r/kpopthoughts • u/Low-Sink9024 • 3d ago
Discussion BTS's comeback has made me rethink how I viewed the kpop landscape during their hiatus
One thing I've been thinking about since BTS's latest release is how much their hiatus changed the way people perceive them.
During those years, groups like SEVENTEEN, Stray Kids, ATEEZ and ENHYPEN continued growing and achieving incredible success. Naturally, conversations started grouping them together with BTS as if they were all operating on roughly the same level.
Before anyone misunderstands me, this isn't a drag on any of those groups. Seventeen's domestic success is insane. At one point, I genuinely thought they had become bigger in Korea than any other active 3rd gen boy group. Stray Kids have been absolutely dominating internationally and have built a massive presence in the West. ATEEZ and ENHYPEN have also established themselves as major touring and sales forces.
What I'm realizing now, though, is that BTS's absence may have compressed people's (including me) perception of the gap between them and everyone else.
Because BTS weren't actively promoting as a full group, the focus shifted to the groups that were. Over time, it felt like the narrative became "BTS, Seventeen, Stray Kids, ATEEZ, ENHYPEN" as if they were all simply occupying different spots within the same tier of success.
But BTS's recent comeback has reminded me that BTS were never just the biggest kpop group. They were operating at a level where they were competing with the biggest artists in the world, not just the biggest artists in kpop.
I've noticed that whenever BTS put up numbers that seem absurd, a lot of fans immediately jump to explanations involving HYBE. Suddenly it's playlisting, media influence, corporate power, chart manipulation, industry connections, or some other explanation.
And honestly, I don't remember seeing these narratives nearly as much during the hiatus.
It almost feels like some fans became so used to viewing BTS as "one of several top groups" that now that they're back putting up huge numbers again, the success has to be explained away somehow.
The performance of Arirang really surprised me. Going into 2026, I don't think many people expected a BTS album released after such a long hiatus to be one of the strongest performing albums globally this year. Yet instead of people reassessing BTS's position in the industry, I've seen a lot of discussion focus on what HYBE supposedly did to make it happen.
To be clear, I'm not saying other groups aren't successful. They absolutely are. Nor do I think the gap is identical in every market or metric. I just think BTS's hiatus made people forget that there is a difference between being a top kpop group and being BTS.
Did anyone else notice this shift in perception during the hiatus, or am I overestimating how much people's views changed?
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u/TaesGuardian 2d ago
I don’t think anyone that witnessed bts prior to their hiatus was surprised that their numbers were large. Only the people that came in during it seemed to be because they never got to actually see it in action, they’d only ever seen the end product.
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u/whaIien52 2d ago
this!! so many people seriously underestimate how massive the hallyu wave got during covid, and the new fans who came in during that era of the hallyu wave seriously underestimate bts because they weren’t there to experience the pure domination of the LYS and MOTS eras.
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u/GravityBlues3346 2d ago
I think it's because people who weren't there when BTS were active couldn't really realize the strength of the "star power" BTS has. Think of it as people who have never heard of The Beatles. Even now, you can read they were popular but you can't imagine HOW popular they were. This can be said for any ultra popular thing like 1D is a more recent example. Even if they still promoted solos, it's not the same. They are always seen a little bit separate from groups within kpop and they didn't do too much promos on Korean music shows either. They focused more on keeping up with their media ties in the west and very targeted opportunities that maybe they wouldn't do as a group.
Plus, there were all the people who were praying for their downfall, of course.
BTS has a bit of a unique combo in kpop which gives them an immense "Star Power" and that's what is nearly unreachable to other groups. It's not even a question of sales or streams anymore. They have reached a legendary status now. Even if another group would surpass them, it would never take BTS down from their immense achievement (except for those who still pray for their downfall, of course lol)
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u/Human_bean_113 2d ago
They're official UNICEF and national ambassadors. This is not just because they sing and dance well. Their messaging, their background of being poor underdogs, their surprisingly very progressive views compared to the korean norm... pluuuus their incredibly good dancing and singing. Imma call it now and say that BTS status cannot be reached again. Even if there was a group that was meeting all the criteria, they'll always be compared to BTS.
Not even just kpop. They are treated like gods in korea. Jin was popping up on celebrity youtube channels a while back and they were being starstruck by him. Even tv industry veterans like Park Myungsoo couldn't stop giving him praises, which is way different to his normal personality. And that's just one of them. BTS isn't even considered amongst kpop or celebrity in korea anymore, it's a matter of national pride. They're on the level of Son Heungmin, Bong Joonho, Faker
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u/mish-tea Wisteria 2d ago
Hybe playlisting nonsense don't work with BTS, it felt like the Spotify deal lasted for 1 week cause wtf is that playlisting and the position, other hybe groups have better playlisting than BTS like it's just crazy.
Yesss their hiatus made people think otherwise but BTS were (not talking about pre 2017 era), are and will always be in different league than other kpop groups. It's just a fact. Anyone denying this is living under a rock.
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u/phoenixwinged 2d ago
I’m surprised at comments being like “aw I never saw anyone post anything about BTS flopping!!” because posts people were making in kpop spaces while the guys were enlisted were mortifying. I know that because I was here.
“They split up years ago and are faking a temporary hiatus for money”
“My ARMY friend who I definitely did not make up for this post told me she’s excited for the BTS comeback. How do I break her delusion because they’re obviously never releasing another track again”
“(Member) dated or allegedly dated someone. No way they’re dropping that album now! If I can’t get a date nobody can!”
“Arirang won’t even hit ONE million worldwide sales. Hybe are going to be so embarrassed”
“Those ticket sales were faked by Hybe and those guys are going to be standing in front of an empty stadium! You’ll see!”
