The era of fifth-generation idols has just begun. Starting with Lunate, a group that debuted on June 15th, new idol groups including Mnet's "KISS OF LIFE" and "ZEROBASEONE" have claimed themselves to be the fifth-generation idols. It has been only about a year and a half since the debut of fourth-generation idol groups New Jeans and LE SSERAFIM. How is the fifth-generation idol that calls itself a new generation different from the previous generations?

The term "fifth generation idol" appeared in the music industry when "Boyz Planet'' aired earlier this year. Along with ZEROBASEONE, Lunate, KISS OF LIFE, and Cycus were introduced as fifth generation idols. If this trend continues, YG Entertainment's new girl group Baby Monster, which debuted last year, and SM Entertainment's new boy group are also likely to be classified as fifth generation idols.

"First of all, the ages of the members are different," a K-pop official said. Many of the 4th generation idol singers were born in the late 1990s and early 2000s, while most of the 5th generation idol group members were born in the mid-2000s. The youngest member among the 5th generation boy groups is Han Yu-jin, the youngest member of ZEROBASEONE, who debuted on July 10 last year. The average age of Baby Monster’s members is 14.6 years old, and the youngest member Chiquita was born in 2009. "R U NEXT," which started on April 30 last year, also includes trainees born in 2011.

It is also notable that it is a generation that will debut after the COVID-19 pandemic. People predict that each agency in the industry will be able to promote more diverse activities based on the online promotion know-how accumulated during the pandemic. "We will be able to plan and promote events that go across online and offline with the experience of online performances accumulated during the COVID-19 pandemic in addition to the experience of offline performances such as world tours that we have previously conducted," said another K-pop official.

The controversy of generation of idols has become a topic of public debate among K-pop fans starting in 2020. The first generation, the second generation, and the third generation are clearly distinguished based on their debut time and K-pop industry structure. However, as the K-pop market grew and the idol group's career lifespan grew longer, the distinction between generations became blurred. The fourth generation encompasses idol groups that debuted over the past five years, from Stray Kids, which debuted in 2018, to New Jeans, which was introduced to the world two years ago. The difference that set the fourth generation idols apart was that the boundaries between countries were broken and they started focusing on the message of self.

According to the opinions of K-pop officials, the characteristics of the 5th generation idols that distinguish them from the 4th generation idols is yet to be found. A K-pop agency said, "Promoting idols with the title of ‘5th generation’ has a huge advantage." "With the 4th generation idol group peaking in popularity and change in idol generations accelerating, it seems that many teams are debuting in new generations to give the public a fresh feeling." The prevailing view in the industry is that once a team has emerged that claims to be a 5th generation idol, new groups will also join the trend." As the 5th generation idols gain career and expand their fandom, the characteristics separating them from 4th generation idols will begin to appear.

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