Girls’ Generation was recently interviewed by Dispatch. The girls discussed their views on “I Got A Boy” as well as their identity as artists.
The nine girls have returned. They brought out “I Got A Boy”. However, the situation right now is “I got a problem”. There’s a bit of a problem; for starters, there are the disagreeing assessments on their new attempt.
Clearly, the girls have changed. They aren’t the Girls’ Generation we’ve known, but a “Brand New” Girls’ Generation. Like their lyrics, their “style changed from head to toe”. It’s the result of choosing a hybrid over a hook song, girls’ hip-hop over group dancing, and a kitsch look over a princess feel.
Like the lyrics, the fans are also asking them:
“Why did they do that? I’m dying of curiosity ♪”
And so we asked critics. We also asked songwriters. And lastly, we looked for answers from Girls’ Generation.
“Please tell me ♬”
# Before holding the interview, we got opinions on the title song from critics, songwriters, and other sources. And then we tossed the questions to Girls’ Generation instead.
① Is it a difficult attempt, or a new trend = The views on the title song are split in two. As of right now, the opinion that it is a difficult attempt is a bit more suprerior. On the other hand, there are other predictions that a new trend may set in. The views of experts are similar. While it’s true that it is fresh, seeming unfamiliar is inevitable.
☞ “There are a number of rhythms mixed diversely, so it seems difficult, and it could sound like it’s all over the place.” (renowed songwriter A)
Girls’ Generation (GG):
We were like that at first, too. The feeling of, ‘What is this?’ was strong. To be honest, that is why it was more reliable. This song is just as new as it sounds. It’s different from songs that you get sick of the more you listen to it. For instance, you listen to it from the perspective of ‘1’ at first. When you listen to it again, you focus on perspective ‘2’. (Tiffany)
Interestingly, the more you listen to it, the more fun elements there are. You can think of it as new elements being discovered one by one. Normally, when practicing, there are times when I get sick of the song first. However, I like this song more now than when we first got it. The elements you hear will be different depending on your mood that day. I’m confident [in it]. (Seohyun)
☞ “After a bright song, they attempted a hook song. After that was electronic. When you take the sound, there is nothing that compares to this attempt as well. But as it is a foreign song, there seems to be a problem emotionally. I think they were too conscious of the overseas market.” (popular songwriter B)
GG:
I think the interest in K-Pop is high. However, that doesn’t mean this song was aimed towards the overseas market. It’s just that the market has broadened because the world has become one musically. (Seohyun)
Don’t you think it’s a natural change? When we first debuted, we weren’t in our 20s. We wore Converse sneakers and sportswear. For our second album, we went with a college student feel, wearing a white t-shirt and jeans. This time is just the same. We attempted music that suits our age; we don’t think of overseas first. Everyday girl talks that suit our age. The same thing applies to our clothes and style. Rather than saying who the change is for, I think growth and being natural are the right reasons. (Tiffany, Seohyun)
☞ “I think the performance was attempted well, with variety. The clothes and hair also changed in a stylish manner. Just, when nitpicking at the music attempt alone, I think it’s going to be difficult to capture people. I think it’s a song where the video and performance together give off a big effect.” (celebrity source C)
GG:
There’s normally a well-organized path for music. Of course, this song doesn’t really match it. However, any complicated structures get organized into one through a stage performance. In one word, along with the fun of listening to it, it’s a song that’s also fun to watch. (Seohyun)
The dance was different from standard choreography. It wasn’t like a group dance. We even worried whether the nine of us could express it well. Dancing while thinking of the lyrics made a musical come to mind. It was exciting and thrilling seeing the members exchanging different actions and gestures with every performance. (Taeyeon, Yuri)
The lyrics itself are like a conversation. It’s natural for us to make various facial expressions as if we are acting. I think the members’ changes in facial expressions and acting, depending on the subject of the conversation, are a fun element. I think people will think of it as a musical-like stage where you can enjoy not just the music, but also the singing, choreography, and style all at once. (Yoona)
② Too much is as bad as too little vs The more the better? = Starting with the rap, verse 1, verse 2, solo, rap 2, and such get repeated. There isn’t a specific clear separation between the intro and refrain. It’s to the point where videos are emerging with the rap part edited out. This means that too much is not always good.