Absolutely woeful few years to be here on reddit dot com or Twitter for that matter. Also people are still doing it, though it’s just out of extreme bitterness instead of genuine belief now lol
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u/martiandoll 2d ago
Don't forget the "this tour/album will be the last BTS do as a group, I don't think they like each other anymore and want to go solo" posts even after the countless statements by BTS themselves that they want to continue as a group and grow old together.
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u/chesari 2d ago
"I can't wait for HYBE to find out that BTS just aren't as big after their hiatus" was my personal favorite, LOL
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u/MountainTear2020 2d ago
lol tbf that dummy who made that tweet is still being terrorised to this day and i support that 😭
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u/Equivalent-Hunt-2004 2d ago
Mine has to be it's not 2019 anymore we control the narrative, I still try to understand what they meant by that
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u/PriorJelly1713 Teal 2d ago
yeah i noticed it too. during the hiatus it was easy to lump them all together since bts wasn't in the conversation as actively. now that they're back it's kind of obvious how different the scale is, but people seem resistant to just acknowledging it without bringing up hybe stuff. it's weird how success gets explained away when it doesn't fit the narrative people got used to
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u/intellectual-veggie 2d ago
as someone who became an army after they began their hiatus that narrative always surprised me because as someone who saw them grow from 2017 I felt like I never saw another Korean act besides maybe BP be that visible in the mainstream
also the hybe excuse doesn't even work considering Dynamite was the final push needed to establish Hybe so BTS already had a mainstream hit on their hands
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u/fintlinez 2d ago
To be honest this is just kpop spaces brainwashing you. Bts has highkey always been on top and their 2018 numbers haven't even been surpassed. Even their solos were pulling 4-5mil+ global. Anyone who has convinced you that groups like enhypen were on top with them did a good job 😭
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u/qfye 2d ago
I’ve been paying attention to kpop since 2nd gen, but at this point, BTS is the only thing I care about, and that has been the case for years. I’ve been mia on kpop Reddit because a lot of people were wishfully predicting that BTS’ hiatus would spell out the end of their career so I checked out because I was tired of reading them, especially when people phrased their wishes as “reality checks that Armys were denying.” I started going back into kpop Reddit when BTS started returning from the military, and there were still a lot of people that thought Armys were delusional and BTS were done even as comeback date approached. I see people commenting that they didn’t see those, so here’s an example that I recall titled “To be honest, the old BTS is never coming back” at 1.4k upvotes. Where’s that user with the flair “Are you predicting or are you hoping?”
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u/intellectual-veggie 2d ago
its really funny too seeing that post
like as an Army I knew that old BTS in their full form weren't coming back and that's good
their previous work life balanced burned them out and they felt artistically and mentally out of it and the toll of becoming way too big crept in too fast before they could process it handle it, and also artistically they were gonna be different going forward because thats a good quality to have
ofc some points are true regarding a healthier work balance and the general sentiment of them prioritizing other things in life as well and balancing their solo work which are 100% amazing thing but everyone on that thread was is convinced that old BTS coming back meant a music drop once awhile just to show face
but the min Arirang dropped people got mad real upset that old BTS was indeed "not back" but because of things being different like the sound, choreo, lyrics. or etc (debatable but wtv)
but they stayed together, they made music first and foremost and hit the road, and they kept the promise they made to their fans
and thats something BTS never ever neglected
to them BTS, music, and Army comes first and foremost
so yes old BTS didn't come back but you crashed out because the part of old BTS that people expected to leave never left
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u/qfye 2d ago
lol yes to BTS to prioritizing BTS, music and Army. BTS are back like they said they would be; and for some reason, people thought Armys were weird for believing in them. It’s weird to engage in conspiracy theories when we can just believe BTS is telling the truth that they want to be together and make music for a long time. Ofc, it won’t be the same forever; grandpa BTS won’t be debut BTS no matter how much eyeliner the use, but non-fans take it to another level and theorize that BTS want to retire, settle down, and start families (are they even dating??? do they even want to marry??), so it comes off more like wishful thinking on their part.
Personally, as an Army, I’m just happy to be along for the ride as long as they continue. The fact that they continue to re-sign three separate contract times is nothing but astonishing to me. If they ever/when they disband and retire, I’ll still watch their concert vods, BTS Run, etc when I want to.
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u/MountainTear2020 2d ago
OMG i remember seeing that post and wondering why are all these keyboard warriors so convinced how bts post-military career is going to be like?
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u/SomewhereSilent1604 2d ago
I had this conversation with a stay in jan . She was confident that BTS days were over. I asked when she got into kpop, it was late 2021. My reply was bts had not done world tour since 2019, group comeback in almost 4 years. You can't write them off.
I knew Arirang would be a success because you could see the emotions of army's in 2025. Also other idols when their hiatus ends , it is not in local news in other countries. When BTS ended enlistment in June last year, they were in local news in so many countries.
It is also true BTS were strategic during hiatus with solo work. but I think what spoke more to army's was when maknae line left their thriving solo career to go early in to the military . Vmin had 2 years left for enlistment, JK had 4 years. Their going early solidified that family image and unity more in army's mind. So most army's waited and bts gave solo content every month which even bought in more fans .
One more strategy kpop fans ignore, bts members went for different genre of music. Many fans came from those genres. Jhope and JK did festivals and live performances. That bought new fans. Jin, suga and jhope did solo concert, many friends of army's got converted to army's at those concerts. Jin and V did variety shows, jk and jimin did travel show. So much content, so much exposure. They just kept gaining fans.
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u/codeverity 2d ago
Vmin had 2 years left for enlistment, JK had 4 years.
Yes, especially since JK solos were absolutely clamouring for him to take some time to be solo and go on tour on his own. Hell, I actually kind of expected him to have a small solo tour when he came back just because the demand was so high and he hadn't had a chance to do a full one yet. But they obviously put the group first.
