Sisa Journal recently published a huge feature on SNSD, describing their progression from humble beginnings to their overwhelming global success. Take a deep breath because this is gonna be a long read.

Although “Into the New World” was a powerful debut, no one predicted SNSD to reach the “world-star” status it currently holds. At the time, the girls were merely a relief for the male audience tired of the boy bands’ dominance of the music market. Right away, the girls faced a tremendous challenge: in September of 2007, the Wonder Girls released their hit single, “Tell Me“. The Wonder Girls were a group that had already been promoting for several months, and their single rocketed them into international fame, as students, police officers, and even soldiers participated in the “Tell Me” dance craze. With the nation hit with the “Wonder Girls Syndrome”, SNSD was dismissed as a B-level girl group.

In 2008, Wonder Girls defined K-Pop as “Nobody” and “So Hot” dominated the charts. Although SNSD garnered many male fans with their cute and innocent concept, the girls were not yet considered nationally popular. Continue reading →