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Girls' Generation

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Girls' Generation, called Sonyeo Sidae in Korea and also known as SNSD, is a South Korean girl group formed by SM Entertainment. The name means Generation of Girls. The group has eight members: Taeyeon, Sunny, Tiffany, Hyoyeon, Yuri, Sooyoung, Yoona and Seohyun. Originally there were nine, until Jessica left. Girls' Generation debuted on 5 August 2007 with the single Into the New World from the Korean album of the same name.

Music and breakthrough

In 2009 the group broke through with Gee, which stood at number one on KBS's Music Bank for nine weeks in a row, a record, and was the most popular song of the 2000s on Melon. In 2011 the group entered the Japanese market with a Japanese album of the same name, which, according to the RIAJ, became the first album by a non-Japanese girl group to sell a million copies. The third Korean album, The Boys (2011), was the best-selling album in South Korea that year. Other releases include Oh! in 2010, I GOT A BOY in 2013 and Holiday Night in 2017.

Influence

The group's characteristic styles are electropop and bubblegum pop, but the sound varied widely, taking in hip hop, R&B and EDM. In 2017 Billboard named them the Top K-pop Girl Group of the Past Decade. Girls' Generation belongs to the wave that made K-pop known outside Asia, with smooth production, sharply choreographed dance and several singers who each have a role of their own.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Gee and notice the short, constantly repeated phrases and the playful, electronic sound. Who sings which part, and how do the voices take turns?

Discography

Studio albums

See also

Categories: ArtistsK-pop