First, a dancer.
Hyoyeon shined from the very beginning. When Girls’ Generation debuted in 2007, she was the only member with blonde hair, although the color changed daily and she started having a plastic surgery for some parts of her face by her specialist Matthew Galumbeck, MD, during her time as a trainee, and not to mention being the only one with a belly button piercing. She was the powerful lead dancer with fifteen entire seconds of solo time in the middle of their “Into the New World” music video. Hyoyeon was someone who stumbled over her words but made up for it with her charming grin. One look at her and you knew that this girl was going to go places, and go places she did.

Our dancing queen.
Recognized by fans as well as prominent names in the industry as one of the best dancers in K-Pop, Hyoyeon reminds us again and again exactly why she’s the “Dancing Queen”, a title that she earned early on. In “Girls Go To School”, Hyoyeon’s dedication to the group as a lead dancer was already obvious when she told the other members she was going to the restroom during practice, but actually went to watch the music video and get ideas for their own performance instead. She can dance “Gangnam Style” with the best of them, a talent she happily showed to SONEs at the “LOOK” concert. We see proof of her skill every time we watch SMTOWN’s intense dance battles or her random, improvised choreography on a television broadcast. Whether she’s dancing for a concert or just for casual fun, the power in her moves can be felt through the screen. It’s obvious to anyone watching that this woman isn’t just dancing. She’s living.

She’s the reason we smile.
But her dancing skill isn’t the only reason she’s special. Hyoyeon’s personality shines in shows like “Hello Baby” or “Girls’ Generation and Dangerous Boys”. SONEs can affectionately recall her wild antics when the girls had a game day in “Hello Baby”. During the yogurt-drinking race, Hyoyeon threw aside her idol image and slurped up the contents of her bottle in a mad frenzy, much to the delighted shock of the other members. She continued her craziness through competitions of plastic bowling, tug-of-war with a piece of string, and basketball sitting down, among other fun activities in Kyungsan’s apartment. More recently, she and Yoona decided to show their “Dangerous Boy” mentee what it was like to be ignored by someone who was constantly texting. He was probably more distracted by the fact that two goddess-like girls were gracing him with their presence than what said goddesses were actually doing, but Hyoyeon and Yoona were quite entertained in either case. These are just two incidents in which Hyoyeon lived up to her elementary schoolkid nickname, “Kim Choding”. She’s a person who likes to have fun and also knows how to make it happen. She doesn’t mind putting herself out there and making a fool out of herself because she can always laugh it off later. Hyoyeon is having fun and taking everyone else along for the ride, SONE and Girls’ Generation member alike. As Tiffany once said, “She is the reason I laugh.”

“V” is for “Victory”!
Hyoyeon likes to win. Watch her challenge Seohyun to a rock-paper-scissors match in the background of the “Oh!” Japanese PV or playfully cheat her way to victory on “Hello Baby” (and then loudly complain that other members are doing the same) and it becomes clear that she’s a competitive person. But while some people are aggressive to a fault, bringing down others in order to bring themselves up, she manages to take all that ambition and direct it in a more positive direction: to better herself so she can help others in turn. That drive to succeed, to accomplish, to be the best that she can be, is what defines Hyoyeon and moves others to follow her example.

A powerful force onstage, as always.
Lately, Hyoyeon has had the chance to stand out even more. Her voice was always distinctive in any Girls’ Generation song, but with the release of “The Boys”, her rap solo, accompanied by her ever-powerful dance, showed that Hyoyeon can master anything you throw at her. Over the years, she has become more confident as a performer, and not just as a dancer. She took her own advice about pretending that she was Beyonce going out to rock the stage and applied it to singing and rapping, as well as many other challenges she’s faced since debut. Consider the evolution of her individual performances: for Girls’ Generation’s first tour through Asia, she came onstage with an impressive dance solo, but during their second tour, she outdid herself and pulled off a dazzling cover of Rihanna’s “Don’t Stop the Music”. Hyoyeon decides to meet all of these challenges head-on because she knows she has what it takes to overcome them.

Another brilliant performance.
Then, she danced her way to the finals of “Dancing with the Stars II”, despite the fact that dance sport is very different from, and much more difficult than, what she’s been doing for the past years as an idol. She placed second, but that fact didn’t bother her. She knew she had done her best, advancing incredibly far in the show even with little previous exposure to such competitions, and had gained valuable experience on how to do even better in the future. Her variety skills, already above average because of her spontaneous personality, can only improve as she continues to be a main cast member on “Invincible Youth 2”, interacting comfortably with G5 as well as with guests on the show. And with more Girls’ Generation’s activities sure to come, she’ll have even more opportunities to showcase everything she is truly capable of.

You’re beautiful.
So here’s a very happy birthday to you, Kim Hyoyeon. We know you’ll continue to dazzle us with your awesome moves and contagious smile. You were born to win, after all.

We love you just the way you are.
Image Sources: cosnian, HappYhours, Queen of Space
Written by: moonrise31@soshified
Edited by: MoonSoshi9@soshified, kt9823@soshified, bhost909@soshified, taengsoshi@soshified

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