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