Girls’ Generation and their irrefutable impact on Kpop

With their 2009 track Gee dubbed “Best Korean Pop Songs Of All T¹ime”. Girls’ Generation (SNSD – abbreviation of their Korean name) did not just set the tone for K-pop’s identity. They built a framework that would define the genre’s evolution for years to come.

Brief History of K-pop

Korean Pop, more widely known as K-pop is an umbrella term of music genres originating from South Korea. It primarily builds its foundations based on pop music that is blended with R&B, hip-hop electronic and more genres. Whilst its origins are debatable most recognise the birth of modern K-pop beginning in 1996, with the debut of boy group H.O.T² formed under SM Entertainment. The same company that would go on to debut Girls’ Generation, a group that would go on to redefine what being a K-pop artists is, particularly for girl groups. 

The formation of H.O.T introduced a new system of music creation and artist development to the Korean industry, the trainee system. Pioneered by SM Entertainment founder Lee Sooman, this trainee system was created to take talented hopefuls or those with potential from as young as ten and prepare them to be qualified to debut within the industry.

The system takes inspiration from the Motown Records³ method of scouting. Where SM created a controlled environment that would put individuals and groups through weekly or monthly evaluations to track their progress and team compatibility in skills of vocal, dance or rap. These evaluations typically span from months over into a decade until trainees are deemed ready. This system became a k-pop industry standard, and Girls’ Generation emerged as one of its most successful and polished acts.

First Gen Girl Groups:

K-pop now in its fifth generation has seen a great shift. It has evolved from its first steps of existence particularly for girl groups, who were introduced into the industry by three-member group S.E.S⁴ under SM Entertainment in 1997.

Their debut influenced and placed a demand towards new groups to compete with them. Which saw the birth of girl groups Fin.K.L⁵, Jewelry⁶, Baby Vox, and solo label mate BoA who all came out months aftet to three years after their debut. The industry of the first gen followed very closely that of the Western and Japanese girl group template of coordinated outfits, harmonised vocals, simple and repetitive dance moves and conventionally beauty ideals that fit South Korean standards. These groups often comprised of 3-4 members and were often marketed into archetypes of “cute innocent sisters” or the “girlfriend” to compete against the “boyfriend”, or “oppa (older brother)” tropes boy groups had.

However, all of that changed in 2007 with the debut of Girls’ Generation.

Who Are Girls’ Generation?

Debuting on 5th August 2007, under SM entertainment the nine members Taeyeon, Jessica, Sunny, Tiffany, Yuri, Hyoyeon, Sooyoung, Yoona and Seohyun, Girls’ Generation⁷ would go on to become one of the most successful and pioneering groups in k-pop. SNSD arrived with their debut single Into the New World and as their name states created a generation that empowered girl groups. Their debut came about right in the middle of the second generation, marking an evolutionary growth in how girl groups were constructed, marketed, and perceived by the industry. That all started from their debut which emphasised themes of growth, unity, struggle, and self-empowerment as they head into a new chapter of their lives, standing apart from earlier girl groups whowere defined by a singular, simplistic concept. 

Don’t wait for a special miracle. There’s a rough road in front of us
With unknowable future and obstacles, I won’t change. I can’t give up.
Into The New World translated lyrics

This innovated the marketing system that was used towards k-pop girl groups. By bringing about changes of what was brand identity, role dynamics, and strategic marketing, all of which has become foundational for k-pop acts.

Branding & 9-member dynamics:

Unlike their predecessor, who had sole identity tied to the image and concept given to the group all the members of Girls’ Generation would have their own identity and distinct public personas. To fully immerse in this system all the girls were given catchy, descriptive, or cute nicknames such as “Ice Princess Jessica” “Black Pearl Yuri” “Kid Leader Taeyeon” and personalised promotion content that fit their roles and personalities best. Although one of the few aspects, the nicknames became important as they would become topics people would use to help new fans identify the group members and helped to make fans feel closer or understanding of the personalities the girls had.

Aiding the marketing strategy further, SM Entertainment introduced the now standard roles of “visual (prettiest member),” “face of the group (fotg (most popular)),” and “centre (front person of the group),” by utilising member Yoona on multiple platforms.

Yoona was seen everywhere from dramas, advertising, reality shows, movies and more.⁹ Which helped expose herself and the group to a mainstream audience of all ages and piqued the interest beyond music fans. The company did not just stop there. It also used its main vocalists Taeyeon and Jessica who could be found on original soundtracks of tv dramas, movies, and theme songs. Then further went to push their best dancers Hyoyeon and Yuri to participate in dance shows or variety shows where they would display their skills. This strategy allowed each member to expand reach to a diverse group of audiences whilst always representing Girls’ Generation as a whole. Accelerating the interest and knowledge of the individuals and the group that is Girls’ Generation.

