#fifth Gen kpop

[wooziswonderfulworld]

Who are BroZone’s favorite kpop groups answer in comments

[soggy-bandages]

i can’t tell if it’s a good thing or not that yeojin is getting more popular because it’s amazing and she is so deserving, she was my first ever kpop bias.

i am, however, afraid of her getting solo stans and also im wary of her getting the wonyoung treatment where she’s called a pick me and her body is scrutinized when she is openly in recovery from anorexia.

[nayeonline]

sooo apparently korean media outlets have collectively decided that the fifth generation has begun, and will include zb1, babymonster, and boynextdoor

in terms of shifts in music styles, I feel like in the coming years newjeans will be considered fifth gen as they inspired so much of the more minimalistic kpop we see being released atm

[sanstropfremir]

I saw the comment on your last ask and wanted to ask what's your 5th gen theory? I know that for me actually looking at the years 5th gen should have started already but it feels like we're still in 4th gen because no one other than a few girl groups have blown up the way that 3rd groups both boy and girl had and anyone who has gotten popular has been in last year or two. Making a big three comparison exo in their 3rd or 4th year was in a very different place than stray kids or treasure now

fifth gen HAS already started! just not where or how you would think. and for clarity's sake: i don't categorize gens by group popularity, and that would be a moot point anyways because the success of previous gen groups is never going to be replicated on the same scale because of how dramatically the industry has changed.

my fifth gen theory is this: there's already starting to be a generation change in the last year, but it's being lead by smaller companies who are unable to sustain the current fourth gen performance model, and subsequently there's either going to be a delayed transition where the big four companies will be the last to debut fifth gen groups, OR there's going to be a full split where big four and other well funded companies can keep producing groups in the fourth gen method, while every other smaller group has an entirely different performance method.

the main characteristic of fourth gen has been very strong and heavy dance skills paired with difficult choreography, on a scale that's much more extreme than previous gens. although a lot of third gen choreography was probably harder on its idols' bodies thanks to the acrobatics, third gen idols were still trained as well rounded performers and were able to transition smoothly out of their stuntmen eras and still be able to maintain their group's artistic identity. in order for companies to ramp up the spectacle factor from this, instead of tricking + stunts they prioritized technically difficult dance, which has translated into the bulk of fourth gen idols being by large, probably the most technically skilled generation of dancers. however, like i've said in previous asks, that has come as a detriment to pretty much every other skill that used to be trained into idols. making the sacrifice of dance vs singing is fine for companies that have the funds to support having big spectacular cbs and have large stable fanbases that consume uncaringly, but it's more of a problem with smaller companies who are getting priced out of being able to afford cbs to even hope to match the scale that fans are coming to expect. so as a result, they're going back to training their idols as more holistic performers and simplifying choreography. i know a lot of people are not paying attention to the rookie bgs but a lot of the ones from the last year and change have been a totally different calibre of performer than the established fourth gen groups, and it's likely to continue that way. my hypothesis is that the last company to catch on fifth gen is going to be the next jype bg, and how they perform is going to be the indication of if there's going to be a staggered transition or a full split.

[wretchie]

i wouldn't call myself a kpop fan anymore but monsta x trespass still fucks severely

[venusvity]

have you ever thought of making any third gen groups? i mean most of the age ranges of your groups could be third gen groups especially allume’s fifth gen. 1995 liner debut in 2020 that has to be a record

yeah that’s kinda why i do it 😭 i like pretending kpop and the world in general doesn’t view women as useless after 25 djdjdbdkdn i don’t use anyone under the age of 20 as a fc so most of my lineups are on the “older” (that’s not old the industry is just weird) side dkebdkdbd

[rickittys]

ricky is so talented im so happy he had an opportunity to show off his dancing skill he is literally so good at everything he can sing, dance, rap, produce, play guitar & piano and his visual is one of a kind… the kpop industry is soooosooo lucky to have him 🎀🐈‍⬛

no like thinking about how gifted and hardworking ricky is makes me dizzy. he’s such a bottomless treasure chest that we keep getting to dig thru and it makes me fall in love with him all over again every time🥹🥹 could not stop watching his solo earlier, tbh i don’t think his dance skills are talked about enough among us like!! he’s an absolutely stellar performer so glad that he has the stamina and energy to do so

these vids in particular drive me absolutely insane:

why my back arching😂😂😂 (ARE WE SEEING HIS BODY ROLL AT 1:18 OMIGFFUCKCUFKCOFKC)

kicks and screams

like that’s the face of the fifth gen

his ass is just running and it’s so hot like/&:$;!,!..@

[best-kpop-song-tournament]

Please vote for which song you think is better! If you haven't already, make sure to listen to both songs under the read more before voting.

