Hello and welcome back for the tenth edition of “The Best of the Best”, a monthly look into the very best of anything to do with Girls’ Generation. As decided by your votes last month, this month’s “The Best of the Best” will focus on Girls’ Generation’s best music videos since debut, ranging from “Into the New World” in 2007 to the recently released “PAPARAZZI”. As usual, I’ve listed my five favorites in the category and the explanations why, and also included the music videos themselves for you to watch and enjoy. However, as with every month, I don’t expect anyone to be agreeing with me, so please let me know what would have been in your own top five in the comments! Finally, I’ve also created a poll for you to decide what I’ll be focusing on in the next edition of “The Best of the Best”. Be sure to vote, and I’ll see you in the next edition!
5. Genie (Japanese PV)
As one of the few “in a box with a green screen” music videos I enjoy, the PV for the Japanese version of “Genie” opens my list of the very best music videos by Girls’ Generation. Similar to the original Korean music video, the Japanese PV for “Genie” has little to no story behind it, but makes up for it by showing the members being absolutely beautiful in both group scenes and solo scenes. The music video begins with EXO’s Chanyeol, then a trainee, discovering and wiping a dusty lamp in an attic, causing Girls’ Generation to appear in a miniature circus tent. This is followed by several minutes of the members looking perfect: their hair is perfect, their makeup is perfect, their outfits are perfect, and the music video is shot at angles to make their perfect legs look as if they go on forever. In contrast to the sexy look in the group shots, the solo shots show a cute side to the members, as if to prove that they can indeed do it all. As Chanyeol rubs the lamp one last time at the end of the video, he finds himself as the luckiest man in the world at what appears to be a movie premiere, surrounded by Girls’ Generation dressed as the media, taking photos and asking for interviews. This gorgeous music video wins fifth place on my list.
4. Twinkle
Girls’ Generation – TTS’s music video for “Twinkle” was different from the others on this list in the sense that it served two purposes: in addition to promoting the very first title track from a Girls’ Generation subunit, “Twinkle” was also used to advertise the GiRL de Provence perfume line. However, despite the blatant product placement, “Twinkle” was both fun to watch and looked amazing. Featuring appearances from members of EXO, the music video followed Taeyeon, Tiffany, and Seohyun throughout several different rooms, from a lobby to a salon to a grand stage. The GiRL de Provence perfumes were seen in the salon scenes, while keen-eyed fans can also spot Taeyeon, Tiffany, and Seohyun’s “Run Devil Run” and “The Boys” posters as well. The three members stunned with their many elegant outfits and hairstyles, and six backup dancers, who also acted as their stylists and makeup artists, helped to fill a music video that was short six members of Girls’ Generation. Finally, the ending brings my favorite part of the music video as Taeyeon, dressed in yellow, and Tiffany, dressed in pink, walk down staircases to join Seohyun at the center of the Broadway-like stage for the final dance scene. Despite featuring only three of the members of Girls’ Generation, “Twinkle” is a fun and enjoyable music video that fits the theme of the track and wins fourth on my list of the best music videos by Girls’ Generation.
3. S.E.O.U.L.
Released in 2009 to promote tourism for the city of Seoul, the Seoul Song is a bright and cheerful track matched with an equally uplifting music video that featured Taeyeon, Jessica, Sunny, Sooyoung, and Seohyun, as well as Super Junior’s Leeteuk, Yesung, Shindong, Sungmin, Eunhyuk, Donghae, Siwon, Ryeowook, and Kyuhyun. The members of Girls’ Generation are seen throughout the video in different pairings, with Taeyeon attempting to ride a bike in order to keep up with Siwon, Jessica taking photos with Sungmin, Sunny leading children throughout the city as Shindong acts as a crossing guard, Sooyoung dancing opposite Donghae with the buildings of Seoul in the background, and Seohyun dressed in costume handing out heart shaped balloons as Kyuhyun tries to not scare her away. Lastly, the day in Seoul ends members of both groups gather to watch fireworks in the night. Though, unfortunately, it is unlikely to run into idol after attractive idol on the streets of Seoul, this beautiful music video successfully shows off the charms of a wonderful city, as well as those of Girls’ Generation, and wins third place on my countdown.
2. 힘내! (Way To Go)
Shot alongside “Gee” as the members prepared their hair and outfits and filmed the music video for their first runaway hit song, Girls’ Generation’s music video for “힘내!” (“Him Nae!”) takes the next spot on my list of the best music videos by Girls’ Generation. This video never fails to make me smile as the members can be seen enjoying themselves and being at their dorky best the entire time. My favorite parts include Jessica flipping Yoona’s hair, Taeyeon playing with the camera as a stylist combs her bangs, Sunny’s aggressive kiss, and Sooyoung hitting Hyoyeon in the head with a pillow. NGs for “Gee” are shown as well, with Taeyeon, Tiffany, and Yoona shyly smiling for the camera as filming stops and the members get ready for another try. Finally, Sooyoung, the TVXQ fangirl, can be seen performing the choreography for TVXQ’s “Mirotic” with Tiffany and Hyoyeon. Hilarious and full of energy, “힘내!” is second on my list of Girls’ Generation’s best music videos.