☞ “When they revealed the teaser video, my expectations were high. But when it was released, there were parts that made me cringe. It made me wonder if the rap part had to be there.” (popular songwriter B)
GG:
From the position of having to perform it ourselves, it’s not boring at all. It’s the same logic as knowing that we are one team regardless of how differently we do things. As time goes by, I can feel the teamwork that only Girls’ Generation has. People say the song is difficult, but when you watch the performance, you can feel one energy. (Hyoyeon)
We rapped. At first, it was menboong (translator’s note: mental breakdown) for us too. (laughs) It’s not a simple, repetitive hook song. It could sound difficult, but we think it’s better the more you listen to it. One week of broadcasts has ended now. When the second week is over, we think people will feel, ‘This song is really nice’ a lot. (Sooyoung, Yoona)
☞ “SM Entertainment is seeking an ‘anti trend’. It’s good to experiment. However, for fans who are used to hook songs, this could be inconvenient. You can’t tell which part is the main. You can’t hear the hook clearly. It could be exhausting for an individual to listen to.” (culture critic D)
GG:
Honestly, we have a fear of new attempts. However, that doesn’t mean we have an imperative idea that we have to be different from other girl groups. We just think, ‘shouldn’t we have to grow from our last album?’ If you show the same appearance, it’s familiar. And so the fans would probably like and be comfortable with it. However, what we want is to progress and grow. And so we have to make new attempts, and challenge things.
I wish we can become a group that attempts variety. At first, we’re afraid and worry until the album releases. We’re anxious. We also worry as to whether it will do well. But making a new attempt is another process for us. We want people to think, ‘This unfamiliar appearance is still [like] Girls’ Generation.’ (Yuri)
☞ “When it comes to presentation, I think there are a lot of difficult parts in particular. Because there are so many changes in the song, when it comes to the choreography, style, and video, it’s not going to be easy trying to take it all in. However, they changed maturely. I want to compliment them.” (renowned songwriter A)
GG:
Before filming the music video, we asked for more time on the choreography. It wasn’t something that would work from just memorizing the actions. We had to understand the general story. The song isn’t orderly. And so, for the person listening, we added in the musical-like parts. We practiced hard, and so it took longer. We think we’ve matured during this process. (Taeyeon)
③ Right now is Girls’ Generation? = They were Girls’ Generation until now. However, are they still Girls’ Generation currently? Also, will another hit song like ‘Gee’ or ‘Genie’ be born in the future? Music experts all agreed that, regardless of hit songs, ‘Girls’ Generation is Girls’ Generation’. They say [Girls’ Generation] is already in a different class.
