SNSD, who was once referred to as the nation’s dongseng girl group, has grown up and tossed aside their aegyo image. The girls, who used to sing “I love oppa” in their songs, have matured to a point where they can confidently tell “The Boys”, “I’ll lead you.”
This transformation comes as no surprise, since the girls are about to make their debut as a world star through their 3rd official album, which was released on October 19th. In addition to their songs being sold all over the world through iTunes, their single will also be released in the U.S. in November through Interscope Records.
Still, the girls who came in for the interview were as cute and lovable as ever, and they were brimming with a natural self-confidence. They stated, “We really like transformations,” and that “We were the one who insisted on doing the more powerful dances in this song. We want to show [a SNSD] who continuously grows and matures.”
They had an interview with OSEN :
What are thoughts about the release of the 3rd album? It was a little delayed.
Taeyeon – “SNSD has received a lot of love from all over the world. We prepared this album in return [for all the love].”
Sooyoung – “We were a little disappointed about the delay in our comeback since we, in our hearts and minds, were ready. But, since the delay was because of the venture into the U.S., it was all good. I think this will be a meaningful comeback.”
You worked with the famous producer Teddy Riley. How did you feel?
Sunny – “He brought a comfortable atmosphere. Rather than putting in special requests, he just told us to sing. He catered to the members, so a lot of the members’ individual colors were incorporated.”
Seohyun – “He complimented us a lot while we were recording. He also danced to the song.”
Are you satisfied with your title song, “The Boys”?
Tiffany – “SNSD’s songs hardly have any raps. This was our first time showing off our rap skills, so we were really anticipating it. I think the song came out well, so I’m very pleased. Instead of SNSD’s usual lively and girly image, we are anticipating that a more mature and cooler image will be shown [through this comeback].”
The choreography has become more powerful.
Sooyoung - “We tried hard to make it match the song, however, it’s not as aggressive or powerful as we thought initially. The ‘going down’ movement during the rap portion came about because there needed to be an impact at that point. The choreography team was trying to decide whether or not to include that move, but we insisted that we’d do it. They asked if it would be okay to just have 4 of the members do it, but all the members stated that they wanted to do it.” (laughs)
What did you emphasize the most in this 3rd album?
Sooyoung – “We tried to branch out so that we wouldn’t be limited to just one genre. If you listen to the album as a whole, you’ll see that rather than just a catchy hook phrase, the overall composition [of the song] is done well. Our vocals were heavily emphasized as well.”
This was the first time that Sooyoung composed.
Sooyoung – “I thought about what it would be like if there was someone who gave me such immense love. If there is someone who gives you a lot of love, this is a song you can listen to while you think of that person.”
I’ve heard that you are studying a lot about composing and producing, but your ideas don’t seem to be included a lot.
Tiffany – “I composed the English rap in “The Boys”.
Taeyeon – “I’m practicing a lot, but they are very strict. They don’t give us any advantage because we are SNSD members. We have to compete on the same playing field as regular composers and producers.”
“The Boys” image was surprising because it is much stronger than the usual SNSD image.
Sunny – “The lyrics’ [meaning] are up to the interpretation [of the listeners']. Rather than just the simple meaning of girls giving boys support, it can be interpreted in many ways. The girls could be telling the boys that we’ll take the lead, giving off a more tough image. It could also be interpreted as girls telling the boys to get their act together and cheer up. (laughs) The song is also aims to give courage to people, whether they’re girls or guys, who are tired out [by life].”
Seohyun – “With every album we release, we want to show you our growth. During the 1st album, we wore tennis shoes and showed you a young girl image. After that, we wore a white T-shirt and jeans like a college student. For this time also, we want to grow musically as well as in other areas.”
Taeyeon – “We really like transformations. I think fans also want to keep seeing different sides of us as well.”
You have accomplished a lot in the past year. What is it that you remember?
Seohyun – “Japan tour. Personally, I think I have learned a lot about how to enjoy the stage. I think I learned how to collaborate with fans for the first time. The collaboration between ourselves has gotten even better also.”
Tiffany - “During the Arena Tour, which had all of us traveling together for 3 months, the members spent a lot of time together and conversed a lot. It was another chance for [our friendship] to be strengthened. We ate yummy food and went to a hot spring, just as if we were on a field trip.”
Jessica – “The concert in Paris is memorable for me. Paris is my dream city.”
Yuri – “I also remember Paris the most. It was very sentimental. People with hairs of all different colors were singing along to Korean lyrics. Just the fact that they knew who we were made it so enjoyable.”
What are things you want to accomplish in the future?
Taeyeon - “To hold our own concert at Japan’s Tokyo Dome.”
Tiffany – “I want to try a world tour. I want to visit South America.”
You must feel a sense of responsibility as a representative of Korean singers.
Yoona – “There is a sense of responsibility and pressure, but we are thankful that people see us as leaders. We don’t set up a goal and say ‘we have to achieve it’. Rather, we just enjoy each moment and try to bond with each other more. I think that’s why good things have been happening. We are honored to be a part of this great time period to let more people know about K-Pop.”
Have you made a goal for your venture into the U.S.?
Tiffany – “Of course we have goals and anticipations, but we think that even having the opportunity to challenge ourselves is meaningful in itself. Rather than a venture, we just want to pay back our fans.”
It seems that you might have to promote with Wonder Girls.
Taeyeon – “I’m very curious, what kind of song will they come out with? I have a friend within the group, so I think I’ll be glad to see her.”
When rookie girl groups debut, they are often compared to SNSD. You are brought up a lot.
Seohyun - “To make us even a subject of discussion is an honor for us. Honestly, even when people say ‘SNSD, you’re amazing’, I’m still not sure. (laughs) So I think that I really have to try even harder.”
You are quite a ‘sunbae‘ ['senior'] group now.
Yoona – “It’s not because we’re getting old, it’s because many young girls have been coming out. (laughs)”
Yuri – “I was in the waiting room while serving as the MC for MBC‘s ‘Music Core’ when hoobaes came to greet me with their albums. It feels like it we had been doing just that just a few days ago, so it was a weird feeling.”
Sooyoung – “Truthfully, we didn’t have much of a chance to see sunbae female singers’ performances. We saw Lee Hyori sunbae, Beyonce, and Christina Aguilera‘s concerts, but we heard that the hoobaes these days want to see SNSD’s performance. They also said they were influenced by us. It was a very weird feeling, but at the same time made us very proud and happy.”
What has been the past 4 years like for SNSD?
Sunny – “To be honest, we didn’t know anything in the beginning and just went for it. As time passed, we started to develop a know-how. However more time passed, and we thought ‘Ah, there really isn’t a trick to all this’. But we were very proud and happy that we have been able to achieve a lot of things during the 4 years. Rather than thinking about the past 4 years, we are trying to figure out how to move forward.”
