#3
K-Pop is not a new thing; if you're an OG fan, you might know some groups from the 2000s and even the 1990s. However, 2020 is the year many experts mark as the points when K-Pop exploded in popularity globally, especially in the U.S. One only has to look at the sheer number of tweets on X (formerly Twitter) to understand how many fans engage with K-Pop related content every day.
In 2020, about 6.7 billion tweets globally were related to K-Pop. By 2021, that number rose to 7.2 billion tweets. According to the platform itself, most of them come from Indonesian fans, followed by K-Pop fans in Japan, the Philippines, South Korea, and the United States. Back then, the most tweeted about group was BTS, and the boy band retains their crown in 2026. BTS members also have several tweets in the official list of most-retweeted posts ever, with the youngest member Jungkook's tweet "Never Not [purple heart]" being retweeted 1.7 million times.
The world of K-Pop can be confusing. From an outsider's perspective, it's very different from the Western celebrity and entertainment world. Still, in essence, it's a fandom, and just like any other fandom, it's got its own jargon, references, inside jokes, memes, and vocabulary.
The life of a K-Pop idol is incredibly fast-paced, and the length of their careers in groups is quite short. Some fans estimate that the average career of a K-Pop star is 7 years. While wildly popular worldwide, BTS are today considered "sunbaes" or seniors. It's not surprising to see comments like "Uncs still got it" under their videos and witness members of younger groups treat them with reverence and respect.
In the K-Pop fandom, groups are separated into different generations based on when they debuted and were the most popular. First Generation groups were popular in the late '90s and early 2000s. These included the likes of H.O.T., S.E.S., Sechs Kies, Fin.K.L, g.o.d, and Shinhwa. Back then, K-Pop was a niche interest for many outside of Korea and Asia in general.
#12
Second Generation K-Pop managed to get more popular worldwide, especially in the U.S. As a person who somewhat dabbled in K-Pop since her teenage years, I have to admit that the 2nd Gen were my first idols. Groups like BIGBANG, SHINee, Girls' Generation (SNSD), Super Junior, 2NE1, Wonder Girls, and TVXQ are the ones many adults today are nostalgic for.
BIGBANG just performed both weekends at Coachella for their 20th anniversary, 2NE1 had a long-awaited comeback last year, and others like SHINee, Super Junior, and SNSD are still active as groups and releasing new material, even if some members are no longer active.
Third Gen K-Pop was the one that was undoubtedly the most successful in making it into the USA market. BTS, GOT7, BLACKPINK, EXO, TWICE, MONSTA X, NCT, and SEVENTEEN were massively popular internationally. Some attribute that success to the digital-first marketing. Many groups would have their own entertainment and variety shows on YouTube, Weverse, and other platforms in addition to music. Idols would also chat and communicate with their fans during livestreams on the now-defunct V-Live platform.
2018 or 2019 is often the starting point for the 4th Generation of K-Pop. The most popular groups of that Gen include ATEEZ, Stray Kids, TXT, NewJeans, aespa, LE SSERAFIM, ITZY, and ENHYPEN. This generation enjoyed the privilege of coming into the entertainment industry when K-Pop was an internationally-recognized genre. Stray Kids, for example, did a stadium tour across Latin America, Japan, North America, and Europe in 2025, and sold out SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, and the Incheon Asiad Main Stadium.
#20