☞ “In the past, whenever songwriters and singers had to hold down a concept, they looked for foreign singers first. However, that’s changed now. And so their attempt in general is new and fast. It feels like they’re keeping ahead.” (popular songwriter B)
GG:
We don’t compete with anyone else. If there is something that we pay attention to, it’s our own selves, ‘Girls’ Generation’. If we get first place, of course we’re happy. However, we don’t cling onto those things anymore. If we like our transformation, that’s it. Expressing the music, singing, choreography, and style properly, as we want to, in itself makes us happy. Isn’t it better that we’ve become more natural now? (Sooyoung)
☞ “If this type of genre comes about and becomes a hit, it will become a trend. Of course, the possibility of this would greatly depend on who it is that makes the attempt first. It’s a possible attempt because it’s Girls’ Generation.” (renowned songwriter A)
GG:
Opinions that our past performances are better are also valuable. However, growing and finding something new is the duty of Girls’ Generation. The Girls’ Generation that sang ‘Kissing You’ isn’t gone. Rather, we feel that we want to show more things to people. We hope people think, ‘This appearance, that appearance is all like Girls’ Generation’. The thing that’s changed is time. Not Girls’ Generation. (Taeyeon)
☞ “Not only music, but all art is like that. Something called variety exists. I consider Girls’ Generation showing off something new as progress.” (music critic E)
GG:
There is a burden that we have because we are Girls’ Generation. We get the feeling of, ‘what should we do if we don’t meet people’s expectations?’ However, we don’t obsess over wanting to always be trendy. Our only goal is to express an appearance that suits the song. The nine of us are always the same. It’s just that what we express on-stage is different. (Tiffany)
We’re happiest communicating with the audience. What greater thing would there be for a singer than that? We have a great feeling of wanting to show [performances] in person, wherever. Rather than wanting, ‘Let’s go to greater markets with this album’, we hope that the songs do just as well as the energy that we poured into it. (Sooyoung)
Source: Dispatch
Translated by: ch0sshi@soshified
Edited by: moonrise31@soshified, MoonSoshi9@soshified
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At first, after seeing the trailer for the IGAB MV. I was really anticipating and after hearing the melody of the song I admit I had a few doubts cause it was really different from what I previously heard from the girls. But after seeing the video and hearing the whole song, I wasn’t disappointed at all because it was fun and interesting seeing the girls try something new after a long time.
“This time is just the same. We attempted music that suits our age;” I strongly believe in this statement by tiffany and seohyun. I mean it’s good that they’re really experimenting with regards to their style of music and not just sticking to one style or genre [w/c in this case they were known for bubble gum pop kind of music.] This experiment is just giving justice to there growth not only individually and as a group but also w/ regards to their personal growth.
For my opinion, fans shouldn’t stick with what they first saw with the girls, but we as fans should stick by the girls side and support the whole group if ever they change their style [whatever style it maybe, may it be regards to their music or fashion statement]. Us fans should be open-minded with what ever the girls’ decision are w/ regards to style and all. I know that they will put highly in consideration the opinion of critics and fans but I have strong faith that G.Gen won’t make any wrong decisions that will affect their career anyway.
So Nyuh Shi Dae fighting.<3
What? Wait, am I the only one who thinks this song ain’t weird? I love it from the second that i heard it. We SONEs should love all the songs that our girls produced. I understand of course there would positive and negative responses, but its natural. Once a group tries out new things, it’s like this. Trust me, it ain’t the first time I see something like this, but we would learn to accept it. I admit, this song is different from usual SNSD songs, but I still love it. But it did really suit their age. Like when you’re young you’d believe there’s really a tooth fairy, but when you grow up you know it’s just a fairy tale sort of thing. We look at the positive and not negative comments, shall we? SNSD hwaiting!
Nope, not at all. At first I admit I had doubts, but after hearing the whole song I thought that the song was really meant for them. ^_^
I can totally understand the Korean fans issues wih this song and concept, as they have watched these girls grow up from young teens to beautiful ladies, in front of their very eyes on television and on stage. Like a parent, it is always difficult to watch your child grow up, mature and become their own person with thier own style and beliefs. But Korean fans have to face the fact that they no longer own Girls Generation. Though they are Korea’s true treasure; they are bigger than Korea. For all the controversy over the song and concept in Korea, the response from the American media has been nothing but positive and I think the international fans are for the most part onboard with it.
I was introduced to K-pop by the girls “The Boys” video less than two years ago. I have grown to love pretty much everything they do (SM..keep the auto tune away from these girls…or else!) I am an older Sone and spent most of the 80’s in the music business myself. I had the chance to share the stage with folks like Bon Jovi, Ratt and Motley Crue. I grew up listening to 70’s Motown and rock. What these girls have done so far has brought music back to life for me. The typical pop/commercial song structure is….intro/verse/chorus/verse/chorus/bridge/solo/chorus to the end. For radio airplay, songs typically need to be between 3:00 and 4:00 minutes long. This song is definitely outside that box. The tempo changes are definitely a throwback to 80’s rock music. 80’s rock was known for multiple tempo changes (See Iron Maiden’s “Ryhm of the Ancient Mariner”) The LA times called IGAB a “modern day Bohemien Rhapsody”….folks…this is very, very high praise.
