"ENHYPEN lacks **** to be a fourth-generation representative..." In an article released by a media outlet, it expressed regret that the group seems to not have THIS despite being one of the top-tier K-pop groups from the 4th gen era.

ENHYPEN, NewJeans, aespa's Status as 4th Gen Representative Groups

On October 30, the Korean media outlet Star News wrote an article featuring aespa, NewJeans and ENHYPEN.

In the writing, the writer re-examined the survey conducted by the same outlet in September, which aimed to determine the "4th generation idols who are most expected to be active in the future." The survey was held with 18 music and broadcast officials, and among girl groups, NewJeans and aespa gained the seats as the most promising female idols.

As for boy groups, ENHYPEN won the majority by gaining 17 out of 18 votes from experts. In the latest article, the media then examined the performance of the three groups after about two months.

NewJeans and aespa, who was selected as the top 4th generation female idols, live up to this expectation by capturing both fandom power or size as well as mainstream popularity.

First of all, the size of the fandom can be measured by the sales of the album. NewJeans' self-titled debut album released in August sold more than 260,000 copies in a day and achieved a new record as the first girl group to achieve this with a debut album.

aespa's second mini-album "Girls" dropped in July exceeding 1.12 million copies in initial sales, recording the first female singer in the history of the music industry to achieve this.

As for ENHYPEN, its third mini-album "MANIFESTO: DAY 1," released in July, recorded initial sales of 1.24 million copies, setting the record for the minimum annual initial million sellers among K-pop groups.

"MANIFESTO: DAY 1," tells the story of seven boys who have doubts about the success defined by adults and decide to "no longer live as others say, but find answers on their own."

ENHYPEN Lacks THIS? K-Media Explains Why Group Is Not Fully 4th Gen Representative Group

While ENHYPEN proves its fandom size and power with a high album, sales, their performance in terms of popularity is regrettable.

If you look at the music performance, which is an indicator of popularity, ENHYPEN is lagging behind NewJeans, who already established its name with hit tracks, "Attention" and "Hype Boy." aespa is also truly sitting atop the rankings with three consecutive hits, "Black Mamba," "Next Level" and "Savage."

Star News claimed:

"However, (ENHYPEN) has no music source that has been as popular as the album sales."

While "Polaroid Love" became a viral song around the world, its popularity is not enough to be called their "representative song."

The media explained:

"For a long time, the formulas of 'boy idol = fandom' and 'girl idol = popularity' were taken for granted in the music industry. However, to be an idol representing a generation, you should not be locked in these boundaries.

...In order to become a true 'fourth-generation representative,' ENHYPEN must pay attention not only to fandom but also to popularity."

READ MORE: 7 K-pop Songs That Went Viral on TikTok 2022: TREASURE's 'Darari,' ENHYPEN's 'Polaroid Love' More

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Written by Eunice Dawson.