Propaganda is encouraged, but please do not be negative towards the other song in doing so. This is meant to be a fun tournament! If you write propaganda in the text of your reblog (rather than in the tags), I will likely reblog it!

I'm Sorry to The Rose fans, but Overdose sweeped the first round!

Overdose is Exo's fifth most viewed MV, and it received 20% of the votes in the Exo preliminaries! This dark and powerful song earned its spot in kpop history!

Although many called it a Crazy matchup, 4Minute won the last matchup against 9Muses!

Crazy is 4Minute's most viewed MV! This iconic 3rd gen bop is full of power and attitude in the best way, and you'll surely go crazy for Crazy!

[risathefairyofshampoo]

Which idols amongst the 5th generation female KPOP idols do you think people will compete against for the 5th Gen IT girl title, apart from Ahyeon?

Tbh, the fifth gen girlie's aren't really interesting for me... Also, not many have debuted yet, and I haven't done many readings for female 5th gen groups

[canyouhearthevoices]

Casper’s Podcast

The episodes of my not necessarily kpop/ATEEZ related podcast, uploaded to my YouTube channel. Check them out if you’re interested and let me know if there’s a topic you’d like to see covered!

Episode 1 - Historiography 

Episode 2 - Kpop

Episode 3 - Kep1er OT8

Episode 4 - Fifth Gen? (coming soon)

[sanstropfremir]

I think the MBC gayo is news years eve usually? Not that I’m holding out hope for them to be great either, but you never know.

Why do you think the first two gayos have been such a let down this year? Is it weaker groups with lower stage presence? Bad song choices (either weak songs of their own/songs that already had weak performances to go with them, or really poor cover choices)? Something else? All of the above? I’m curious what your thoughts are from your more experienced perspective.

i could look it up, but alas the laziness always wins; youtube will tell me when it is when the stages are released sdlkjf.

it's a combination of factors, i don't think there's any one true thing you can point at that's the sole reason. lots of poor cover choices, some poor or just unsuitable music choices, and a lack of good performance direction are all smaller scale things that stack up when you see them repeated with every group. but also there is a glaringly obvious hole, and that is that there are almost NO senior groups on any of these lineups. we got lucky that kara decided to do a reunion, but due to various circumstances we've lost a HUGE bulk of the artists that used to be features of the circuit, especially the third gen ones. got7 and monsta x are both gone (got7 bc of scheduling and mx for ...? who knows but probably cb prep). bts is out, idk where twice is, which leaves the only big third gen groups seventeen, red velvet, and nct, and they haven't even been at most of them. there's also been no second gen groups either, even though several of them are active now. nu'est got nerfed and they were a huge staple on awards shows in the last few years so that left a big hole, btob and highlight have had very successful years but have been missing for all these shows, same with all the active shinee members. taeyeon and hyoyeon are both active, changmin had a solo, there were three exo solos. in all fairness, i think a lot of the reason senior artists are absent is because of either scheduling conflicts, or because they just don't want to. all the sm artists have been pulled back for the winter album and concert prep, and a lot of artists are also touring or doing concerts because they actually can now, and that's actually gonna make them money, vs going on awards shows which is more of an exposure thing. tbh i don't actually mind the fact that the lineups have been predominantly young groups this year; bc there were a lot of good rookies and they do deserve to get the experience and exposure from doing these eoty shows, but when you combine that with the fact that networks are not inviting groups from small companies (see point below) and the utter lack of good performance direction, it means that there's a very limited and mediocre cross section of talent on display.

one of the other big factors is that there's a consistently ever widening disparity between the groups that are popular and the ones that are not. a lot of the same big four company groups are dominating charts and pushing out the gp's awareness of smaller groups that ARE doing really good work, and bc small companies don't have the funds to produce cbs on the same level (as big four ones), it means networks are even less likely to invite less popular groups. it's an ouroboros. there is also the plain fact that the majority of fourth gen groups are just not as holistically skilled in performance as previous gens, so we are getting a drop in quality there too.