Some negative response should be somewhat expected, as music fans never like their favorite artist to stray from what they were doing when they first liked them. It does not matter if it is GG, Metallica or Josh Groban…music fans do not like change in their music artist. This is unfortunate, as these girls are the most talented, hard working group of ladies I have ever seen in the music biz, and there is nothing they can not do. If you need a theme song for a movie, a love song for a TV show, a rock song, a pop song, a dance song….they can do it all to perfection. I say let them explore all their artistic talents and do not put them in a box. I have seen artist leave the music biz over this very issue. If SM told them that they had to only do songs that sound like Gee and Kissing You, it would not be long before there was no more GG. And that is just not an acceptable outcome.
Agreed. My experience is much like yours, in being an elder SONE from America, looking back with the knowledge of musical evolution from the ’60s forward to the present day. Most of the great musical acts with staying power went through changes. The fact that you and I are here, discussing this matter on a fan website, gives evidence of the power held by Girls’ Generation. The popularity of SNSD most reminds me of ABBA from the ’70s, with global appreciation and recognition. The fact that we are debating the merits of a single song is proof that we care deeply about the girls. I like your reference to parenthood, because I have often felt like the girls are family, we enjoy SNSD at our house as a family, my wife and kids are fans too. Having a musical act that appeals to such a wide range of fans is highly unusual. It’s very cool to see my three-year-old daughter get up and dance to “Mr. Taxi” or “Paparazzi.”
The fact that this article/interview was even published, the fact that there are so many lengthy replies (instead of the usual ‘love ’em’ comments), the fact that there is so much discussion about the song, is proof that SM and the Girls have been successful. They have created ‘buzz’ and that is always good. The worst thing they could have done would have been to produce yet another ‘cutesy’ hook filled album and then been ignored. No one can ignore this album. The commenter who said that asking people to watch/listen more than once is proof that this album was a bad idea is dead wrong. All new concepts require a learning period. For me personally, after listening to it once, I WANTED to listen to it again, because I realized there were so many layers to the song and I hadn’t caught all of them the first time. With this album, Girls’ Generation and SM made an emphatic statement that they are not going to be followers, that they will not be bound by convention, but that they will be bold and innovative. And Sones, you’d better fasten your seat-belts because this could be a wild ride!
I’ve said this before, but watching Music Core last night, every other girl group was trying to imitate an earlier version of GG, be it Genie, or RDR or Hoot or The Boys. In contrast, the Girls have moved on. They are far ahead once again. Being innovators isn’t always the most commercially successful path, but it is the path that will leave a lasting legacy. I applaud the Girls! When you create your next album in a year or so, shock and surprise me again.
IGAB really has everyone talking…many people like the song and other’s don’t. I personally think this song is a turning point in the girls careers. This is a new chapter in the girls lives. They are becoming global! IGAB has the attention of the American market…what more can you ask for! :) The girls are already well known in Asia and there’s only so much they can do in their native country, so of course they would want to expand their fan base to all over the world. They are older now too, so I’m not surprised that they came out with this type of song. They took a BIG risk and so far it’s paying off for the time being. It’s not your typical cookie cutter/bubble gum pop song. The song so left field and unexpected which is why I think people are having a hard time grasping it. The girls needed to change up their music and their style. I’m glad that their musical direction is evolving as well. Change is good! I always be a SONE. <3 I'm on board with whatever the girls do!
The problem is that Korean fans want their cake and want to eat it too.
They hype and take pride in Hallyu but forget that truly becoming “global” means shedding their “Korean” label and Korean centered focus.
