With the ever increasing international popularity of K-Pop, Girls’ Generation has continued to accomplish many things, especially in the past year. Billboard discussed twenty of the top K-Pop moments in the past year, and out of the top twenty moments, Girls’ Generation was featured in six of them, showing their role as a representative and leader of Hallyu. With sights on the global market, Girls’ Generation’s presence and influence were clearly felt in the eyes of Billboard.
The digital EP for “Twinkle” was a huge success for the Girls’ Generation – TTS sub-unit, debuting at #126 on the Billboard 200, and as Billboard writes, “The feat becomes all the more impressive when you consider the set was released on a Saturday with no American promotion or even any tracks in the English language.” The “Twinkle” EP became the highest ranking ever for a Korean artist on the Billboard 200 chart, while also placing on various other Billboard charts.
K-Pop and Girls’ Generation have become widely popular in the Japanese market, and most recently, Girls’ Generation released their hit single, “PAPARAZZI”, earning the number one spot on Billboard’s Japan Hot 100 chart. Earlier in the past year, Girls’ Generation’s self-titled debut Japanese album, “Girls’ Generation”, won “Best Album of the Year” at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards Japan, edging out international superstars Lady Gaga and Coldplay, fellow Korean girl group KARA, and popular Japanese singer JUJU. Billboard also recently gave a special report on Girls’ Generation’s various accomplishments in Japan.
On May 21st, a major step was taken to spread the global popularity of K-Pop. MBC, Google, and YouTube came together to live broadcast a special concert to over 100,000 viewers online as well as having a live audience at the show. Billboard noted that although there were multiple performers and Girls’ Generation did not close the show, “online attendees may have spoken the loudest with the night’s highest viewership (115,000) during Girls’ Generation. Perhaps, appropriate though, as the girls do have the most-watched K-Pop videos of all-time on the site with the 82 million views.”
With the globalization of K-Pop, artists from all around the world wanted to work with Girls’ Generation. “Some of the Western World’s biggest names in the industry collaborated with some of K-Pop’s biggest names this year. Girls’ Generation saw EDM genius Steve Aoki remix their hit single ‘Mr. Taxi’ and hitmakers The Cataracs and Dev created a half-English, half-Japanese dubstep version of ‘Bad Girl’. Snoop Dogg also lent several bars for a remix of ‘The Boys’ which appeared on their Interscope-backed album of the same name.” With SM Entertainment, Nayutawave (Universal Music Group) in Japan, Interscope Records in the United States, and Polydor Records in France, Girls’ Generation continues to lead K-pop globalization.
To the international popularity of Girls’ Generation and K-Pop, the group appeared on popular shows in the United States and France to promote their comeback single from last year, “The Boys”. Billboard writes, “The girls took their impressive stage performance to ‘The Late Show with David Letterman’, ‘Live! With Kelly’, and France’s ‘Le Grand Journal’. The ninesome nailed each performance, making its fanbase (known as SONEs) proud. An English language album is said to be coming this year, which means that we could be seeing SNSD back on U.S. television screens in the near future.” Put in new environments and circumstances, Girls’ Generation performed spectacularly for each show, impressing resident SONEs and introducing themselves to new fans worldwide.
As K-Pop continues to gain global popularity, Girls’ Generation remains one of the leaders of Hallyu. With support from fans all around the world, the power of technology and social media, and well-earned respect of the international music industries, Girls’ Generation figures to be a major part in the K-Pop equation for years to come.
Source: Billboard.com, [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
Written by: kt9823@soshified
Edited by: MoonSoshi9@soshified
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OMG SOSHI JJANG~
OMG SOSHI HOW AMAZING YOU ARE!
PROUD TO BE SONE!!
SOSHI JJANG!
It’s totally amazing, but not unexpected, that they’re becoming a world-wide force and getting some real recognition by the trade press. Congratulations, ladies, for all of your hard work and accomplishments, with certainly much more to follow. I think the reasons that their Japanese debut album was so successful were mostly because they sang the songs in Japanese and equally important was the song selection. For the most part, they had very catchy material to work with (not counting the watered-down repackage album here, except for “Time Machine”) and the result was a very easy to listen to album. While I can’t speak to their Japanese pronunciation skills (no pun intended) or lyrical quality, the massive-hit results scream for themselves. I’d rather have them put together a serious collection of high quality songs, rather than the mish-mash of “The Boys” US debut, even if it means waiting a few months longer for the end result. Je-Ti are obviously the strongest English-speaking singers in the group so it would be wise to feature them as main vocalists for new, non-cover, songs. They could also help critique the others pronunciation skills during rehearsals (I gladly volunteer to be a tutor :D). Maybe they could even interlace a few meaningful Korean words and phrases in the songs as they do with English in the Korean ones. It would also be IceNine-cool if they’d give away free posters to purchasers of the CDs or include the photo sets/books like they do in the Korean releases. The whole concept of Nine incredible Angels in one group would be unique in the US market, so well-written well sung songs and imaginative MVs would seal the deal for them to be major league hit makers in the US! Either way, I’ll be waiting ImYoonApatiently for the album. Diligence and patience = dominance. And that means a headliner US tour of more than just the major cities, front row seats, baby!
It will be a huge move if they release a full english album. But if you want to take something, you have to give something. I mean, the girls have to work harder not only on their skill but also on their english. SMent has to work hard too. They have to plan it perfectly before launching it. The song from the songwriter that will be chosen, what the genre is, how they will promote it, etc. Well if you fail to plan then you are planning to fail. I am happy yet scared too because I don’t want the girls fail. So, I hope for the best if they will release it and definitely, I am going to buy the album. Haha..
Btw way to go SNSD.. 6 out of 20 are huge.. Haha..