I've been trying to avoid talking about this, but it's been on my mind for a while. I feel like it's time to let out all my thoughts and see if anyone else feels the way I feel. 

2016 was a for the older generation of groups. By older, I mean the 1st and 2nd wave of Kpop groups that debuted between 2006 - 2011. 

What do I mean? Here's the list:

2ne1's disbandment (the hardest for me to swallow) It's been over a month since I heard the news, but I'm still upset. I will be making a tribute post later on, but I have to rant a little about this. I feel like YG did 2ne1 so dirty. 2ne1 was one of the pioneer groups that made Kpop go global. How everything played out was a slap in the face to Blackjacks. This is it? This is how it ends? After 7 epic years? I feel like we deserve so much more. I feel like CL, Bom, Dara, and Minzy deserve more. And this situation could've all been prevented if YG stood up for Bom instead of making her the bad guy. 

But I digress. 

TOP's military enlistment (the second hardest to swallow) Top will enlist early 2017, leaving BB as 4 members. I'm not sure what the future holds for them. But I know that we won't see another BB comeback until 2020, at the earliest.

4minute's disbandment I started to become a fan of 4M back in 2014 and it's upsetting that they won't make music together anymore. 4M had this edge and spunk that no other group had. And their latest music (I hate you and crazy was totally dope) 4M's disbandment was so unexpected. 

Jia leaving Miss A The news definitely shook me. Jia was my bias. I wasn't surprised though. JYP kept Miss A locked in the closet since 2013 and when they finally came back in 2015 Suzy sang half the song. If I were Jia, I would leave too. It's sad to think this, but I believe Miss A will disband in 2017. If not, they will go on a long Hiatus (like the wonder girls) and comeback with a new member and a whole new sound. 

Kara's Disbandment I wasn't a huge fan of Kara, but I know the impact they had on the Kpop industry. Everyone used to cover Mister Mister.

No 2016 f(x) and SNSD comeback Solo promotions are great, don't get me wrong. I am so proud of Amber, Taeyeon, Tiffany, Luna, and Hyoyeon for showing their individual promotions. But I would like to see them together. After all of this bad news, I need these 2 groups to comeback next year. Please!! I'm losing faith in Kpop and I need them to give me hope. I year without f(x), SNSD, 4M, and Miss A is so mundane. 

Beast leaves Cube Beast is one of my favorite groups. But B2ST will lose their name when they leave Cube to make their own company. I'm happy for them, but that means no more music until all of this drama is solved.

This list goes on but these incidents have been standing out to me the most.

I discovered Kpop in 2012. In that year, BTS, Twice, and Blackpink didn't exist, and groups like SJ, SNSD, BB, Beast, Miss A, and f(x) were the most popular groups. Exo was just starting out. Elfs used to fight with vips. Sones used to fight with blackjacks. 

Fast forward 4 years, and so much has changed. ExoLs are fighting with Armys. Twice is the biggest girl group at the moment. Blackpink is the new 2ne1.

 I'm afraid that the groups I grew to love (SHINee, f(x), BB, SJ, Infinite, Sistar) will become irrelevant some day soon. They will get overshadowed by these newer groups. I'm afraid that the Kpop industry will become faceless and unimportant to me. Outside of a select few of groups, I'm already starting to see groups I don't recognize, groups I don't care to learn anything about. I'm afraid that the new generation will take over Kpop and I will eventually fall out of love with Kpop.

After Jessica got kicked out of SM, I tried to stop getting emotionally involved with Kpop. I tried to only focus on the music and not the people. But that's so hard to do. You pick biases, you ship pairings, you watch funny clips and laugh at your favorite idols. It's hard not to get attached.

BTS, Exo, and Got7 are such talented groups, however, I will never connect with them the way I connect with Shinee, Big Bang, and Beast. Twice, Blackpink, and Exid are talented as well. But I won't be able to love them the way I love f(x), 2ne1, and SNSD.

I have to swallow my denial and face the fact that the Kpop industry is shifting. I most likely won't shut Kpop out completely when my favorite groups settle down. But I probably won't be as obsessed with it as I am now. Let's hope I'm wrong. I will try to approach the new Kpop generation with optimism. 

The truth hurts.