Songs like Kisssing You, Gee, and Oh, while loved by Korean audiences simply will not work with many targeted global audiences, particularly outside of Asia. Songs like IGAB are much more palatable to global tastes, but even it falls short as a global offering.
The natural evolution of SNSD is to become a global group, not just a Korean group that happens to perform overseas from time-to-time.
Let SNSD grow and reach their destiny… don’t hold them back by rejecting everything that does not fall neatly into Korean tastes and expectations.
Someday seeing SNSD accepting a Grammy Award will be well worth the sacrifice.
First, I liked the song from the start. I’ve only seen the video once and the MuBank from this weekend, but I’ve listened to it a good number of times. Oh, and the rest of the album are solid – maybe 8 and 9 are a little beneath the rest, but whatever.
Over the past year I was mighty impressed by the choreography in their Japanese perf pieces, in particular Paparazzi. This song’s choreo, I think, carries along that through line – there is much movement, sort of a decentralized focus (during a split part, they even face at an angle to the audience) and high demands on precision. However, I usually feel that their Japanese releases occupy a different space in the minds of their fans – especially ROK fans – and so that may be why that through line is under-appreciated (I think it is, anyway).
I remember at least the FIESTAR song, that latest release of theirs from late 2012, also had a structure like a run-on sentence – watching the IGAB video for the first time, I thought “See? This is how you do a song like that.” In short, IGAB is well-executed, while the FIESTAR song feels disjointed (I know some people think IGAB is disjointed too, but I won’t argue that point). When Dancing Queen was revealed, I thought they went back to an older look just to prove they could still go there and make it look good. So I also thought of IGAB as GG picking up on a minor trend and saying “We can make this look good.”
I guess it’s not easy – that is, a without a certain level of experience of the world – to appreciate if you haven’t yet gone through similar things, but young adults are still in the process of going from the life of a child to the life of an adult – only the differences between the two phases are more immediate, more pressing. It’s like getting married too young – maybe you find someone you really like, and you two hit off your marriage on a great start, but after a while your human heart longs to understand more of the world but you don’t know how to deal with that because you never saw much of the world, of yourself, outside of the context of your marriage. Kudos to all y’all who are already on board with GG doing different things, but for those others, the Girls really do need to live out their lives – as performers, this means doing things that will spark their interest, trying out songs and concepts that stimulate the creative centers of their brains. And, if they keep at it, after some time of exploration, they will then have the ability to return to known territories, but with their breadth of experience, execute those familiar things even better.
People need sameness, they also need newness. We don’t really get to choose what stays the same and what doesn’t. You oughta enjoy both.
In closing, yes, without the fans, GG (or any performer) wouldn’t have their success, their fame, their careers. But if GG didn’t go up on that stage and do what they do in the first place, the fans wouldn’t have GG either.
“popular songwriter B” said everything that needs to be said.
I think this track will be popular in Korea (well, it IS popular in Korea) but will be more popular in the US and among foreign Kpop fans.
SM clearly took a page from Hyuna and is trying to replicate a similar type of sound and feel, which only makes sense when a SINGLE unhyped performer in Korea manages to get more hits this year on youtube than every other Korean artist from SM combined.
Does it work? Well yeah… I like it, proving that SM’s targeted formula works. On the other hand I really find the stuff they do for Japan like “Flower Power” maudlin and contrived. I am not the right audience. I also found the faux-pussycat-dolls-circa-2005 look and 1990 New Jack sound of “The Boys” incredibly stupid… but even then it was clear that SM was working from some sort of outdated formula of what they thought the “American Sound” sounded like. It seems that over the past year they’ve learned a lot and updated their “music bible” that SM have for each region for the US.
There’s no problem with any of that. American labels do that kind of stuff all the time. Jay Z and Bieber’s management actually conduct focus groups before new releases. The girls are versatile and SM’s job is to give them material to best highlight their talents. At the end of the day it’s about the music not any of the other stuff.