1. Into the New World
Though they have since released more than a dozen music videos, no Girls’ Generation music video in five years as a group has come close to their very first. From the very beginning, “Into the New World” shows that it is a different music video from the usual with the sound of a plane’s engine spinning in the background as a paper airplane flies through the air. The members of Girls’ Generation are first seen as silhouettes, performing the opening steps of one of their most difficult choreographies. The video then changes to show a series of different scenes, each with one or two members, giving time to the different stories shown in each. Instead of mostly showing the dance steps of the choreography, as seen in Girls’ Generation’s more recent music videos, “Into the New World” instead features Taeyeon and Sooyoung repairing a plane, Jessica and Sunny spraying graffiti on a wall, Tiffany painting a motorbike, Hyoyeon preparing for and dancing her solo on a staircase, Yuri as a barista, Yoona designing and creating an outfit, and Seohyun as a ballerina. As the stories conclude, Jessica and Sunny finish spray-painting “New World” onto a large wall, and Taeyeon takes off into the sky in a newly repaired plane as Sooyoung runs behind her in celebration, a beautiful and symbolic ending to the music video which marked the start of Girls’ Generation’s journey into a new world.
Sources: [email protected] 1, [email protected] 2, [email protected] 3, [email protected] 4, [email protected] 5
Written by: bhost909@soshified
Edited by: michaelroni@soshified
Have a news item that you think Soshified should know about? Leave us a tip or e-mail us at [email protected].
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/soshified for the latest on Girls’ Generation.
I agreed with ITNW, Way To Go, and Twinkle but I really thought Time Machine and The Boys were pretty great too. Those would be my top 5 ^^
Time machine because of its Storyline, which they revealed was the second time they had an actual storyline for their music videos. And The Boys, really was just incredibly close to flawless.
I remember reading/seeing it somewhere how the rose petals and the dove were all symbolic (i think their interview in NY or something)
And yeh, ITNW will always the be the first for every possible category xD It’s really just undeniable. Best debut song there ever was <3
1. INTW
2. Time Machine
3. Genie JP vers.
4. Paparazzi
5. Himnae
OT9’s videos FTW!
even though i love the MVs i only agree with Twinkle & Into The New World
i would definitely have The Boys in my top 5
the other MVs i really like are Echo, Gee (Japanese), & Genie (Korean)
hopefully best solo song or ost next :D
I really, really,really love Twinkle: in my opinion, musically speaking, it’s THE BEST work ever that SNSD did. Yet I’m not certaing enough if the music video for Twinkle would stand in a Top 5 list…no. I also agree with ITNW being the first in the list – much feelings is involved in this one. And although I think it’s really hard to actually list a Top 5 for mv’s, I trully think that mv’s like Gee, Oh!, Girls Generation, RDR and The Boys would probably deserve better a place in such list instead of Himnae! and S.E.O.U.L.
Thanks for putting this list together! When you look at the breadth of all SNSD MVs, it actually is quite hard to pick a top 5 I think. Arguments can be made for Gee (the cute mannequins playing around after hours) which is their most watched vid and The Boys (also their first full english song and international release) which could be considered their most sexy mv and attracted a lot of fans.
I fully back ITNW as #1. Perfectly captures the theme of the song and the image of this new rookie group back in ’07. Also just makes you fall in love with them and their hope and spirit.
With certain preferences and criteria, those music videos definitely would make a Top 5 Music Videos list! I definitely agree with your arguments, it’s just that there are certain things I enjoy seeing in a music video, and they didn’t appear in ‘The Boys’ at all. That said, it was a great music video, and I’m glad to see so many people would’ve included it in their own Top 5.
Thank you for reading and for sharing what you think!
I really thought that Gee should be in there. The first time they really show some fashion in that MV. Also it had some story-line. The Boys should have also been there… anyways I agree on Into The New World and Way to Go.
I agree with ITNW AND Himnae… It’s just that Baby baby should have been in the list. ^^
Into The New World is always the best. It’s the song that can encourage me whenever I have lost my energy to do anything. so it’s definitely my number 1!! ^^
As for the rest of the rank, I think Time Machine and Paparazzi should have a spot there.
I like the storyline in Time Machine and how each of the girls express their character. It’s nice to see another MV like that, not focusing on them dancing but the meaning of the song.
Just my opinion though.
