TXT and ITZY: Will they be the origin of the 4th generation or the peak of the 3rd generation?
The emergence of rookies including TXT and ITZY makes netizens wonder whether they will start the 4th generation of idols or will they continue to maintain the peak of the 3rd generation?
The rise and fall of a K-Pop idol have always been the subject of controversy among fans over the years. The reason is that no one nor any official document regulates the length of a generation! The first three generations of idols lasted for 7 years, with Gen 1 from 1996-2003, Gen 2 from 2004-2011 and Gen 3 from 2012 to present is 2019. According to the “unwritten rule” that fans discovered, can rookie groups debut in 2019 be able to start the 4th generation idol?
Check out the outstanding names of each K-Pop idol generation to see if TXT and ITZY and the next rookie series will be the start of the 4th generation or will continue to maintain the peak of the 3rd generation idol.
First generation – Gen 1 (from about 1996 to 2003)
Korea’s first generation of idols appeared at the same time with a shift in style, music material from traditional to trendy music at that time in the United States. The pioneers in this style are Seo Taiji and Boys. Notably, YG president Yang Hyun Suk, also known as the intimate name “Daddy Yang” was also a member of this group.
After Seo Taiji and the Boys which emerged as a phenomenon, a series of groups from other entertainment companies have “learned” this style. The biggest fandom battle at that time was between the fans of legendary music groups SM H.O.T and another legend from DSP Media’s Sechs Kies.
Second generation – Gen 2 (From about 2004 to 2011)
It can be said that Gen 2 of K-Pop is the generation that has contributed to the spreading of the Korean wave to all Asia in particular and the world in general. At the same time, this is also the generation that formed the fandom culture – one of K-Pop’s indispensable features.
Compared to the first generation, artists of gen 2 will probably be more familiar with fans because many groups still maintain their activities. On the male group section, we have Super Junior from SM Entertainment…
Meanwhile, girl groups also have many outstanding names.
Third generation – Gen 3 (from 2012 to present)
The above groups of the 2nd generation are now reserved with their personal activities, leaving the field to Gen 3 music groups that originated as the SM-EXO male group.
However, to talk about the most prominent and successful group of the 3rd generation, netizens all agreed to mention BTS’s name – a group that didn’t come from any BIG3 company.
In addition, Wanna One – although only a project group for 18 months – has left certain marks on the K-Pop industry.
As for the girl groups, TWICE’s miraculous rise has helped 9 girls of JYP step by step become the successive national girl group of SNSD while reviving JYP which was on the brink of crisis in 2015.
BLACKPINK and Red Velvet are two names that directly match TWICE.
Fourth generation – Gen 4?
Fans also made predictions that, with the massive landing of rookie groups coming out, 2019 might be the start of the 4th generation of idols with 2 prominent groups marked it as TXT and ITZY.
However, with the Gen 3 groups like BTS, TWICE and BLACKPINK still at the peak of their careers and are expected to continue the golden age for a few more years, it might be not yet feasible for the 4th generation to start at this point.
In the case of ITZY, JYP’s rookie is only inferior to 4-year-old TWICE, a relatively short distance from the time TWICE debuted after Wonder Girls … 9 years. Therefore, TWICE will continue to promote positively even though ITZY will debut this year. As long as the 3rd generation walls have not shown signs of decline, perhaps rookie groups like TXT or ITZY will be new elements that add to the Gen 3 color palette.
In addition, many other rookies also promise to make the competition for the 2019 rookie tournament more intense than ever.
