What BTS' return means for K-pop industry
1/6/2026, 6:22:30 AM

During BTS
’ extended hiatus, K-pop retained its global visibility but struggled to sustain the momentum it once commanded at the center of the international music conversation. While major acts such as Stray Kids
, Blackpink
, Twice
and Seventeen
filled the commercial vacuum left by BTS
, none emerged as a singular symbolic force capable of defining the genre on a global scale. Newer-generation acts have been praised for polished performances and striking visuals, but critics and industry observers



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