Girls Are Back

The word “comeback” is used in a universally liberal way in Korean pop. Everything from male rap groups releasing an EP five months after releasing a full album to a female soloist releasing a couple of singles a few months apart are considered “comebacks,” and everything in between. In that relatively small amount of time did they really have a chance to even leave? We are so accustomed to the regularity by which new works are created so many truly have no perception of what actually facilitates using such a descriptor.

After an abrupt end to their Holiday Night promotions and 10th anniversary festivities, after three members signed with agencies elsewhere, after the five that remained were put into a sub-group that only momentarily saw the light of day before being unceremoniously ushered back into the darkness, and summarily after five years of disconnect, mostly silence, and the faintest glimmers of expectation, you can call this one a comeback: Girls’ Generation are back.

As of writing this piece little details are known in terms of the material of which they are coming back with. We know it will be 8 members, AND we know that it will take place in August to commemorate their 15th anniversary. Only this time with the hopes and dreams that they will be given more than a mere 14 days to bask in the exaltation of their hard work and endeavor. 

Usually my essays are retrospective, a look back at an unchanged work of art, frozen in time for scrutiny and analysis. Rather than fill this piece with wildly dated conjecture and speculation, I would rather spend it in celebration, hope, and anticipation, recorded in time for as long as it’s able to remain wherever it may end up being posted.

The importance of this comeback cannot be understated, beyond that of the reach of Girls’ Generation fans. The newest generation of girl groups in Korean pop will have grown up with Girls’ Generation considering many of them will have grown up seeing them blossom into “The Nation’s Girl Group” as they are known domestically. In a way the groups that Girls’ Generation have metaphorically “passed the torch” to will be passing it back in only the most respectful and appreciative ways as they often interact.

In a broader sense, what can this mean for the wider implications of since disbanded or inactive “legacy groups” from previous generations of Korean pop? Consider this more of a prediction that may age poorly as opposed to the guessing game I swore earlier in the essay I wouldn’t partake in. 

The monetary success of this comeback is practically guaranteed. Girls’ Generation have a global reach and an intensely dedicated fanbase. The only way it won’t be is if from a business perspective those in charge of seeing the release end up tripping over their own bad decisions (WHICH AT THIS POINT IS STILL ENTIRELY POSSIBLE). I could foresee a future in which other companies see the success of Girls’ Generation’s expected comeback, and they decide that it is financially viable and prosperous to bring their dormant and/or disbanded groups out of the “dungeon” (as Kpop fans like to say) and give them another go in the spotlight, cashing in on the nostalgia of many older fans such as myself. Groups previously thought “disposable” might be given a new life that no one saw coming. The influence this could have would be an absolute win-win.

So many in Korean pop circles are desensitized to a “comeback” and what that entails it becomes more of an expectation of inevitability rather that a collective sense of anticipation. Loyalty is in short supply these days, with anyone and everyone expecting instant gratification, constant action (not too dissimilar to the average American film viewer). To see a large group of patient supporters bide their time, remain steadfastly appreciative in a five-year gap. Five years is a long time in general, an eternity for Kpop fans.

Our patience has paid off. We should be right proud of ourselves. Our girls are finally coming back in an unprecedented manner. And that is pretty special.