Every cultural observer knows implicitly that there’s an incredible amount of cultural bias and even bigotry in music. Heck in the US “white” radio stations didn’t even play “black music” until a generation ago (and black stations don’t play “white music” to this very day). Even MTV blacklisted African American artists until Michael Jackson broke the color barrier with Off the Wall, and MTV was seen as this cultural revolutionary medium… that, lol, didn’t play anything but white music.
Anyways “popular songwriter B” hit the nail on the head. I think rather than a pure release for Korea this was a sort of dry run of the formula for the American release. I get that a lot of Koreans don’t like this song… probably almost as many as who do. You can see how SM tried to “soften” it for the Koreans with the prologue of the girls being “sweet” as to show (don’t worry the girls haven’t changed they are still as accessible and demure as always) and with the framing device of the girls’ story about their boyfriends. But SM is trying something new, and honestly it’s musically daring… more daring than what other pop artists are doing around the world
I remember that when the music video first came out, I had thought that the song was so weird. I ended up watching the video over and over though, because the visuals were just that nice. Just when i started to get used to it, and thinking that I’d just put this song aside into some playlist that I’d never play on my iPod, the translations came out. I’m positive that this song is a brilliant work of genius, because once you know what everything means, the beauty of it just comes out to you. I truly appreciate the fact that Girls’ Generation tries time and again to show us a new concept, because we know that they’re trying their hardest to reciprocate the undying love their fans give. To create a genre that is completely unprecedented is extremely hard, but to pull it off is even harder. Even though there are plenty of fans who sound disgusted at this new song, I truly enjoyed it, and I love SNSD even more because of this. They’re willing to take a risk to show us a new them, and I love it. I just wish other people were willing to open their hearts to a little bit of change, and see this song beyond its seemingly strange exterior. But I’m sure the girls understand. After all, to be great is to be misunderstood.
everyone is entitled to their opinion…
but rather than get into some elbaorate
discussion that is sure to lead nowhere
but in an endless circle…all i will say is
as concise an argument as i can make…
the girls are maturing and so is their music…
the girls have reached the top of korean
music…so something has to give…they
have to be able to expand beyond the pinnacle
of korean music…there is one thing they
can do…maturate their music…which includes
expanding outside the typical korean pop
genre…as seohyun so perfectly put it…their
music isn’t changing just because they feel
like it…it is changing because they are changing…
their fanbase is changing…so while their may
be those fans too scared to step outside the
box of typical korean pop…there are those who
are not…including the girls…
Let’s not fight. The girls were my gateway into K-Pop. They changed my life. I buy all their stuff and went to see them in concert, twice, in 2012. I’m a HUGE fan. My only point is, by the nature of this discussion, it’s obvious this was a questionable move. I may be wrong, but I don’t think that it was the girl’s decision. The fact that SONE are debating, arguing and insulting each other like this in public is further evidence that someone needs to get bounced out of SM for this debacle. It hurts to read all the negativity surrounding this release, and I don’t blame you for being defensive. They have a global fan base, I’m part of it.
this is a controversial move…i agree…but one that will benefit the girls moving forward…that is where we will disagree…you can call the girls’ effort a debacle…i will call it a bold accomplishment…the fact that we are having these conversations over the broadening of soshi’s musical creativity does nothing but excite me…they are truly evolving before our eyes…the only negativity on my screen right now is coming from you…
Taking away the concept of “K-Pop Culture” and focusing only on “GG-Culture” and “singer/artist development”, a performer can’t present the same work constantly, as the audience can’t expect always the same, or expect what it “constantly works”.
SONE’s who “grew” and saw GG’s development these years have passed from the cute girly group, the sexy/fatale female band and the girl-wanting-to-show-maturity musical team. As SONE’s who have evolved with them, is also expected that GG would evolve constantly to show a rainbow of variety (and not the constantly-liked pink). It’s also expected these new GG-trend may attract new SONE’s who haven’t listened the girls before, the same happened with “the boys” with its more “western style” and how a lot of SONE’s (me included) felt like they (GG) wanted to “match” the “american criteria”, but as Seohyun said “…the world has become one musically”, that doesn’t mean that the world will like the same music style, whether it is american style, asian style, “marsian” style.