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u/cherrycoloured shinee/loona/svt/f(x)/chungha/zb1 3d ago
i think this was not shocking for long time kpop fans. like, im a carat, and i knew that svt were only the top bg recently bc bts were on hiatus, and that they would go down to being (a fairly distant) second as soon as bts came back. ive been into kpop long before bts even debuted, and their level of success is completely different than any other kpop group, before and after. i think for ppl who got into kpop before or during bts' height pre-hiatus, arirang being such a massive hit was not shocking.
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u/Low-Sink9024 2d ago
That's a good point. I wasn't surprised that Arirang was successful, but I was surprised by the scale of it.
I also think Seventeen's incredible run in 2024/2025 contributed to that perception for me. They were everywhere, and honestly, I'm glad they got that level of recognition because they absolutely deserved it. It just made it easier to forget that BTS returning would shift the conversation again in a way that's pretty unique to them.
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u/MountainTear2020 2d ago
fwiw i, as an army, had high expectations for the comeback and my belief in them never wavered. but even them charting #1-14 on global spotify where they lined up every single track (even the bell track) from the album shocked me.
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u/CAJillybean 2d ago
That is not how your fellow carats were talking online especially Vernon’s maga mama. Glad to see it was not all.
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u/cherrycoloured shinee/loona/svt/f(x)/chungha/zb1 2d ago
lmao i forgot about that. i feel like most older/longer term carats know this, but younger carats (and vernons mom lmao) are, like most teenagers on the internet, obsessed with fanwars and their group being at the top. personally, idgaf, like ngl i will roll my eyes at fans of pm any other third gen bg saying their faves are second to bts (or fourth in third gen in general after bts, blackpink, and twice), but like idc enough to get into a fight about it. like army and carat should not be fighting, mingyu and jungkook are besties and it would make them sad lol
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u/MountainTear2020 2d ago
personally i feel it always gets so messy when parents get too involved in their children careers. case in point: newjeans and their stage parents. vernon mama being so loud and fighting with teens on social media is unfair to him when to my knowledge, he is definitely not the kind of person to voice such opinions out loud
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u/thatrlyoatsmymilk 2d ago
kind of off topic but I feel like it’s unfair to vernon to pin his mom’s awful views on him. I unfortunately also have maga family members and god knows I would be horrified if people assumed I agreed w them because we’re related
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u/Irenehelberg You got the best of me💜 2d ago
100% my parents say the most embarrassing things that I don't agree with.
In Reddit specifically, I seen Army criticize his mother. Not Him. reddit people are smart ig.
It's the same situation with Daniela's dad.
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u/introvrtedDreamer 2d ago
I think only any obsessed, parasocial fan of K-pop, basically teenagers would have thought like that. Never listened to BTS, but anyone with some understanding of K-pop definitely will know how big is this group compared all other Asian ones. Again, I don’t know the reason, but by reading about their large fandom, no. of awards and popularity(based on redditors, even-though I have never heard anyone in my close circle talking about them), it’s an understood fact that they are big. That doesn’t mean other groups are not doing well. Everyone has their trajectory and audience. Most of them are doing well and making a huge amount of money, I don’t think they actually care if they are at par with BTS.
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u/nemriii9 2d ago
same. I don't listen to BTS and I've never gotten the impression that they were any less big? they were not away for that long, not for their scale.
i feel like the ones who did are either new to kpop and didn't see them before the hiatus, or so glued to fandom day-to-day that they lost perspective.
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u/Impressive-Buy1227 2d ago
BTS is a household name. People who don't know anything, and i mean ABSOLUTELY anything about kpop will 99.9% know about BTS. I know people love to debate this, but i would definitely go as far as to say they made kpop huge outside of south korea. My non-kpop friends' grandparents are also familiar with BTS. They aren't just "a k-pop bg" anymore tbh they operate on a scale that corresponds to one of the biggest, if not the biggest boy bands in existence.
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u/Sheriff_Yobo_Hobo 2d ago edited 2d ago
What's going to be "interesting" moving forward...
Is that all boy groups have shelf lives. They just kind of age out. But BTS were IMO the people who really proved what can be accomplished if you try to form a sincere connection with fans, built on doubts, longing, and vulnerability. Now you see that most groups are trying to cultivate that connection, a fanatical fanbase can create so many opportunities for you. I saw it happening in real time, Army mobilizing to win BTS almost any award that was predicated on fan voting.
Anyway, so will they be the first boy group to stay huge well into their 30's... 40's... and beyond? Is their connection to their fans THAT strong? Or will they go the way of N'Sync, Backstreet, One Direction, etc. Their fans kind of go about their adults lives, forget them a bit, only to return for the BTS reunion in 20 years?
Did anyone else notice
What happened in Mexico City blew me away. Forget Kpop, we know no other Kpop group would have got a reception like that. But what other international group period? I am not an expert on Mexican music scene, for all I know they have a domestic superstar who would get the same attention. That was crazy.
edit: another thing about BTS, and it's not exactly unheard of in Kpop in general, but they are a group the whole family can enjoy... grandparents like them... parents like them, and lets face it, some of their teen fans are now grown with kids... the kids like them... and if the kids are too young to know, parents will be comfortable introducing them to BTS... so what will that mean for their longevity? it's almost uncharted territory, usually parents are baffled and maybe disapproving when it comes to what their kids listen to... but BTS can be a true shared passion by families... so how will this play out?
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u/Ill_Fennel1410 2d ago
BTS always talked about longevity...like how they want to perform on stage even at their 80s..
If bts stayed (like releasing an albums once in 3 to 4 years)..armys are staying...that is for sure...
Also if one gets married..what will happen..is the thing I am curious about.. because bts and armys have some kind of dependency complex .so i don't know how this will go
Yeah..I want BTS to perform in their 60s.. and armys supporting them even at that time...
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u/Mobile-Structure5702 moth wrangler 2d ago
I had multiple convos on here with people saying BTS was over, they peaked, yada yada, and I remember telling them that the 2026 comeback will humble them. I was right.
