Alright, I hear you on the influence thing. K-pop definitely pushed other genres to up their production game, and yeah, it gave a lot of people confidence during its peak. But that doesn't make it less overrated—it just means the hype worked.
Here's the thing: a genre can be influential and still be overrated. The issue is the ratio of hype to substance. K-pop's entire model is built on scarcity and manufactured loyalty. You're told to stream endlessly, buy multiple albums for photocards, and defend the corporation. That's not organic fandom, that's a loyalty scheme.
And about the "era of sadness" thing—you're kinda proving my point. Real music reflects real emotions, even the messy ones. K-pop rarely does that honestly. It gives you a safe, polished dopamine hit. That's fine for fun, but when people call it the greatest thing ever, yeah, it's overrated. The spectacle is amazing. The music? Often forgettable once the choreography stops.
12:32 PM