Yes this is a business, and yes any music group is supposed to sell as much music as possible, but that doesn’t mean they can’t provide a wider aspect of their vision of music as performers, unfortunately I haven’t been able to be on a GG concert (yet), but I’m 100% sure to know that if I were in a concert I would ALWAYS expect to listen GG’s songs instead of any cover, even if they sing GG songs I don’t like; I’m a SONE but that doesn’t mean that I have to love ALL 100% of their music, but still I would expect to listen any GG song than Taeyeon and Tiffany singing Lady Marmalade, or Sunny dancing to any Britney Spears song just to “match the market”.
Can’t fault people, even Sones, for not liking the song for the specific reason elaborated here. If pretty much all you’ve listened to lately is Kpop, with its one repetitive rhythm and hook, or western pop in general, chances are a song, like IGAB, with abrupt changes or which adds to and breaks away from that basic pop formula, will have you wigging out (much like Soshi during TaeNy’s rock solos xD). In contrast, many of us who have eclectic tastes or an eclectic background in music, including classical , jazz, etc. as well as rock/heavy metal, were probably able to appreciate this type of structured song more readily. “But this is pop! It’s not supposed to be so complicated!” one might say. Point taken. But I, for one, am glad they broke the cookie-cutter mold and are pushing the envelope, not only in Kpop but in all of pop, and in the process, showing the whole world how unique and special they are and yet can be. Which leads to another thing that I’m loving these ladies for right now: knowing they have nothing more to prove unlike their rookie days or right after Gee, they aren’t out seeking more glory for glory’s sake or looking to play it safe. They know who they are and what they want, respectful but irrespective of critics and even some in their fandom; and that exuding confidence and joy of theirs in their craft and what they’re trying to accomplish for the remainder of their career, are all that can be wished for by at least one who’s ever ready and willing to follow them into musica incognita ^^
I definitely agree with you. Especially how they know who they are, what they want, and have confidence in that. They also don’t perform music for the sake of getting first place. I like that they are taking risks and broadening their sense in music as they mature. You can tell they really want to after requesting more time to practice and really understand the song.
I had a problem with what the critics say but I won’t touch on that argument. I was probably a bit disappointed with their responses because I expected them to know more and analyze the song more but their responses sounded like what most people would say.
I’m ready to follow them into “musica incognito” =)
I just hope sones don’t get into arguments/fights over this concept since there are so many disagreements out there.
I loved this song the moment I heard it, and that was before I even considered the meaning behind the song. Now i love it even more and was really excited when I heard it on the radio in the chinese channels XD
I know that the girls absolutely don’t have to worry about the bad things that some people say sometimes. I sure will be a SONE forever and I will continue to support the girls in everything that they do. I absolutely can’t wait for the girls to make a huge splash in the United States later this year. And there’s absolutely, totally no doubt in my mind that everyone in the US will love these girls and enjoy singing and dancing along to their songs. I shall continue to patiently wait for the girls’ big return to America.
GIRLS’ GENERATION FIGHTING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
girls, dont worry! i love the song and i love that you went out of the box!
i will forever be a SONE and I cant wait for you to make it big here in the USA!
SNSD FIGHTING! :D
I think its a good thing that GG wants to try new things. I mean theres nothing wrong with coming out with the traditional hook song. Its only natural to want to explore new songs, try new things. It means that the girls want to grow as a group and that they want to express themselves differently with it. IGAB is a new song and its hard to get use to it at first. When I first listen to it, I didn’t get the vibe of I love this song but I had to listen to it more before I finally got the hang of it. It took listenly to it more before you finally feel the connection each different part brings to the song and now, I LOVE it.
I found IGAB a very good song and i think its good that the girls want to do new things rather keep repeating the same style over and over agian.