Great job bhost909. Always look forward to the next episode. ^^
I definitely considered ‘Time Machine’ when coming up with this list, but decided that, with just what I saw in the music video itself, I couldn’t tell what the story lines were at all other than a “I’m depressed” sort of thing. The director of the music video did release his own explanation of the stories, which made sense with what was in the video, but I felt there was no way for a viewer to be able to interpret those for him or herself. If the stories were a little clearer, ‘Time Machine’ would’ve definitely made this list ^^
Thanks for reading and for the comment!
“ITNW” is EASILLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLY my number ONE pick as well.
Such a beautiful song and MV I almost cry every time I watch it.. and i’m an 18 going on 19 year old guy lol.
I LOVE “S.E.O.U.L” as well, and even though it only features a few members it’s still one of my favourite MV’s!
I dunno if I could pick the rest of my list, love them all!!
I’d probably put “Chocolate Love” in there somewhere though ;)
So many songs I wish had MV’s too! :(
<3
yeah iTNW give you some kind of feeling that exists deep in your heart
My 5 favourite Music Videos right now are:
1. Into The New World
2. Girls’ Generation
3. Him Nae
4. Twinkle
5. I AM OST
I don’t agree with “Twinkle” and “S.E.O.U.L” because only a few members are in it and c’mon,OT9 has a looot of MVs so I don’t think it’s necessary put these MV’s on the list…
But ITNW,Himnae and Genie Jap. Version are correct!
i understand the necessity to put ITNW at number 1. i would have done that as well. there is too many memories involved with that song, too many feelings, to not have it as number 1. but with regard to the rest…i am going to have to give you a big swing and a miss, i don’t agree with any of them. LOL! if i were to pick a genie video, it would have been the korean version. again, i feel the nastalgia, so i would never really pick a remake over the original. twinkle was good, but i am biased toward activities featuring the whole group, so i don’t prefer the subunit in my top five. again, seoul only features a subset of the girls. to me, way to go isn’t really a music video. there is some coordination on the girls parts, but it is a lot of BTS footage. these seem silly things, but things i notice. however, i won’t just bash your choices, HAHA!, i’ll give you my top three, so you at least have something of mine to bash as well. LOL! my top would be ITNW, we agree there. i would then have RDR. i love mature, sexy snsd much more than cutesy snsd, so RDR just hits the spot. and running along that same theme, and just the sheer epicness of the music video, at third i would have the boys. any further than that would require some research. i agree with you on most of this stuff, but not here…not here. :-)
I think what’s clear from reading all the comments is that everyone seems to value something different in their music videos. Personally, I look more for a story than a look (Him Nae and Genie were exceptions), and so I thought ‘S.E.O.U.L’ was an amazing video, even with only 5 of the members. I also felt that ‘Twinkle’, despite not really having a story, at least had them moving throughout some sets instead of with a green screen, a la ‘Run Devil Run’ and ‘The Boys’.
Anyway, everyone likes something different, which is what makes this column so fun to do! Thanks for reading and letting me know what you think!
Twinkle is a great song, but I don’t really like the MV :D
no for this time i dont agree,,
twinkle must be no one :D
I agree that INTW is first place. A dynamic mv with a great job of showcasing the individual members.
As for others, I think oh/rdr combo mv needed a space here. As the only mv to combine two songs it was fun and story driven which aided a nice second layer to the already fun songs.
Other than that I think this ranking is okay.
DAFUQ !!>>> ALL of these MV were my favorite !!>> Includingliy FANY FANY FANY FANY FANY FANY !~! I love FANY even though she have no make up !! >>> LOVE THEM MUCH !! xDD
Yay, Into the New World is #1! It definitely deserves that place ^^
I would also choose Into the New World to be #1, not only because it’s my favourite song, but because it is the song that has brought them to where they are today. To sum it all up, I say that overall the MV is just down right awesome :P I also love Himnae for the same reasons as you :D
I also choose Into the New World to be in the first place.I really love it ^^ Thanks for sharing and if I should choose from the fifth to the first are Gee,Run Devil Run,The Boys,Paparazzi,and the first one is Into the New World.I choose Into the New World to be in the first place because it is remind me with SNSD’s debut.It also amazing MV which the member was have different job and their also have problems with their job.I love how they resolve the problems. The song and the dance is also be one reason why I love the MV.Thanks again for sharing and the poll.I voted for The Best Collaboration.Want to see next episode soon ^_^
Girls’ Generation is the best of the best.
Completely agree with the first two. Himnae and Into the new world show the true SNSD personalities when they’re just having fun and enjoying themselves.
I knew Into the New World would be number one. It’s timeless and awesome :D!
I’ve always enjoyed “Into the New World” I come back to it once a week for sure and its also one, if not the best song they have ever had.
For Genie (Japanese PV) the link are for the dance version of the song and not the music video??
The correct music video would be http://youtu.be/fYP_3QEb5Yk
I always love “Into The New World” this song
Fist time I knew SNSD was their debut
This song really gave me many valuable memory of SNSD