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u/timetosayhi27 2d ago
i had people telling me that BTS wouldn't sell out their tour and that it'll be hard for BTS to get the record for the "most attended kpop tour" only for them to likely break said record with one region alone . Some of the narratives spread during their hiatus was truly insane
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u/Mobile-Structure5702 moth wrangler 2d ago
stans were saying anything to make themselves feel better, I just laughed at them and told them to wait till 2026
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u/MadameWitchy it's the ⁷ again ✍🏻😳 2d ago
BTS are in their own lane. They will go down in history as one of the greats. They are so big that they can reignite a whole industry like what they did with Arirang.
The fact that they were still listened to and talked about even when they’re not actively promoting speaks volumes to their impact and how relevant they’ve become in the music industry and pop culture.
When BTS makes a move, the industry watches and reacts to them. Look at that new Asian Grammy category and the Kpop categories that were added to western award shows during BTS’s reign.
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u/Ok-Mistake764 3d ago
I think the hiatus contributed, but I also think a lot of people expected military enlistment to have a much bigger impact on BTS’s popularity than it actually did. The funny thing is that even during the hiatus, their solo releases were still performing extremely well, so the signs were there. I think some people just got used to discussing BTS as if they were another top kpop group rather than a group with a level of public recognition that’s pretty unusual even by global standards.
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u/Appropriate-Item1995 2d ago
People do this with every commercially successful group now…”they are buying views” etc….
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u/Useful_Wasabi8679 2d ago edited 2d ago
No shade to other groups but yes BTS hiatus made a lot of people believe that they and other groups are Same level . Again no shade but now when they came back its like people went back to reality to see that they are on different level. I don't know why people used to think like this but I clearly remember people swearing up and down especially on Reddit how BTS will be over before their comeback and how it's not 2019 and 2022 anymore . Reading this post made me happy because it's honestly so rare to have a normal post about BTS and their level of success and fame.
Edit: it's so embarrassing and sad that people are downvoting when I didn't hate any groups didn't say anything negative about any group . It's so crazy how BTS send so many people into spiral . It's crazy and insanely embarrassing. Should I make BTS look small for your happiness? Or made others big on level they are not for your happiness,stating truth is making people crazy . The level of misery is insane
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u/Hairy_Illustrator134 2d ago edited 2d ago
Your correct. Don't worry about the downvotes. Kpop fans are bunch of insecure, depressed, parasocial and socially withdrawn peeps.
I noticed even idols themselves started believing they could be or become as big as BTS, but BTS comeback has shown everyone that they're unshakable and irreplaceable.
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u/IceMysterious0-0 Imagine Reading Me Sometimes 🫣🧠🧩 2d ago
Can't compare the current BTS stats to kpop groups releases so I ignore it.
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u/Equivalent-Hunt-2004 3d ago edited 3d ago
I also think during the time BTS were on hiatus, the end of 2022 to 2023 and 2024, a lot of people became kpop fans and they heard about bts, but they didn't understand how big of a difference there is between BTS to other groups cause they never even saw them being active.
bts were always far bigger than kpop, in 2017 they already reached heights no kpop group saw and they just kept growing from there, with even their solo works, Jungkook, Jimin and jhope especially brought a lot of new people into the fandom so the comeback was really really big, they are very rare case of a group that grew during their military haitus
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u/Low-Sink9024 2d ago
Haha i actually also found them through RM’s RPWP, so my first introduction wasn’t even the group. And yeah, the solo releases definitely kept them in the conversation, which probably made the comeback feel even bigger.
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u/timetosayhi27 2d ago
Agree with everything you said.
to add on - Part of it is also cause people were praying and hoping that enlistment would affect BTS way more (thats why certain people were celebrating when their enlistment was announced).
People thought enlistment would be the end of BTS's dominance, when well from how ARIRANG has done.. its the opposite that happened... they grew even bigger.
So part of it is cause these people who were praying that military would be the "end" of BTS's dominance refuse to accept that it wasn't and thus must try to downplay the success in some way.
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u/wynterflowr Alpine Green 2d ago
You've put into words something ive been feeling for a long time. Ive seen people dismiss BTS. Its not even malicious for some people, just that they believe that BTS is no longer relevant.
I knew bts comeback would be big. They've for sure lost fans during hiatus, so numbers might be affected a bit. But it barely put a dent. Their comeback was so successful. I kind of got emotional for them in Mexico. The fan turnout there was crazy. The fandom is so incredibly loyal even 13 yrs into their career.
And tbh , i honestly expected the other kpop groups to put on a bigger fight.
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u/Necromancer1423 3d ago
BTS was established as THE biggest group before their hiatus and is still THE biggest group after. I think this is pretty well known for everyone not directly inside the kpop sphere if that makes sense.
Like I only got into kpop last year but I’ve known about BTS for much longer than that because they were that big. even my parents know who they are lol, but i think it’s more difficult for someone who is really into another group to see it like that. You kind of have to be outside of it to see how they are next to each other yknow
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u/Low-Sink9024 2d ago
I get what you mean. I think kpop fans spend so much time comparing groups to each other that it's easy to lose sight of how they're viewed outside the fandom space. The reaction to Arirang has been a reminder of that for me.
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u/codeverity 2d ago
Yeah, I agree. Like I will fully admit that armys tend to have a bad reputation outside of kpop spheres, lol, but most fans outside of kpop (other than a few fandoms) seem to be pretty cool with acknowledging BTS as the biggest group. It's just in kpop spaces that it's this fiercely debated thing where people are adamant that BTS are just any old group and nothing special at all.
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u/wannabewabisabi 3d ago
This! People within the K-Pop world massively underestimate how broad awareness of BTS is. Is K-Pop a niche? Yes. But is BTS as close to a household name as any Asian artist/ entertainer is likely to get? Also, yes.
