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why-so-serious-lucifer · 4 months

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K-pop Discography Deep Dives: Girls Generation / SNSD (Part ONE)

Girls’ Generation debuted in 2007, with nine members: Taeyeon, Seohyun, Yoona, Yuri, Tiffany, Jessica (who left in 2014), Sunny, Sooyoung, and Hyoyeon, and soon became one of the most popular groups of the 2nd generation of k-pop with their catchy retro songs and down-to-earth image. Also, I’ll be using the names Girls Generation and SNSD (Sonoshidae, their Korean name) interchangeably through this.

Here are my credentials: So, I’m absolutely a fan of Girls’ Generation, although I’m in that weird space where I’m more than a casual one yet not quite a SONE (a full fan), but just like with Sunmi, I have a feeling that this deep dive will make me one. I’ve heard almost all of their title tracks, and a decent amount of b-sides, but since they have over 100 songs, I’m sure I’ll find some new ones to love too. I’m also a fan of both Taeyeon and Tiffany’s solo careers.

Their 2007 debut was Into The New World, and I honestly do not know what to say about this song. It was the reason I wanted to do this review in the first place, because in my opinion, it’s the best k-pop song of all time, and I’m not even a SONE. It’s upbeat and ultra-poppy, cheesy as hell, wonderfully hopeful, and has an instantly recognizable, soaring chorus that I can sing from memory (although not as well). I’ve probably seen this MV dozens of times, but I still chuckle at the dance break and can’t stop smiling at the take-off in the last bridge and how young they are, just barely older than I was when I became a k-pop fan. In the years after Into The New World was released, it’s become an important protest song in Korea, and to many now—myself included—it’s more than just what it was meant to be.

Full warning: there is no way that I could view any song fairly after this strong a debut, but I do really like the song Girls Generation, and actually didn’t know that this was a cover until this deep dive, since I can only associate it with them. It’s very bubblegum from its first moment, heavier on the aegyo than its counterpart, but the song’s slower pre-chorus, SNSD’s great voices, and that smash of a chorus manage to prevent the cutesiness from being overwhelming.

From the 1st album, simply entitled Girls Generation, I enjoyed the springy, vintage (somewhat Christmasy?) vibes of Ooh La La, the lovely harmonizing in Complete and Tinkerbell, the elegant classical flourishes in the background of Kissing You, and the guitar and excellent vocals in Honey. Overall this album feels incredibly 2nd gen, and gave me waves of nostalgia.

Gee is probably one of Girls’ Generation’s most well-known songs, and it’s easy to see why. With simple but fun choreography, and a chorus that constantly walks the tightrope of being incessantly catchy and just a little grating, it’s a total earworm. It takes a lot to make me enjoy such a cutesy song, but I think it was the combination of nostalgia and humor or maybe just how much I wanted to dance, and enjoy this one I did. As an aside, I’d forgotten that Minho from SHINee makes a cameo in this video, so that was a nice surprise.

From the EP, Gee, I had two main hidden gems. Way To Go is very much the kind of inspiring, upbeat bubblegum that I love, and also feels very nostalgic. Dear Mom, as I expected, is more of a ballad, and reminds me a little of Chung Ha’s Goodnight My Princess, with a sweet, heartfelt message to the girls’ mothers that made me text mine and ask how she’s doing. (Love you, Mom!)

Genie (or in Korean, “Tell Me Your Wish”) is a song that I thought was released later into their careers, with the slightly more mature image it uses. While still very bubblegum, it’s more polished, with a 70’s / 80’s synth background that began SNSD’s long run of retro-inspired singles. This isn’t one of my favorites of theirs, probably because in the years since it’s come out so, so, so many more k-pop songs have used the same style and thus it doesn’t sound as unique as some of their other tracks. I do still like it though.

From the EP, Genie, I had a good time dancing to the electronic beats of Etude, and the hrd-hitting synths of Boyfriend. One Year Later is a collaboration between Jessica and Onew from SHINee, so I was drawn to it right away; it chooses an understated coffee-shop feel that eventually blossoms into a strong ballad that really suits the warmth of their voices, and serves as a great album closer.

Oh! goes back on the somewhat more mature image that Genie established, going for a cheerleader concept, but sticks with the retro pop, this time pulling from a much more 80’s video game synth. It’s very much emblematic of the era it’s from with the nearly cloying aegyo, but unlike with Gee, most of that is in the MV and less so in the song. I like this one too, more than Gee, but I don’t find myself repeating it that much; I think it needs more of a bridge.