The success of this multi-channel and multi-role method of promotion which deviated from the old marketing system created a new industry standard framework. One that is most identifiable by member profiles, which can be viewed as mini presentations that introduce members to the public, aiding in the familiarisation of the group. These profiles always now attach specific skill sets from dance, vocal, rap and to the SNSD introduced positions visual, centre or fotg. Which dictate what paths of digital marketing they would be under. For example, Jisoo¹⁰ (BLACKPINK), Jiyeon¹¹ (T-ara), and Krystal¹² (f(x)) followed the Yoona model by expanding into acting. Whilst others like Wonyoung¹³ (IVE) and Karina¹⁴ (Aespa) approach the same mode through advertisement. With these mentioned women and groups in particular all playing a part in aiding the growth and impact of k-pop as well, truly emphasising the importance of the blueprint laid out by Girls’ Generation has become.

Strategic Marketing:

Their rise of popularity was not solely driven by their innovative promotional strategy. The group redefined what it meant to be a girl group by embracing their version of femininity, national identity, and concept versatility.

This marked a shift from the girl groups that came before them who stuck by a singular concept throughout their careers. For example, S.E.S were positioned as the cute innocent sisters, Fink.L’s image was one that was slightly mature as “cool girls” whilst Baby Vox was placed in a sexier & seductive concept.

Girls’ Generation took a different route. The group encompassed different concepts and music whilst keeping a solid identity, with an eighteen year run the groups lead tracks would all vary from one another. From dreamy mid-temp hope “Into the new World” (which became an anthem for social movements¹⁵), to the bubble-gum first love pop tracks “Gee” and “Oh!”. Then to Europop with “Genie”, electropop with “Mr. Mr.”, hip hop inspired “You Think”, and the genre-blended I Got a Boy which is often referred to as K-pop’s Bohemian Rhapsody¹⁶.

By alternating between different genres and concepts, whilst maintaining its core of united vocals, easy to digest choreography and trendy but unique outfits, Girls’ Generation established a flexible template for future girl groups. A template that did not rely on groups being locked into one of two archetypes “cute” or “sexy” but one that evolved with the artist, time and the fanbases needs.

However, SNSD’s most significant impact is how they helped shift K-pop from a South Korean phenomenon into a global industry force. Creating a new cross-marketing blueprint, Girls’ Generation took an endeavour and stepped into Japan, the second largest music industry in the world. Their 2011 debut in Japan saw them release new Japanese tracks and re-record their most popular songs into Japanese. This was met with great success as their first album made them the first Korean girl group to debut on top of the weekly chart¹⁷ of Japan’s version of Billboard, Oricon Chart. With the very same album later becoming the first Korean girl group and second Korean act to sell over a million album¹⁸s. This success continued into their tour sales in the country, where their third Japan tour “Love & Peace” made just under US$32million ranking them as the fourth best-selling tour¹⁹ of any girl group in 2017. With the group also taking 5/10 of the spots. Highlighting the groups commercial success in South Korea was viable outside of Korea, in a way only a few earlier K-pop acts had done.

Is SNSD’s Legacy Overstated?

However, some argue that SNSD’s legacy is overstated, pointing to the successes of groups like Blackpink, Twice and Newjeans as evidence that SNSD’s legacy was domestic. To a point there is truth to this, the industry is more globalised due to the improvement of digital world thus making it easier for exposure. However, what cannot be ignored is that SNSD created foundations for these groups to grow on.

For example, Gee released in 2009 would go on to become the first music video by a K-pop girl group to surpass 100million views on YouTube²⁰, becoming the third track to do so (following Gangnam Style and its gender shift Oppa is my style”). Not only did the song catapult the group to stardom²¹ it saw them become the first girl group to achieve multiple Grand Prize; Artist of the Year and Song of the Year at top South Korean music awards Melon Music Awards. A feat that was only matched 14years later by Newjeans. The following year Girls’ Generation went to become the only girl group in Golden Disk Awards (another highly respect award show) history to win the Disk Daesang²²,  the grandest honour award possible with, their Oh! comeback.

The group was also the first K-pop act to perform on two major US talk shows²³ (The Late Show with David Letterman and Live! With Kelly) at a time where genre was not as mainstream globally. In doing so they opened up a new sphere for following artists to promote themselves globally. As they had exposed K-pop to a new community, and its audiences helping open up the door for those who followed after them.

Such accomplishments helped grow an image of what the identity of K-pop could be, where artists were not only domestically popular but rather a brand with potential for international reach. Overall, it would be simplistic and unfair to other artists and their efforts to simply put the global growth of K-pop solely on one artist, the groundwork they set up for following generation cannot be overlooked. Newer groups can be recognised for reaching farther than previous groups, but they could only travel because the road was built.

Girls’ Generation didn’t just step into a new world; they helped create it. They built a model of what a modern K-pop girl group could be. Their efforts and influence are visible from marketing strategies, member branding, global tours to cross-media content. SNSD’s contribution to K-pop is neither overstated nor replaceable.

1. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-korean-pop-songs-1234727955/candy-h-o-t-1234728152/#:~:text=AD-,1,Girls%E2%80%99%20Generation,-%2C%20%E2%80%98Gee%E2%80%99 ↩︎
2. Hot profile https://kpopping.com/profiles/group/H-O-T ↩︎
3. Saint Virgil https://blacknoisewav.substack.com/p/motown-walked-so-k-pop-could-run#:~:text=Since%20the%20very%20inception%20of,%2C%20artist%20training%2C%20and%20marketing. ↩︎
4. S.E.S profile https://kpopping.com/profiles/group/S-E-S ↩︎
5. FIN.K.L profile https://kpopping.com/profiles/group/Fin-K-L ↩︎
6. Jewelry profile https://kpopping.com/profiles/group/Jewelry ↩︎
7. Girls’ Generation profile https://kpopping.com/profiles/group/Girls-Generation ↩︎
8. Into the new World translated lyrics via https://colorcodedlyrics.com/2011/11/29/girls_generation_-_into_the_new_world/ ↩︎
9. Im Yoonah IMDb credits https://www.imdb.com/search/title/?role=nm4226964 ↩︎
10. Kim Jisoo IMDb credits https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3255458/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_0_nm_8_in_0_q_kim%2520jisoo ↩︎
11. Park Jiyeon IMDb credits https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4875362/?ref_=hm_rvi_i_1 ↩︎
12. Krystal Jung IMDb credits https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3472327/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_0_nm_8_in_0_q_krystal%2520jung ↩︎
13. Wonyoung advertisment list https://www.allkpop.com/article/2024/12/top-k-pop-idols-who-filmed-the-most-ads-in-2024#:~:text=AD-,Jang%20Won%20Young,-AD ↩︎
14. Karina advertisment list https://www.allkpop.com/article/2024/12/top-k-pop-idols-who-filmed-the-most-ads-in-2024#:~:text=Maxim%20Supreme%20Gold-,Karina,-AD ↩︎
15. The first point in the article https://www.bandwagon.asia/articles/9-ways-girls-generation-re-defined-k-pop-since-into-the-new-world-13-years-with-snsd-sm-entertainment?utm_source=chatgpt.com ↩︎
16. Songs that defined the decade: Girls Generation’s I Got A Boy https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/girls-generation-i-got-a-boy-songs-that-defined-the-decade-8543901/ ↩︎
17. Girls’ Generation Take Japan by Storm with New Album https://www.chosun.com/english/kpop-culture-en/2011/07/13/463RYS227KXOMJ6QPEKISAEJ2E/#:~:text=new%20record%20as%20the%20first%20Korean%20girl%20group%20to%20top%20the%20Oricon%20Weekly%20Album%20Chart%2C%20which%20they%20did%20in%20the%20first%20week%20of%20the%20album%27s%20release. ↩︎
18. Girls Geneation sales 1million albums https://www.soompi.com/article/396957wpp/girls-generation-becomes-first-korean-girl-group-to-become-million-seller-in-japan ↩︎
19. US$31.6Million sales https://www.koreaboo.com/news/girls-generation-top-worldwide-girl-group-concert-sales/#:~:text=4.%20Girls%E2%80%99%20Generation%20%E2%80%93%20Love%20%26%20Peace%20Japan%203rd%20Tour%20%E2%80%93%20%2431.6%20million ↩︎
20. Gee achieves 100million views https://www.soompi.com/article/486186wpp/girls-generations-gee-mv-surpasses-100-million-views-on-youtube?utm_source=chatgpt.com ↩︎
21. Gee catapults group https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/girls-generation-gee-10th-anniversary-legacy-8492312/#:~:text=At%20the%20time%2C%20Girls%E2%80%99%20Generation%20was%20one%20of%20SM%20Entertainment%E2%80%99s%20rising%20acts%20and%20had%20seen%20relative%20success%20with%20singles%20previously%2C%20but%20%E2%80%9CGee%E2%80%9D%20changed%20everything.%20Almost%20overnight%2C%20Girls%E2%80%99%20Generation%20became%20the%20%E2%80%9Cnation%E2%80%99s%20girl%20group%E2%80%9D%20of%20South%20Korea. ↩︎
22. 4th point of article https://www.bandwagon.asia/articles/9-ways-girls-generation-re-defined-k-pop-since-into-the-new-world-13-years-with-snsd-sm-entertainment?utm_source=chatgpt.com ↩︎
23. Late Show with David Letterman and LIVE! With Kelly appearances https://www.mochimag.com/entertainment/girls-generation-takes-over-american-talk-shows/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CLate%20Show%20with%20David%20Letterman%E2%80%9D%20on%201/31%20and%20%E2%80%9CLIVE!%20with%20Kelly%20%E2%80%9Con%202/1. ↩︎