“We’re here to discipline you!” Girls’ Generation, the textbook of K-Pop female idols, is coming back
It’s Girls’ Generation now, forever and ever. Girls’ Generation, the representative girl group of K-pop, will return as a complete group.
Girls’ Generation announced the release of a new album in August to commemorate the 15th anniversary of their debut. This will be their first album in five years since their sixth full-length album “Holiday Night” in August 2017. Their agency, SM Entertainment, said, “Girls’ Generation will release a new album and start the promotional activities for fans who have loved and supported them all this time. The group will also introduce a new reality program and look back on their past activities from their debut to the present.“
This album is meaningful in that it is a complete album with all eight members. After their sixth full-length album, Sooyoung, Tiffany, and Seohyun left SM Entertainment, while Taeyeon, Yoona, Yuri, Hyoyeon, and Sunny stayed, and each started their own solo career. Since then, the members have been active in dramas, movies, entertainment shows, and musicals as well as solo album activities. Not only fans but also the public are paying keen attention, as the members, who have been accumulating their solo filmographies, have decided to gather and engage in full-length activities as a whole group for the first time in a while.
Girls’ Generation, which debuted in August 2007 with the single “Into the New World,” is considered one of the representative girl groups representing the 2nd generation of K-Pop idols. From their debut songs, they have always received great love for every song they released, including “Into the New World,” “Kissing You,” “GEE,” “Tell Me Your Wish,” “Hoot,” “Run Devil Run,” “The Boys,” “Oh,” “I Got A Boy,” “Mr. Mr.,” “Party,” and “Lion Heart”. In addition, their unit TTS and solo activities are loved by the public as well.
Girls’ Generation is also encouraging in that they are a group that broke the prejudice of “girl groups have shorter vitality than boy groups.” The foundation was, above all, the strong friendship of the members. This is all the more so because it is definitely not easy to agree on the same opinion as the members’ agencies are different. After Jessica’s sudden withdrawal in 2014, the remaining eight are even more united. In 2017, the 10th anniversary of their debut, Sooyoung, Tiffany, and Seohyun did not renew their contracts with SM Entertainment, but their friendship remained unchanged. They still celebrated their 11th, 12th, and 15th anniversaries every year and maintained a close relationship by supporting each other’s film, musical, drama, and solo album activities.
Choi Soo-young, who is walking on the path of an actress, also expressed her gratitude for the Girls’ Generation members, who are always strong supporters by her side, in an interview at the end of one of her dramas. “It was hard for them, who had gone through the same thing and grown in the same era as me, but the way everyone grew up to be such ‘good adults’ without changing themselves excites me so much,” she said seriously. In addition, to mark their 14th anniversary last year, they appeared as a complete team on tvN’s “Yoo Quiz on the Block” and showed their unwavering friendship.
The public already can’t wait to see what hot summer songs and stages the long-awaited Girls’ Generation will show. Amid the recent boom of girl groups in the K-pop industry, the industry’s expectations are also rising that Girls’ Generation, who will make a comeback in August, will take over with their strong abilities and bring the hot female idol craze of K-pop to its peak. Starting with aespa and STAYC in 2019, 4th-generation girl groups such as IVE, NMIXX, LE SSERAFIM, and emerging girl groups such as ITZY and (G)I-DLE are expanding their influence. A K-pop insider said, “Recently, among prominent boy groups, girl groups are expanding the horizon of K-pop by capturing not only global fandom but also public popularity,” adding, “We expect Girls’ Generation, who have proven their overwhelming status and power, to dominate the summer music industry amid such an era.”
Another official said, “2nd-generation idols such as SHINee and 2PM are still outstanding, but girl group activities were relatively weak. In this regard, the return of Girls’ Generation as the representative of the 2nd-generation girl group themselves is very meaningful. It’s a pity that some girl groups has recently disbanded along with the ‘7-year jinx’, but it’s noteworthy whether Girls’ Generation’s unchanging initial passion and skills, alongside a solid fandom, can resonate with the K-pop market again.”
Source: Daum
