It has been several months since Kingdom ended, but The Boyz has been getting most of the benefits even though they did not win the top plum.

With their latest comeback Thrill Ride becoming a huge success, with new records and breaking debut chart ranking on all music streaming sites not only in Korea but also overseas, it opened many doors for them, as they finally got their first ever music show win on Music Bank and Music Core, two of the hardest music show wins to get. They started by winning their first music show win for Thrill Ride on The Show, where they also got their first ever music show win with Bloom Bloom. They also won Show Champion the next day, and M Countdown the day after.

Fans were optimistic and thus, kept on working their hardest to at least get a nomination on Music Bank the next day. They got their wish, and they even won the music show trophy for the fourth time in their comeback, and first time ever. They made the impossible when they won the next day on Show! Music Core, another tough music show to win. Fans couldn't stop their happy tears when they did that, since these two shows put stronger emphasis on digital streaming in Korean music sites, such as Melon, Bugs, Genie, and Soribada. Some of these are not available for international fans to access, making it up to the Korean fanbase to do all the work.

With their songs in the Top 100 list for several hours, that means they get more exposure to the general public, especially on Melon, where they have a setting to play all the songs in the Top 100 at random. The point here is that with their public-friendly songs, they manage to get into mainstream consciousness, and with their catchy tunes, they get to leave fans and listeners with more urge to listen to more of their songs.

It is safe to say that out of all the groups that joined Kingdom, it was The Boyz who brought home the bacon, based on their performance in the charts. Meanwhile, Stray Kids, the ones who won the show, could not use their win to their advantage because of Hyunjin's unaddressed school violence controversies.

What's funny is that Stray Kids kept on winning awards, such as the Rookie Awards in 2017, but they failed to deliver with the results that matter -- their popularity in Korea. For a group to last longer in the industry, it must be popular first in Korea before their international fanbases matter. It sounds harsh but it is the reality.

The Boyz may have played second fiddle to Stray Kids in awards shows, but they showed everyone that they've got everything to succeed in Korea. They may have dirty laundry aired out in the open too, such as New and Sunwoo's Ask controversies, but these were addressed properly and they denied all the accusations that were thrown against them. While JYP did the same thing with Stray Kids, what sets them apart is that Hyunjin admitted that these were real, compared to Sunwoo and New debunking the issues themselves. Add to that the growing dislike towards the group and JYP not addressing it the signature way he does -- kicking them out of the group, just like what he did to Woojin -- disappointed fans and public the most.

The Boyz continued to prove their worth to the fans both in Korea and overseas, and they were always respectful to their seniors and checks every boxes in the idol textbooks. Their songs are also catered towards balancing the likes of Korean fans and the likes of international fans, helping them gain a stable ground with everyone liking their song. While most Stray Kids songs are great, their music can come across as loud to the classic K-Pop fan, and much noisier to the general public's liking.

Though fans may say that Stray Kids create songs for their fans and not the public, it is a dangerous statement to give out because at the end of the day, if the general public does not like you, you cannot achieve much. Remember that it is the general public who puts the idols' names in the Brand Reputation Index released monthly, and fans can only do so much. These lists are used by advertisers to see who the public wants to see endorsing their products, and The Boyz are always in the list since debut.

This article is not to make the two fandoms fight against each other, but this is rather to shed some light on how The Boyz are doing their homework right and reaping the seeds sown, unlike Stray Kids who kept sticking their nose to the conventions of K-Pop and ignores what the general public wants.

BTS succeeded because they catered to both Korean and international fans with their songs. Hence, they are experiencing superstar fandoms, because they did their homework.

There's nothing wrong with having a much more massive international fanbase, as this is where the physicals play a huge factor, but without the digitals, which always constitutes a huge chunk in every music show's criteria for winning, they will never stand a chance. Physicals in music shows can only bring them a small number, but if they failed in digitals, it's game over for them.