[redpiperfox]

You know what Itzy's good at? Growth. You know what I absolutely adored? Itzy's new album. You know what I will never shut up about and be happy to waffle a whole tumblr post that's really only for my enjoyment? A freakin Itzy album, so without further ado--

An album listen-through of Kill My Doubt, an absolute gem of an album

Bet on Me

My first reactions are here but I think everyone agreed when this was dropped-- woah. This truly set the tone for the whole debut of the album, with a firm stance on who the album was for, and the confidence Itzy was bringing into the comeback.

The song itself does poetic and emotional, but unlike Trust Me (Midzy), does it from a soundscape that's uniquely and wholly Itzy. It's an emotional bop that you put on to push through the end of your workout/beginning of your cooldown. The video itself was a return to the metaphorical coding of the members that hit so close to the reality mark, I couldn't help but drawing parallels between their individual mv plots and their struggles as individual artists.

Bet on Me is a jog through the fog, it's running beside a train and beating it, and it's being on the edge of tears but turning your headphones up to walk away from the pain with your chin up.

Cake

I knew this would be a summer bop. I was prepared for a summer comeback. And I was prepared for it to be fun, but oh man!

It's Nayeon's Pop for this summer! It's a crackhead version of Stray Kids' S-Class! It's fresh and fun and bursting like a bag of starbursts, skipping down a pastel paved sidewalk, playful and teasing in a riddle that explodes in confidence!

Sononically, Cake achieves what Sneakers failed-- it fills it's soundscape completely, and does not leave it's verses to fend for themselves. Everything is fun and interesting and moves with the intention of keeping your attention and keeping you on your toes. Like Stray Kids, they defend the NMixx switch up in the second verse, and do it rather seamlessly.

Speaking of Stray Kids (and we'll be speaking of them a lot here, sorry not sorry in advance) the music video itself pulled some plot parallels-- lightning in the alley, headphones while a monster attacks, crackhead background plot while the foreground switches between a fun and dark colorscape, with the sassiness of hip hop running through. I hope and think it's intentional, as fourth gen and the generation bordering fifth gen further separate, and maybe as JYP as a company ride on the publically high opinion of SKZ and use that to bring all groups under their company who lack direction in this new corner of kpop that's being carved out, but maybe it isn't intentional, and even then (to me at least) that's pretty cool.

Now, I'm giving this more words because it's the title, and as a title, it speaks a lot for the albuma and direction of the group and I think it's important to notice: Cake is the end of a trilogy (more on this at the end). Sneakers to Cheshire to Cake has been a rediscovery of confidence, not just from their last trilogy, but within the three songs themselves. Just as they did in Wannabe, this song brings them to a peak of fun not giving a damn in that confidence arc.

And it's so fun and catchy! (Can confirm, will randomly start going CAKE CAKE CAKE CAKE CAKE XP)

None of My Business

I have done /such/ an extensive dissection of this after my first listen, so I'll just leave that here if you want to enjoy.

This is such an easy listen, and there's a raw vocal edge to it, like they're simply monologuing and we get to listen in. It's the lazy feeling of being too tired from the heat to do anything, but happy that it's summer and there's nothing to do anyway but be tired and happy with it.

The video itself is a hazy dream-like flush, with an edge of tipping into womanhood and all the icky edges of it that will come (...along with that green lighting on the bridge, very kard icky XD). It's a stepping off the student sheltered tent and dipping your toes into adulthood, while still relishing every last minute of teenagehood. A hint of childishness that only hormonal teens could pull off in pettiness, all with a ribbon thrown in the air, carefreeness in a warm summer wind.

Bratty

Freaky from their Cheshire album steps into the ocean, with it's bubbling, easy-riding waves. It's bobbing on tubes, losing the beach in the horizon, playing games in a lost cove, sticking tongues and running away from adults that try to end summer, and being unapologetic in enjoying childhood.

This song feels somewhere between the Checkmate album, in revisiting their older fun, bouncing sound with a more developed and mature vocal sound. It's a good song to chill out to without falling asleep.

Psychic Lover

This is a playfully tricksy sort of love song, with the Itzy twist of fun on it. The verses have this enticing drawing in to some mature romance, only to build up to a chorus that's full western pop, of grabbing you by the wrist and pulling you down a kid's slide in bright saturated colors, like they know we both aren't ready for that regal, diamond-studded romance we thought we wanted.