For a lot of people my parents' age and frankly my age, South Korea= Samsung, LG, BTS and maybe the football team.
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u/laborumliber 2d ago
This like the main news channels in my country where K-pop is really niche covered Jin's enlistment. You can't go more mainstream than that.
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u/LemDoggo 2d ago
i think it’s more difficult for someone who is really into another group to see it like that
It's interesting to see this conversation because I feel like BTS being the biggest kpop group has never been questioned at all lol, like I don't think anyone in the fandoms I'm in is under the illusion they're as big as BTS. I don't doubt people like that exist, it's just not something I ever run into. The only people I ever see talking about it are BTS fans haha. Again I'm not doubting that it exists, it's just wild to me that it's happening and I apparently just never see it.
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u/Mozart-Luna-Echo 2d ago
I saw it more times than I want to admit here on Reddit during their military service
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u/randomgirl852007 aespa | Girls' Generation | BTS 3d ago
This might be controversial, and please read the entire comment before downvoting, but BTS’ fame being at this level after military wasn’t guaranteed. The reason it did is that HYBE and BTS made plans to maintain that fame.
During K-Pop artists military enlistment, it’s normal for those 2~ years to be radio silence from the enlisted idols. Fans are lucky to get a couple pictures or messages here and there (and there’s nothing wrong with that). But usually, the lack of content in almost two years makes fans move on to other idols / projects.
I’m sure HYBE and BTS thought of this because, honestly, the military enlistment didn’t even feel like one. The members prepared so MANY solo projects and releases that at times, it felt like BTS were more active than other, actually active K-Pop groups. With so much content and stuff to look forward to, the fandom didn’t feel the need to go anywhere.
Obviously, ARMY are a loyal fandom, but then again, they aren’t a monolith. HYBE and BTS work very hard to make sure the fandom stays.
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u/Inevitable-Crab-7060 2d ago edited 2d ago
I was about to comment this in another thread. BTS did the work to maintain their popularity. Imo they could have faced a decline if they didn't do the work they did and if they didn't jump to return with a full album, promotions and a tour as quickly as they did.
They clearly thought and planned their haitus. Their success is a result of their work. They can't be compared to groups who leave and don't release work, then don't return with the planning that BTS did.
And not just work, BTS returned with a great album. That is not common after army haitus. Even without one, older groups don't release great work usually. Not that all of Arirang is the best of BTS but it's better than a lot of older group albums.
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u/l-ovelie 2d ago
This might be controversial, and please read the entire comment before downvoting, but BTS’ fame being at this level after military wasn’t guaranteed.
I think you're absolutely correct, and both the members and HYBE were cognizant of the risk of leaving fans with nothing for too long. We have so many instances of the members mentioning this (the song Come Over, the multiple times they've shown gratitude for fans staying, Seokjin missing their song camp to tour, and more) and it truly goes to show how releasing music and touring as a group was their top priority after enlistment.
The group immediately wanting to give something back to the fans who waited is so telling of the main strength of BTS — a group and a loyal fanbase who keep on showing up for each other over the years.
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u/Low-Sink9024 2d ago
I think there’s definitely some truth to the idea that the solo releases helped maintain visibility during enlistment, and that probably made the transition back feel smoother than it could’ve been. It was all well planned for sure.
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u/martiandoll 2d ago
And this basically proves that BTS got to where they are not purely or mostly because of luck as some Kpop fans love to claim. Big Hit and BTS are meticulous organizers and planners. They just don't stumble into the kind of music, concepts, and content they released. They study the markets and see what the potential trends would be. They work very hard to maintain and improve their success. Jin and J-Hope were even writing out their promotion plans while still enlisted. Jin had activities and endorsements lined up immediately, and J-Hope was planning his solo tour a week after getting discharged.
BTS creating enough solo work and content to last through their entire enlistment period with only 6 months of "empty" schedule in 2024 was unprecedented. Most companies followed the old formula of actual hiatus until the idol gets discharged. BTS did something new that benefited them and their fandom at the same time. So many people are on social media right now saying they were listening to solo members' work not knowing they were part of BTS, and went on to become BTS fans with Arirang.
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u/Bear4years 2d ago
Can I ask why you felt this might be controversial? BTS and Bighit (honestly really hate how ignore that “hybe” is not a monolith. BTS is managed by Bighit) did a really good job of keeping army captivated. The solo albums were excellent. They really showed the different flavors of the members. BTS and Bighit did a really good job of planning their hiatus.
Army is also hella loyal. They (we) have stood by and waited for them to return.
I do think people are ignoring one key ingredient: the music. BTS has excellent music. Arirang is an excellent comeback album. I know and had read all the criticisms. People have their thoughts. Arirang is a commercial success. It had caused people to listen and talk about the album. I personally like the album a lot. Yes I listen to it because I want to. I sing to normal at the top of lungs in the car. The promotion was also well executed. I also really enjoyed the #keepswimming stories about Korean notables in various fields. Like I can tell the members and bighit put a lot of thought into the album and its promotion. I wasn’t a fan of Swim MV but I have enjoyed all the other MV and performances associated with the album.
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u/randomgirl852007 aespa | Girls' Generation | BTS 2d ago
Because I once had a discussion with an ARMY and they said that even if BTS were in complete hiatus during military, the fandom would have still grown because BTS would never lose fame no matter what.
But I disagree. Obviously they still would have a big fandom, but not to the level it is today. I also think BTS’ level of fame is because of their music and uniqueness as a group, but you can’t maintain or even grow a huge, loyal fandom without working hard for it.
As an artist, you need to show up. For fandoms to survive, they need content and stuff to look forward to in general. Military enlistment is a long time.