I shall always support them no matter what they do
jessica said nothing in this interview
I love IGAB, well I’m same as what everyone said…at first I don’t really like it but bcoz I like these girls so much.I force my self to listen to it again.. after that then I realize that this song is so much better and I like the feeling.. now I’m trying to memorize the lyric and I love this part ” I got a boy meotjin..I got a boy chaghan..I got a boy handsome boy and continue…” and part..ah~~ nae wangjanim”..wow..still lots to remember/ learn about that song…Love GG and love IGAB
It is so difficult to criticize someone you love. I’ve read comments from many who say you need to watch the MV a few times to understand and appreciate it. That comment on its face is proof that this was a bold, yet very bad idea for the girls to get involved with. The fact that they need to defend it is sad. Whoever at SM is responsible should be deeply ashamed for tainting our girl’s reputation with this horrible song. The girls did their best, brought their charm and great moves, but even all that wasn’t enough. One bad song won’t make me stop liking them. In a nutshell, it doesn’t work because that sort of dance/music is best performed by ugly, angry girls. SNSD is all about charming beautiful girls doing catchy, upbeat and generally happy stuff. Please, stick to what made you girls the premier K-Pop girl group. Leave the ugly stuff to somebody else.
you are a very small person…
I Got A Boy is a title song, that requires patience. Upon your first time listening to the song, it may not appeal due to it’s different layout, but after a few times of repeating it. It slowly captures you. It’s truly a uniquely amazing song. But some of the above comments were quite harsh, I’m proud of our girls for responding with such maturity. With their fixed confidence, I as a Sone will also carry that confidence in supporting our girls.
When I saw the teaser I had a lot of expectations for the song.
When it came out my first impression wasn’t that good, I thought that it was all over the place.
But after listening to it a couple more times it started to grow on me.
The more I listen the more i realize that every part and every transition of the song is essential and that it makes the song a better song.
And I do have to agree that this song appeals more visually.
But still anything Girls’ Generation is always great.
Proud SONE here
after reading this article, my first impression is… “So, I was right all a long?”
when I first listen to IGAB (not the teaser), i have the impression that this is what in most girls’ minds, what most girls did when they had conversations with other girls (means: a lot of things happened, and a lot of distracted topics too…well that’s how me and my friends at least LoL) wrapped up in musical-like feeling on 5 minutes long.. honestly, this song’s genre is not a genre that you can’t listen easily, I’m not even sure if this song can be categorized in only one genre as there’s hip hop, pop, and rock feeling in it, maybe even more..
However I was captivated by the dance like REALLY IMPRESSED.. i don’t even care about the song anymore, I just wanna see them to perform this song LIVE! this is a performance music, not a radio music (as i’m not sure if i’ll like this song if it only a music, without the girls performed it on stage..sure there’s a part that i like on IGAB, but again, the whole song isn’t easy to listen for me)
and then the lyric translation out.. I was “wow, i was right” this is a girls’ talk after all..and then this article’s out…again “wow, the musical part was right too” Yay Me!! And the girls are right again… that your mind was blown away the first time you heard IGAB, not quite the good blown away though (at least for me)..but strangely, i don’t even mind its uneasy sound when I’m watching the girls performed IGAB. I had fun watching them perform IGAB…strange isn’t it?
As expected even their answers is meaningful and just simply wow. They are Girls’ Generation. Proud to be a Sone.
I’ve heard that a lot of fans are uneasy about this song. My first impression was that it was really different from what they’ve done before, but I love the song. Even if I didn’t like it, I wouldn’t complain about it because that just causes problems for Soshi. It’s one thing to receive constructive criticism and have considerate opinions, but to hear things like the fact that people have edited out the rap would hurt my heart if I were them. If Soshi is confident, then I’m confident; and if they’re happy, then I am, too. Soshi~~<3
i feel so ttouched rreading tthis arrticle and their answerss knowing that it aint sonme standarrd answers/ gg watever change, i’ll be waiting.