A proper hats off to @the-sunshine-dragon for recognizing the intro and instrumental motif that's sampled is from the beginning Enya's Orinoco Flow possibly (slow it down a bit, to like x0.75ish, it's pretty cool~!)

This song has a quintessential kpop weight to it, with the full-bodied color of reality in the depth of the vocals that are balanced and tempered with fun.

Kill Shot

Mafia in the Morning grew up, joined covert ops, and comes for your throat.

Absolute hit, a complete sniper that rapid shoots itself to the wall. Vocals toy the edge of lazy cockiness and powerful skill, Joker painted in childishness with a finger on the trigger and the barrel to the temple. Their voices are woven into a flawless team, the cohesiveness of five unique talents that have learned each others' strengths and weakness into a well-oiled assassin crew that's good at what they do when you step back and let them do what they do.

The pairing of this song with the nursery rhyme gives it the perfect edge of insanity, a slight stumble in it's perfect edge that pairs a maturing group with it's roots. It's golden, and a powerful end to the album, almost a threat tapered into a taunt to dare and try come for their image again and see what happens.

Some final notes and ending remarks: there's nothing that sells an album more than a group itself absolutely having a blast and adoring the art of what they do, and this era has been topped to the brim of the members having fun. I don't know what Lia's blonde hair, but all the crackheaded, goofy girl we see in hidden corners of their content has come to center stage. Yuna is a full-fledged idol personality (which yall made in telling her she's doing such and such wrong, so I better not hear another comment on how she's acting). Chaeryeong is out promoting in all her charm, and RYeji continue to be their viral scene-stopping selves, everyone get off my lawn, I'm a grandma absolutely enjoying what they do and I won't hear anyone whining about people doing what they love when they do it in such a fun and positive way. (...Enjoy what you like, and if you don't like, find something else, don't tell them to change.)

Itzy has been releasing music in trilogies, alternating between a powerful self-image concept and a powerful love concept. Their third album of each trilogy has been the culmination of the concept from introduction to end, with It'z Me, Crazy in Love, and now Kill My Doubt holding the most amount of songs of the trilogy and the widest exploration of sound scape.

I am so excited to see where they go next, as we possibly return to the love trilogy and experiment with new sounds and themes. (As I write this-- Japanese release?! {straps in for some more hype music] Second half of the year is always Itzy season yall~!)

[fizzydrink698]

i've been trying to get into 1st gen kpop but most spotify playlists include only the same 4 groups. you don't have some recs by any chance? perhaps even something cunty sung by women

god I love talking about kpop. my kpop tastes are strange and varied and i will talk at length about it 😅

so, 1st gen kpop is buckwild and i love it. it’s very unpolished, experimental stuff bc obviously there are no formulas yet. people are just trying shoot their shot in the dark, and seeing what sticks 😊

the hits hit, and the misses miss. dramatically.

i’m a terrible judge for cunty music, but i’ll lean towards girl groups for these specific recommendations:

baby vox (specifically their third album, “come come come baby” and onwards. the first two albums are full of member changes and struggling to find a marketable style that works for them, but there are no member changes from the third album onwards and they have absolutely found their groove. the two lead singles on that album are great, and i have “killer” saved on my favourite kpop songs playlist)

s.e.s (their early stuff is very fairy-cute concept, but they get into more mature stuff as they grow into their career. i have “U” on my playlist from their fifth album)

fin.k.l (same as s.e.s, they start off quite cute and cuddly and then grow into maturer stuff. their song “now” is on my playlist)

boa. (my fucking girl boa. great music. every lead single is fuckin great. love her. highlights for me include “ID;Peace B”, “No. 1”, “Atlantis Princess”, “My Name” and “Girls On Top” which fucking rules)

park jiyoon (“coming of age ceremony” hits so hard. this record was so popular that it was jype’s best-selling album until a twice ep (the one with “TT” overtook it. 20 years later. and also fun fact, technically makes the tiniest of cameos in my ‘consort’ fic bc i’m a nerd for kpop history)

and for boys

h.o.t (the only song I out-and-out love is “candy”. but their debut is pretty good - and fun fact, SKZ cover it in the first episode of their survival show way back in 2017, it’s adorable. be prepared for…like, weird shit in their songs. they have a werewolf song on their second album and they howl on it and on stages and it’s just campy fun. the og template for exo’s “Wolf”, i’d put money on it)

shinhwa (“perfect man”. fuck me, “perfect man”. SO good. one of my favourite 1st gen songs. one of the very few songs that still feels timeless. SO GOOD. “twinkling of paradise” is also fucking weird, it’s a hip-hop track that samples fucking swan lake. but from what i remember, the original 90s version has the n-word in it which is a massive turn-off for me. the downside of 1st gen kpop, they’re blinding grasping at a lot of hip-hop elements without understanding them.)