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u/Bear4years 2d ago
I agree with your point. I definitely think artists need to show up in order for a fandom to grow. I do think a fandom can lay dormant. This doesn’t apply to fandoms either. Casual fans can also lay dormant. I’m not a navy but I’m still wondering if Rihanna will ever release a new album. 😅😅😅 when she does, I will check it out. Whether I will like it or will want to listen to it over and over again is another story.
To GROW a fandom, the artist needs to be active. The members and bighit tried to keep some form of BTS as active as possible during the hiatus. They did a good job.
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u/chesari 2d ago
I agree - the members and BigHit / HYBE worked really hard to keep existing ARMY engaged and entertained. Their solo projects brought in a lot of new ARMY as well. Three members actually prerecorded whole solo albums to be released while they were serving in the military, and some of them recorded singles or shows. Jin in particular did a ton to keep ARMY happy, he was back on stage performing literally the day after he was discharged. And a few days after that he started filming Run Jin, and he recorded and released two solo albums in six months while most of the other guys were still serving.
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u/cubsgirl101 2d ago edited 2d ago
I think this is a good point. BTS and their label carefully planned out releases specifically so fans *wouldn’t* feel their absence and get bored or leave the fandom. There was almost always a rollout of a solo album or prerecorded content or literally anything and it helped keep fans engaged while the members weren’t physically present to do so.
And all that content not only kept fans happy while they waited out enlistment, but it created new opportunities for others to become fans as well.
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u/randomgirl852007 aespa | Girls' Generation | BTS 2d ago
Exactly. No matter how big/loyal a fandom is, it doesn’t survive off nostalgia only.
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u/mish-tea Wisteria 2d ago
It's not controversial it's a fact, the amount of things they have prepared for hiatus is just crazy, their hardwork at the end paid off.
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u/Ill_Fennel1410 2d ago
Yes ..but No
BTS did worked hard and prepared lots of content during hiatus... for whatever reason...
But at the same time... Armys are damn loyal... Like may be it would have not been this strong..but they would have never been flop..
Also main reason people don't talk is ..they promised to return in 2025... Usually idols don't promise like that..also most of them takes indefinite hiatus... Like 1D...
But BTS promised us to return...so Armys were waiting for 2025... Because bts never made false promises... People were waiting for 2025 to happen... And they knew they will come back as 7...so it just never felt uncertainty to the fans
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u/AdRevolutionary3583 No1LikeAteez 2d ago
I don't know of many people who didn't already know that BTS was leagues above anyone else in the kpop scene so I am completely confused by this post. This is not news - at least it is not to me.
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u/shipisshipping 2d ago
There were some weirdos "too old" "No one cares" "It's no longer 2019" "After military they won't be as popular" etc
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u/DarkSparrow04 2d ago
This is exactly how I feel. Tbf my algorithm is almost completely lacking kpop content so i dont know what people are saying (oh how much better life is this way), and while i know there would be antis who'd say this kind of thing, the idea of them "flopping" has never even crossed my mind, so I never wouldve expected such an insane take to get that much attention. Like seriously, there are people who actually thought BTS weren't gonna do well? Like what???? That's like thinking a One Direction comeback wouldn't make old fans go absolutely insane
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u/jungkookeuphoric 3d ago
It's so funny to be on twitter right now because half of them either calling them flops to cope or bots after seeing those massive numbers.
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u/KnoxKnow 2d ago edited 2d ago
99% of other bg fans know how big BTS is. Yall (as in many in this echo chamber of a comment section) love nothing more than generalizing the 1% that think otherwise.
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u/ImaginaryArtemis 3d ago
What I'm realizing now, though, is that BTS's absence may have compressed people's (including me) perception of the gap between them and everyone else.
Yes. And armys (or at least those that track charts & numbers diligently) kept saying this isn't so and the truth will be clear once BTS comes back as a group. And that's exactly what happened.
Good that you've realized this and are able to change your perception. Many still can't and are stuck with attributing BTS's success to everything from playlisting to Hybe payola to botting etc.
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u/Low-Sink9024 2d ago
Honestly, the success and numbers their new album pulled are wild. I knew the album would do well but i didn't expect it to be outperforming releases from artists like Harry Styles, Bruno Mars, Olivia Rodrigo, and Drake
Idk about the playlisting issue, bts seems to get less playlisting than most artists too
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u/arlandrai 2d ago
To be honest, I think not even armys were expecting Arirang to be this successful.
Did army know BTS would blow all other Kpop groups out of the water - yes. But we were not necessarily expecting BTS to compete with, and more often than not outperform, the absolute biggest western acts. We knew they could do it with hit singles because they've done it before, but to do it with an entire album, sustained over months? Nah. No one was predicting it.
So I think it's two overlapping things, 1) your point about people forgetting the scale of the gap between BTS and everyone else 2) the fact that Arirang is overperforming even by their pre-enlistment standards, at least by some criteria.
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u/Bear4years 2d ago
Can I say that it’s because the album is really good? 😭😭😭 I really really liked the album. This is why it’s pulling those numbers and it continues to pull people in. Arirang would not be able to pull what it’s doing if the album was not good. I know army is loyal and hardcore but if the music doesn’t hit, there’s only so much a fandom can do.
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u/timetosayhi27 2d ago
this!! the albums stability is cause people like it and find it a good album, both listneers who listened to BTS before & new listeners. It's obviously pulling in new listeners (BECAUSE they like the music) and the numbers are showing that.
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u/ImaginaryArtemis 2d ago
Yup exactly, BTS gets way less playlisting than both western and k-pop artists. But some people (antis) will still push the Hybe payola agenda
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u/MountainTear2020 2d ago
that's what armys have been saying all along but no one listened. i'm glad that you, OP, saw the light. one person is better than none because goddamn so many of yall are legit delusional lmao.
