If you are an active social media user and follow fan pages and big fan accounts, the terms 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Gen must be familiar for you — or at least have crossed your timeline once. It might seem like some system to make it easier to sort K-Pop groups based on their debut year. So, what exactly does it mean? And from which generation is BTS?
The 1st Generation started in the early 1990s to early 2000s, with K-Pop pioneers, such as Seo Taiji and Boys, Shinhwa, S.E.S., BoA, Lee Hyori, and several more. It was the years of trials and errors, as the South Korean music industry was still experimenting to find its identity.
Starting from the 2nd generation in early 2003, the music has changed and became more “K-Pop-y.” The several trials and errors from the previous era shaped a new generation of K-Pop groups, such as Girls Generation, Super Junior, 2Ne1, Big Bang, and many more. There's no exact time where this generation ended. Some say it’s in 2009, some say in 2010. This was also when the Hallyu, or Korean wave, began to spread globally, especially across Asia and Australia. The choreographies started to be sharper, with greater variety, and more challenging moves.
K-Pop music started to expand in terms of genre, experimenting with techno, rock, and EDM, and that’s also considered the start of the 3rd Generation of K-Pop — groups who debuted in 2011 to 2018. Companies were more open to producing groups with non-Korean members during this time. From this era, survival shows were born. Companies openly showcased the brutal elimination process through these shows. Those who survived would claim a spot in a K-Pop group whose future couldn't be determined yet, as many groups wouldn't even last a generation, let alone two or more.
Whoever debuts after 2018 automatically belongs to the newest generation, the 4th generation. This is also the generation where BTS’ baby brother group, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, debuted. This generation could be marked as the monumental era, as many groups have crushed and broken various standards surrounding K-Pop idols. The beauty standard has shifted, moved on from the obligation to have a thigh gap, or undergo plastic surgery.
BTS Still Going Strong
Maintaining solid teamwork across generations is not easy. There’s this thing called the “Seven Year Curse” amongst K-Pop fans and ARMYs. Amongst dozens and hundreds of groups debuted in the same generation, from small and big companies, only a few made it past the seven-year mark. Seven years is the usual contract period the idols sign with their companies. Nearing their 7th anniversary, the idols would be giving signs or even announcing the renewal or the end of their contract. Some groups change companies, some decide to go their separate ways. Some contracts drag with little to no activity, and the group vanishes without a trace. Only a few decide to stay together.
BTS is one of the rare groups who passed this said curse and have celebrated their 8th anniversary. They announced the renewal of their contract a year before it ended in 2019, and will be together under Big Hit Music until 2026. The highlight of the new contract is giving BTS more creative freedom.
The main focus of the K-Pop industry has always been the youth, hence the rapid production of new young faces every year. As the members of groups start to enter their thirties, so do their fans. Responsibilities and taste would shift, people have different priorities. It takes more than just grand performances and hit breaker songs to get people to stay and be loyal fans.
Passing the seven years and renewing the contract is a sign of mutual trust and cooperation from both idols and their agencies. As the K-Pop industry is known for its fierce competition, companies tend to push their idols through impossible limits, trying to keep their head above the surface, their light from dimming and getting overshadowed by idols from the same generation as well as the newcomers. BTS renewing their contract speaks volumes about how Big Hit treats them.
The reason behind their longevity in the music industry, besides their mutual trust with the company, is how they always try something new — not using their popularity as an excuse to be laid back and be repetitive with their music style. Passing the 8th anniversary of their debut itself needs to be celebrated and is a reminder for us, the fans, that BTS couldn’t even touch the position they are now without our contribution and us working together with Big Hit and BTS as a team.
DISCLAIMER: We do not own any audio & visual content in this video except for the editing. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THE RIGHTFUL OWNERS. No copyright infringement intended.
Written by: RAM Edited by: Aury Checked by: Vera