rain (you can really feel the jyp fingerprints on this guy, for better and for worse. i enjoy his songs, but definitely with at least a little sense of irony. his debut song is all about him being a ~bad guy~, like come on. the dude is still a teenager here, it’s more cute than anything else)

seo taiji and boys (FUCKING “I Know”. the song that literally started kpop as we know it now. SO SOOO GOOD. it was my most-played song of 2020. my favourite 1st gen kpop song. it still holds up, and it was released in 1992. thirty years ago. also, shout out to “hayeoga” for the best guitar solo in kpop (not including k-bands, ofc, but even then it’s up there) and “come back home” which, while i’m personally ‘eh’ on it, is a lot of people’s favourite. also also shout-out to “classroom idea” for being the only kpop song i know of with fucking death growls in it. like i said 1st gen is wild, they are doing so much experimental shit.)

there are other groups i know of but haven’t yet explored (off the top of head: jewelry, chakra, m.i.l.k, sechskies, epik high - who i only really know for their 2nd gen stuff - turbo, deux) but uh…yeah. this list was long enough as it is 😅😅

[theninthdoor]

wait hi - diff anon, but what do u mean times have changed since jenkai were exposed ? i wasn’t a kpop fan back then and i’m kinda curious by this whole thing too . do u think the it couple are third fourth or fifth gen ? saying those three gens cause they seem to be the most famous for now , do you think they’ll both be in big 4 ? lmaooo i’m so intrigued 😭💓

it feels like back then most fans couldn't even bring themselves to think about bgs x ggs being friends behind the scenes, let alone date each other. plus, the big 3 were seen as competitors, so it was a real Romeo and Juliet type of thing over there. Jenkai was even more shocking than Krystal and Kai because Jennie was from YG (whereas we've had other SM couples in the past, and fans knew those groups were/are somewhat close). but, nowadays, who doesn't know about these behind the scenes couples and flings?? the idols will still get hate for dating, yes, but no one is ACTUALLY shocked. 🤡 

cards: death, five of pentacles, the chariot, the empress

if there is a big 4 artist, it's really only one of them - not both. the Empress is telling me that the one with the most prominent feminine energy has debuted already and is pretty popular (so 3rd or 4th gen). the other person either hasn't debuted yet or has just-just debuted.

(Disclaimer: Based on current energies. All is alleged and for entertainment purposes only.)

[lee-sanghyeok]

I'm hesitant to say there's a current shift into the fifth generation of kpop, but it is interesting to see that SM is about to debut a group that seemingly fits the same criteria as NewJeans and BoyNextDoor, namely Riize, which would fill the gap in their catalog of groups that could perform simple yet catchy music. We'll have to wait until their debut to see if that's a correct assumption, but based on the promotional material... it's likely.

Whereas 4th gen is defined by heavy production, a lot of vocal distortion, and high concepts, there seems to be a shift to more simpler, more relatable types of groups.

We'll have to wait a bit longer to definitely define the fifth generation, but I see it as pseudo-organic promotion of upcoming groups, digestible songs that could've been made in someone's bedroom (in the best way possible), and idols with attractive, yet relatable looks.

(Groups I'd place under those criteria are NJ, BND, The Wind, and possibly Riize, Pow and Evnne)

[cosmojjong]

heya, what's up! What's your favourite girl group? I'm a new follower hehe

omg hi apologies for my super late answer!

i think this is a bit of a tricky question because my 2nd gen kpop self definitely would pick 2ne1. they're like, the first gg and one of the very first kpop groups i got into so they're really special to me to this day ^^ but i've come to like many more over time. like snsd, after school, april (but then the bullying mess happened), clc (we all know how that one went), sistar, laboum, lightsum (cube kicked two members out, meh), oh my girl (they're a damn mess but their discography is just realistically very good), had a red velvet phase, stayc, wjsn. probably missing some!

i was also a big fan of bvndit, but unfortunately they got disbanded last year. i don't know if they count, but i was a huge harmonizer too (fifth harmony). i'm very unlucky with ggs i fear.

what about you? thanks for following btw ^^