What's Old Is New Again: BIGBANG, BTS and SNSD Show Why Time Is on Their Side

BIGBANG, BTS and Girls' Generation's new unit HRS are drawing on years of music, memories and chemistry in distinctly different ways. From hits that have endured for nearly two decades to decade-old album tracks and relationships forged between longtime members, what they have built over the years is still finding an audience today. In an industry known for rapid generational shifts, longevity has become an advantage of its own.

For BIGBANG, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, its older hits remain very much part of the present. The group is currently on its first world tour in nine years, "BIGBANG 2026 WORLD TOUR 'XX : COSMOS'," bringing longtime favorites such as "Lies," "Haru Haru" and "Fantastic Baby" to the stage alongside newer material.

That staying power was clear at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sept. 11. Though much of the set was in Korean, fans throughout the stadium sang along to hits that first swept South Korea in the late 2000s and 2010s. More than a decade later, those songs can still turn a North American stadium into a massive singalong.

The impact has extended beyond the concert itself, with streams across BIGBANG's catalog on Melon jumping 333 percent in August from the previous month. "Haru Haru," released in 2008, saw streams rise by about 298 percent, while its average ranking climbed from No. 224 in July to No. 67 as of Aug. 24.

While BIGBANG is demonstrating the staying power of its biggest hits, BTS is reaching deeper into its catalog. On the group's ongoing "ARIRANG" World Tour, BTS has been rotating surprise songs into its shows, bringing back tracks that rarely make it onto concert setlists. At SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Sept. 7, the group surprised fans with "Whalien 52," a track from its 2015 EP "The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt. 2."

Released more than a decade ago and rarely performed live, the song's return quickly became a talking point among fans. Clips of the performance spread across social media, with many sharing how hearing "Whalien 52" again brought back memories of BTS' earlier years. One social media post featuring the performance with the caption, "Why are you crying? It's just a song" received more than 50,000 likes and 13,000 reposts.

For a decade-old album track rather than a new release or major hit, the response was significant. For fans who followed BTS during its "The Most Beautiful Moment in Life" era, the performance brought back memories of that time, while newer fans had the chance to experience a song from a period they had never seen live. That ability to resonate differently across generations of fans is one of the strengths that comes with a catalog built over more than a decade.

Girls' Generation has taken a different approach. Instead of revisiting past hits, Hyoyeon, Yuri and Sooyoung have turned nearly two decades of chemistry into a new unit, HRS. The project began on Hyoyeon's YouTube channel "Hyoyeon's Level Up," where the three playfully competed for the main vocalist and center positions.

Their dynamic resonated with viewers, and what started as a lighthearted YouTube series eventually led to an official unit and music release. HRS released its first digital single, "Skibidi," on Aug. 31, with the song steadily climbing Melon's TOP100 chart to a peak of No. 14. Instead of revisiting a Girls' Generation hit or reuniting the full group, the three members drew attention with a new lineup and new music.

The lineup also differs from the typical formula for an idol unit. Hyoyeon, Yuri and Sooyoung have long been known more for their strengths as performers than as Girls' Generation's main vocalists, but nearly two decades on stage have given them the experience to make the unexpected combination work. The trio has also carried its playful YouTube dynamic into music promotions, continuing its mock rivalry over the center and main vocalist positions on music shows.

K-POP continues to produce new generations of artists at a rapid pace, but the arrival of younger acts does not necessarily require older ones to disappear. Songs, shared memories and relationships built over long careers take time to develop. What matters is how artists use what they have built rather than simply looking back on it, and BIGBANG, BTS and HRS show how that history can be reshaped for the present.