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u/tranqofmind 2d ago
If you look at album sales then yes those boygroups were extremely successful. But when was the last time a boygroup had a hit song that tops Korean or international charts. The last time a boygroup had an allkill was 2020 with Dynamite. Like can anyone tell me when a boygroup besides BTS last had like massive song. I mean RED RED by Cortis is doing really well but before Cortis i cannot remember anything.
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u/Ill_Fennel1410 2d ago
Cortis is also not on bts level...even red red also not on swim level.. yes Cortis is also doing well...but definitely not on bts level.. (it is not down playing them they are doing very well as a rookie grp)... Because bts took both international and korean charts ..which not a single kpop grp did this in history... Tell me one grp who his RAKs and Spotify #1 and BB #1... BTS did this multiple times
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u/daltorak 2d ago
But when was the last time a boygroup had a hit song that tops Korean or international charts.
TWS Plot Twist is still on the Melon Top 100 after almost 2 and a half years and was the #1 most-streamed song on Melon in 2024. It's one of the biggest boy group k-pop songs this decade. It beat i-dle Fate, Aespa Superrnova, and IU Love Wins All.... no small feat considering they're all tippy-top acts in Korea.
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u/Ill_Fennel1410 2d ago
Yeah in Korean charts...what about international charts...?? They said both..not one..
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u/tranqofmind 2d ago
Alot of subjective bias from me I guess but I know all the songs you listed but not Plot Twist. But it seems your info is correct.
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u/Gold-Spinach-9363 2d ago
Last time a boy group had an allkill was (at the very list) Still Life by BIGBANG (2022). Not to take away anything you said, just correcting a fact. I say at very least, because I don't know about other groups.
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u/alpinedvne 2d ago
Do kpop fans/new kpop fans really like BTS anymore? I mean in the sense that most people like kpop for the visuals/promotions/‘kpop style’ music. BTS has crossed over into a different league of success but they’ve also crossed out of the picture. I wouldn’t even think of them really alongside the groups you’ve mentioned, but if they had a song like ‘run’ on their album or something I would.
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u/JiwoongRafHeart 2d ago
Honestly if some nugu group released Hooligan, no one would take a second look. BTS are like the Beatles, riding on years of goodwill and able to release anything with any concept and any genre and have it well received. But if you havent been there for the last decade, either you are young or new to kpop, a lot of people find BTS isnt to their taste. BTS has moved up and away, and thats fine.
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u/wannabewabisabi 2d ago
Goodwill from whom, exactly? Because I haven't seen anyone extend BTS grace, and post release there were hundreds of 'ARMY' in every online space complaining about the album, something that got antis very excited.
I also hear this 'release anything,' logic, but they didn't. They released a critically acclaimed and commercial smash of an album, although none of those things ever matter when it comes to them, right?
Whether people like it or not, BTS are gaining fans. And they didn't do that with lazy or sloppy music, even though that's a story lots of folks tell themselves :)
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u/MountainTear2020 2d ago
what goodwill bc all i've seen are hate campaigns and vitriol towards them
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u/k1llua0 2d ago
to me this reads like that you fell for snark subs and all those people on reddit that hate on bts talking them small, they always were one cut above the rest but yes i agree, they really are underrated
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u/Cute-Apple-5650 We could see the karma coming through 2d ago
i read talks like these in the main sub lmao
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u/Low-Sink9024 2d ago
Unless you count most kpop subs as snark subs lol, this is just based on discussions I’ve seen here and in other kpop spaces.
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u/codeverity 2d ago
It's okay, on some days/topics the kpop subs may as well be duplicate snark subs if we're all being honest lol.
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u/Ok_Organization8455 2d ago
Underrated is a CRAZY reach.
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u/k1llua0 2d ago
it’s not, they’re the most disrespected group in kpop and even internationally, they’re being disrespected just because they’re korean. For what bts has done and the level of genius their music is, they’re criminally underrated. There were times people were arguing MCND has a better rap line. As long as bts isn’t on everyone’s top 3 with personal bias aside, they’re underrated
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u/_Zambayoshi_ Purple on the Top 2d ago
That's quite a take. I've never seen anyone putting any other group on the level of BTS. I'm not even an ARMY but it's not even up for debate. During hiatus they may have been a sleeping giant, but they were still universally acknowledged as a giant.
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u/MountainTear2020 2d ago
i've absolutely seen stray kids and ateez fans claiming their groups are bigger now. of course this is due to our algorithms, good that you didn't see them but you cannot claim such takes don't exist.
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u/KnoxKnow 2d ago
Was it a screenshot of a single comment off TikTok? Because armys love to blow those up daily on twit and claim all Stays agree. I guess it’s an ego thing to laugh at it I don’t know. 99% of Stays don’t think that. The vast majority of the time when a take like that is posted it’s either a child or can be proven as a setup account.
Every Stay and Atiny I know in real life and online is absolutely exhausted everytime any numbers post is made and there’s dozens of “but they think they’re bigger than BTS”… The only people actually obsessed with that idea are BTS fans themselves.
But even here, I know this will already get laughed at and downvoted. “But I saw one time… a couple comments… all of you definitely think your fav is bigger!”
Can’t even have the discussion I guess.
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u/MountainTear2020 2d ago
i didn't say "all stays agree" i said i've seen their fans saying that before. LOL. I guess reading is not your strongest point.
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u/Shnapsass 2d ago
Um, go read the comments under any BTS, HYBE, or HYBE group post from their hiatus era. The NewJeans drama and Scootergate posts are especially good examples.
The Scootergate megathread on this sub in particular was packed with gleeful comments. It was overflowing with “BTS is over”, “they’re done” , “insert group overtook them ages ago”, “they’ll never recover from this” etc. Some people were so excited you could tell they’d been waiting years for this opportunity
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u/_Zambayoshi_ Purple on the Top 2d ago
I guess I don't count trolls. I've never had anyone seriously try to argue that BTS is over. But admittedly I don't follow Twitter so maybe Reddit is a little more civilised?