Run Devil Run is the second single from this album, and was highly unusual for the time since “cutesy” girl groups did not do this kind of hard-hitting synth. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still very much a pop song, but today it would be considered “girl crush”, like TWICE’s later-career pivot with Fancy and I Can’t Stop Me. I was worried the first time I heard this one that it would have an anti-drop, but thankfully the vocalizing in the second half of the chorus assuaged my worries. I actually showed this song to a friend of mine who enjoyed it so much that she bought it! And now “you better run, run, run, run” is stuck in my head for the foreseeable future, which I suppose is my own fault, isn’t it?

From the repackage album, Run Devil Run, I had a lot to choose from as a hidden gem. I enjoyed the choppy hook of Echo, the runway-ready confidence in Show! Show! Show!, the full-speed-ahead chiptune in Stick Wit’ U, and of course Key from SHINee’s feature in the youthful Boys & Girls.

Hoot is next up, and besides Into The New World, is my favorite so far. For some reason, it’s not talked about much as one of SNSD’s best singles, which always boggles my mind, because it’s just so delightful. I mean, it’s a spoof of classic spy movies with a percussive 60’s retro beat and such good clothes! That vocalizing under the last chorus gets me singing along every time. I even had a poster of it on my wall in high school, and it was the first k-pop choreography that I learned (albeit, very badly; I looked like a dying chicken). My only gripe is that I have no idea why this song is called Hoot and not Shoot or Trouble, which both would’ve been better names, but I digress. From the EP, my hidden gem was the jazzy, ballroom dance inspired Snowy Wish.

The Boys, admittedly, is one of those songs that I appreciate more than I actually like. I respect that it’s a classic and an important moment for k-pop, but as one reviewer said, “it feels more like a spectacle than a song, but what a spectacle it is.” Though it’s very catchy and I do hum along whenever it comes up on my shuffle, I’ve just never been a fan of anti-drop choruses, and even when they’re done well (like here or in many BTS songs), I always find myself thinking how much more I would like the song if it was changed. It feels more like a 2NE1 song than an SNSD one, though they sell it pretty well and their vocals make it at least twice as enjoyable.

From the album, The Boys, I enjoyed the dancefloor beats of Telepathy, the interesting distortion and slowdowns in Trick, the roller disco of Vitamin, the classical flourishes in My J, and especially the jazzy super-spy influence in Top Secret, which was my hidden gem and feels like a natural successor to Hoot. I also enjoyed Mr. Taxi’s Korean version, but we’ll discuss that later.

I Got A Boy, like The Boys, is a song that I appreciate more than actually enjoy. Also like The Boys, it’s a song that popularized what’s now not uncommon in k-pop: the trend of songs that are a hodge-podge of genres and tempos, and admittedly, pulls it off. I’m not the biggest fan of the hip-hop segments, but the 1st chorus, the bridge, and the hook of “here comes trouble” are pretty great. I find myself caught off guard by the breakdown and switch up every time, even though I know it’s coming, which I know is the point, but it gives me a bit of whiplash, truth be told. This is more a me thing than an issue with the song, though, because it achieves exactly what it sets out to do.

From the album, though I liked both the choppiness of Talk Talk’s chorus and the guitar breakdown in Express 999, my hidden gem was absolutely the super catchy Dancing Queen. Though it’s named after the ABBA song, its very specific instrumental really reminds me of The Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour.

Mr. Mr. is one of those songs that arrives, like many of SNSD’s best tracks, with a “let’s go!” and wastes no time going into its excellent chorus. It pulls from bonafide disco, and feels like the best combination between a ballroom dance in its slower moments and a club hit in its faster ones. Its bridge and last chorus’ high note is, and I don’t say this lightly, perfection, and I can never resist replaying it at least once (or mouthing along). From the EP, my hidden gem was the pathos-driven Goodbye, though I’m sure it connected more with me since this was Jessica’s last release with SNSD, and I’m sad to hear her and her great vocals go. It’s hard to make a ballad engaging, but this is a catchy, somewhat bittersweet one, which is a personal weakness of mine.

We’re ending with Mr. Mr. for this week because as mentioned, Jessica didn’t renew her contract after the seven years were up, and thus this makes for a natural stopping point. Next time, we’ll be doing a boy group supplemental and part two of this Girls Generation deep dive. Tschüss!

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