career trying to live up to.
Does anyone else feel like this or am I just getting old lmao
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