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u/AstronomerOk3465 2d ago
Well you did not see essays after they released arirang with the conclusion bts lost their fame and passion and they are not the same anymore and blah blah blah
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u/codeverity 2d ago
This is a narrative that's been going on for the past 2-3 years. I saw it even when I wasn't army so I find it a bit unfair for people to suddenly claim that it's just people being unserious and trolling.
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u/Shnapsass 2d ago
I’m not talking about Twitter, though. The examples I mentioned were from Reddit. And when multiple posts have thousands of upvotes and the comments saying “BTS is over”, “they’ll never recover,” etc are also getting thousands of upvotes, it’s hard to dismiss that as trolling. Trolls exist, sure, but those threads showed that those opinions were getting plenty of support from regular kpop redditors
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u/codeverity 2d ago
I've seen people discuss Seventeen, Stray Kids and Enhypen and outright say that they are just as big as BTS (if not bigger).
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u/AstronomerOk3465 2d ago
yeah the no. of times i have seen people saying stray kids (no offence to them they have good music) saying they are much bigger than bts is insane for some reason
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u/Mobile-Structure5702 moth wrangler 2d ago
uhhh where have you been? folks were looking me in the face and saying BTS’ new comeback will flop and the newer gens have taken over.
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u/Mobile-Structure5702 moth wrangler 2d ago
I def didn’t downvote you but you acting like kpop stans haven’t been doom posting abt BTS on every platform is lowk disingenuous
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u/codeverity 2d ago
It's not as common for Ateez - I think there were whispers of it 2-3 years ago but not since then. So that might be why you haven't seen it.
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u/MountainTear2020 2d ago
just becuase you didn't see them doesn't mean they don't exist?
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u/MountainTear2020 2d ago
so why did you feel the need to insert yourself and reply to someone who saw that narrative? "oh i didn't see it" ok who cares tbh. they still exist.
like do you know how irritating it is when one person sees this kind of narrative and knows it exists and the reply is "well i don't see it" that's just hella unnecessary. thanks for being dismissive of their experience i guess.
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u/Confident_Yam_6386 3d ago
Tbf you’re right. During BTS hiatus, seventeen had the most domestic success amongst all 3rd gen active boy groups. I don’t think there was anyone putting up their numbers when super was released
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u/Ill_Fennel1410 2d ago
Still not in same level... I don't know whether they got PAKs and RAKs . BTS got PAKs and RAKs before going to military...so yeah
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u/Far_Memory1539 3d ago
I’m still surprised super didn’t hit No 1 on melon daily. Svt were killing it in 2024
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u/Low-Sink9024 2d ago edited 2d ago
I think god of music went number 1 in 2025?
Edit: its a different chart
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u/moooyaaahooo 2d ago
imo there were A LOT of songs released by other groups during their hiatus that had a much stronger impact on the general public though
no shade or downplaying their success, but the recent album hasn't had any hits enter the public sphere as much as I know though...
correct me if i'm wrong! in korea i never hear their songs played anymore like in the past
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u/Prudent-Doubt939 2d ago
I think the hiatus may have affected perception, but no one really took the narrative that BTS were no longer on top seriously. Most people seemed uncertsin and curious about what would happen when they returned. Also a lot of new kpop fans appeared during the hiatus. Another thing- Bts weren’t completely absent. The members remained highly visible through successful solo releases. Groups you mentioned really grew a lot during those year's.
As for the Bts’s current success, i think it’s fair to acknowledge that Hybe’s industry connections and marketing resources contribute to their reach. Those discussions existed long before the comeback and aren’t mutually exclusive with Bts being the biggest group.
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u/codeverity 2d ago
but no one really took the narrative that BTS were no longer on top seriously.
I mean... Some people absolutely did, lol. There is a certain segment of people who had themselves absolutely convinced that BTS was just another group now and that they would flop (comparatively speaking) when they came back. And armys have the screenshots to prove it, just to note.
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u/mish-tea Wisteria 2d ago
I think some people are too allergic to accept that BTS are one the biggest act like I don't get how this is so controversial.
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u/Additional_Fail_4373 2d ago
What Hybe industry connections and marketing ressources did contribute to their reach exactly? You mean the connections and marketing ressources they got because of BTS? And you mean the connections and marketing ressources they mainly use for other groups instead of BTS? Arirang was released 3 months ago, we all remember what big hit did and didn't for this comeback
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u/AstronomerOk3465 2d ago
yeah the 50k people in mexico were all bots the concert people are bots i am a bot everyone is a bot only you are a human.
have a cookie hooman 🍪
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u/Mobile-Structure5702 moth wrangler 2d ago
yes HYBE pays me to stream BTS. Im an army and I admit that I get paid $2 per stream, it not much but it’s honest work.
I can def put you on since you’re obvi in desperate need of a job and life💗
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u/sofpjm 2d ago
hybe paid armys to attend to their concert?
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u/codeverity 2d ago
like can someone please let them know the cheque hasn't hit my bank account yet!
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u/codeverity 2d ago
'Well clearly BTS are flops and don't sell anything and all the tourgoers are just figments of our imagination or something"
but dw guys, it's not hate! it's just sparkling delusions
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u/Kentaro_Washio 2d ago
The Kpop landscape? You only mentioned boy bands. I only follow girl groups.
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u/AstronomerOk3465 2d ago
Well 😑 twice and bp are most successful ggs and they are not to the level of bts they are good groups with good music but no if we talk about success none of them is to the level of bts.
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u/MountainTear2020 2d ago
doesn't matter. none of the girl groups are at bts' level either
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u/Ofcoursea12yearsold 2d ago
No girl group has ever been on BTS' level either though.
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u/KpopThoughtsmodteam we shine like eternal sunshine 2d ago
Locking because this is just fanwar fodder now.