Jigeumeun So Nyuh Shi Dae!

Appurodo So Nyuh Shi Dae!

Yongwoni So Nyuh Shi Dae!

So Nyuh Shi Dae saranghae!

(Translation: Right now it’s Girls’ Generation! Tomorrow it’s Girls’ Generation! Forever it’s Girls’ Generation! I love you Girls’ Generation!)

Girls’ Generation, also known as SNSD which is the abbreviation for their Korean name So Nyeo Shi Dae, is a female K-Pop group. The group debuted on August 5, 2007, under SM Entertainment with 9 members: Taeyeon, Sunny, Hyoyeon, Yuri, Yoona, Tiffany, Jessica Sooyoung, and Seohyun. The last four girls on the list are no longer with the group. Girls’ Generation is Korea’s “Nation’s Girl Group” due to their popularity making them the #1 girl group.

How I Came to Love Them

One day during the summer before 7^th grade, I was on YouTube listening to music. I was a huge J-Pop (Japanese pop) fan, but then that day I found out that J-Pop was removed from YouTube due to copyright issues. I was extremely upset, but then I remembered someone telling me about K-Pop, so I decided to check it out to see what it is.

The first video I saw was 2NE1’s “I am the Best,” but I didn’t like it, so I clicked on another video, “I GOT A BOY” by Girls’ Generation. I instantly fell in love. I loved their amazing vocals and complex choreographies that made me tired after watching them. I decided to listen to another one which was “Catch Me If You Can.” This song led me to following the group, and I started to listen to other songs they released.

The next step was to match the members’ names and faces with each other. It was very difficult for me at the start, since their names were in a language I was unfamiliar with. It took me nine months to identify each member from the top of my head. But over time, I was able match the members’ name to their faces and their position in the group. I could tell their voices apart and other information about them.

I learned that not all members can hit high notes and dance, but each member has her own talents that makes her special. For example, Sooyoung has a good sense of humor, Hyoyeon has dance and rap skills, and Taeyeon has amazing vocals that can hit high notes one after another.

Fandom

Their fandom of Girls’ Generation is called SONE, which comes from the Korean word SOWON, which means “Wish.” I started to identify myself as a SONE. Our job is to support and love the girls no matter what happens. We even choose a favorite member from the group, which is called a bias. My bias in the group is Choi Sooyoung. She became my favorite member when I saw her in “Catch Me If You Can.” I loved her vocals, I thought she was gorgeous, and I loved her dance skills.

When Girls’ Generation hit their 10 year anniversary on August 5, 2017, and were planning to release their 10 year anniversary album, I was excited. I saw news about them on all my social media accounts. It was crazy. When the music videos for “ALL NIGHT” and “HOLIDAY” were released, I went on YouTube so fast to listen and watch them. I even helped stream the music video, which I never do.

Struggles of Liking Them

When people found out I started liking K-Pop, they made it something else to make fun of me for. I got people asking me why I listen to Korean music when I am Chinese. Other people even thought I was Korean lying that I was Chinese. People even asked me if I could speak Korean.

I probably don’t have it as bad as non-Asian fans, because many people expect me to listen to K-Pop so I don’t get bullied as much as I see non-Asian fans do. Just because a person is not Korean or can’t speak Korean, doesn’t mean we can’t listen to K-Pop. Music is an international language and should be appreciated in spite of language barriers. We have subtitles to help us understand what they are saying, and some fans are taking time to learn Korean.

So just because we listen to something completely different from others doesn’t mean they have the right to make fun of us. For all the people who struggle because of this, just continue to listen to what you want, and ignore what people say. It’s your life, and you don’t have to change your interest for other people. As Girls’ Generation would say in their song Girls, “Don’t trap yourself in a strong image. Sometimes, you can take out your soft face that you’ve hidden.”

What Do You Know About Girls’ Generation?

*How many members did they start off with?

*What is their abbreviation?

*What were their 10^th anniversary title songs?

*What language do they speak?