Girls’ Generation are back. The news of their return as a whole group comes five long years after the popular K-pop group announced a hiatus in 2015.
Girls’ Generation is also known as SNSD. They debuted as nine members during the era when boy bands dominated the K-pop industry in 2007. Nonetheless, the group brought all the attention and soon became to be one of the biggest and most popular K-pop band at the time.
Their national and international success has been proven by their outstanding combined net worth of $100 million. Even after five years, SONE – Girls’ Generation fanbase name – have been rooting for the return of their promised reunion. It’s finally here.
HITC dives into their beginnings and individual successes, as they are named “The Nation’s Girl Group”.
The creation of SNSD
Nine girls and a mission in mind to pave the way for female K-pop idols. A whole new generation of singers, the group consisted of Taeyeon, Yuri, Hyoyeon, Sunny, Yoona, Tiffany, Sooyoung, Seohyun, and Jessica.
They debuted in 2007 after training for a total of five years. The majority of the group were all between the ages of 19, though some were as young as 17.
SNSD debuted with their song Into The New World. This was the ideal title song as the nine girls were embarking on a new journey. Girls’ Generation earned great success as the second generation of idols.
Their success as a girl group was praised by fans since its agency was mainly dominated by boybands at the time.
The Nation’s Girl Group
The success of the group did not take long. They stole the hearts of many fans and their songs were topping the charts. Without a doubt, they re-defined the world of K-pop. They also brought a new type of genre to an international audience as a group and sub-units.
Due to its immense success, both in its own country and in the rest of the world, South Korea labeled the girl group The Nation’s Girl Group. During their eight years in the K-pop music industry, the girls became the best-selling group in Asia. They have sold more than 97 million albums.
Between the years of 2011 to their hiatus, the nation’s girl group sold more albums that any other female K-pop group, surpassing the likes of popular YG Entertainment group 2EN1.
Jessica’s departure, group hiatus and successful solo careers
Seven years after their debut, one of the most popular members of the group, Jessica Jung, announced her departure from the group.
It reportedly came down to a conflict between the group’s schedule and running her business outside of her role as a singer. Nonetheless, they carried on as an eight-member group.
In 2017, SM Entertainment announced the singers would be temporarily put on a hiatus. Three of its members, Seohyun, Tiffany, and Sooyoung wanted to focus on their individual projects.
Their label clarified the group was not disbanding, and promised they would be reuniting in the near future.
Some went on to pursue acting careers by appearing in popular K-dramas and others continued to release music on their own. No competition amongst them, each girl made their individual achievements, and rooted for each other’s projects.
Tiffany, the fluent English-speaking member, is the only member of SNSD to have gone on a North American tour outside of the group’s overseas activities.
Towards the end of 2021, SM Entertainment announced the creation of a new girl group called Girls on Top (GOT). This was formed by several members of popular K-pop groups within the same company. Two of the members of Girls’ Generation, Taeyeon and Hyoyeon were chosen for the group.
GOt was also formed by Aespa‘s Karina and Winter, Red Velvet‘s Seulgi and Wendy and BoA.
The return of SNSD
As of today, Yoona, Taeyeon, Yuri, Sunny, and Hyoyeon are the only members of the group who have remained in SM Entertainment, while the rest parted ways with the agency label for others that matched their set of goals.
Tiffany, Sooyoung, and Seohyun left with the condition that the Girls’ Generation would not disband amid their departures.
After occasional hints from the members, Girls’ Generation confirmed their comeback with its eight members. This excludes Jessica Jung.
To celebrate their 15-year anniversary, Taeyeon, Yuri, Hyoyeon, Sunny, Yoona, Tiffany, Sooyoung, and Seohyun will return after five years with their album titled Forever 1.
SONE will finally reunite with their favourite group. The countdown to the release of their seventh album, which will be released on August 8, 2022, starts now.
In other news, Girls’ Generation now: Solo careers, comeback, and paving a new K-Pop direction