With the recent release of their latest title track, "Mr. Mr.," it seems like a good time to cover Girls' Generation, one of K-pop's biggest and most influential groups in our "Then and Now" series. So, let's take a look!
Into the new World
Girls' Generation has really developed as artists since their debut back in 2007. As the first girl group to debut after the highly publicized Super Junior under SM Entertainment, expectations for this group were high. In the 7 years since their debut, it is safe to say that Girls' Generation has gone above and beyond, redefining the standard for future girl groups in not only Korea, but in countries such as Japan and China as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k2Zzkw_-0I
The nine members Taeyeon, Jessica, Sunny, Tiffany, Hyoyeon, Yuri, Sooyoung, Yoona, andSeohyun, made their official debut with "Into the New World." I think the main appeal to this song is the youthfulness and pureness of the group—they possess the feel of first generation K-Pop girl groups such as Fin.K.L and SM Entertainment predecessors S.E.S. Their song is catchy and seemingly carefree, yet there is tons of visible potential in their vocals and dance.
More videos from this time frame:
Girls' Generation :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbLh4i40I4E
Kissing you :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzrgZ11xc0o
Success
Girls' Generation really hit mainstream success with their record-breaking number 1 hit, "Gee." "Gee" still captures the 소녀 (so-nyuh, "girl") essence of the group—however, they have clearly matured into young adults rather than teenagers. "Gee," again, has a simple digital sound, but is extremely catchy. It's one of those hits that girls will forever love to sing for their crush at karaoke; the popular "crab dance" makes the song that much more fun to sing. In addition there was a vast improvement with their vocals and dance—both were visibly cleaner this time around. They followed "Gee" up with big hits such as "Tell Me Your Wish" (how can one not know the leg dance?), and of course "Oh!" which topped charts all over Asia and won them the prestigious Disk Bonsang Award. It was this era that Girls' Generation really solidified themselves as the top girl group in the game.
Gee :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7mPqycQ0tQ
Genie :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SwiSpudKWI
Oh! (Korea Version) :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGbwL8kSpEk
New Sounds and Concepts
Although it wasn't the song that catapulted Girls' Generation into fame (and was technically around the time of the "Oh!" promotions), one track that I think is notable in the growth of Girls' Generation is "Run Devil Run." This track to me was Girls' Generation's classy version of the quintessential "rebellious" song. Aside from the fact that it's my personal favorite Girls' Generation song, this was the first hit song that shed the "innocent" image and opened the doors for a new wave of Girls' Generation that would be more artistically mature and diverse in their concepts.
Run Devil Run :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_gfD3nvh-8
More videos from this time:
Hoot :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4-SxcCO5d0
The new era
The Boys (Korea Version) :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pA_Tou-DPI
The girls went more with a western culture vibe with their next hit "The Boys"; although this song didn't see the success Sones hoped to see in the States, it was a huge hit in Korea. However, their follow-up track "I Got a Boy" did see mainstream success, even notching the girls the 'Video of the Year' title at the YouTube Awards. "I Got a Boy" was in my opinion a very progressive sound. So progressive to the point where, when I first heard it, I was a little confused—it almost sounded like three songs put together into one track. However, the more I listened to it, the catchier it became. In addition, I loved seeing a hip-hop side to Girls' Generation with more intricate dancing and high-fashion street wear, which was a complete transformation from the lollipop-holding teenagers we saw 6 years before.
I Got A Boy :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wq7ftOZBy0E
Mr.Mr
And finally, the music video for "Mr.Mr.," Girls' Generation's latest track, has finally been released! The song has a very electro feel (a similar sound to their previous song "Mr. Taxi") and has club banger written all over it. As for the music video, it's very different from their past videos. The colors and effects are artistically unique, and while their look has drastically evolved since their fresh-faced "Into the New World" era, they continue to look flawless as usual.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8j_XEn9b_8
It is evident that Girls' Generation is still going strong. They continue to grow and show Sones new and improved images. Girls' Generation has taken over charts not only in Korea, but worldwide (note: they also released Japanese chart toppers throughout their career), in addition to participation in other industries (i.e. musicals, fashion, dramas, etc.) as well. The members have found their image and sound, and I look forward to seeing what else Girls' Generation has in store for us in the future!
Which Girls' Generation do you prefer, the "back in the day" one or the current one? Vote in our poll below and share your opinions in the comments!
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