Why Did SNSD Give Up Their Hook Songs?

Having dropped the title track of their third album, “The Boys,” on October 19, girl group SNSD has been garnering attention with the rather unusual format their new title track has been created with. Although “The Boys” has been sweeping the No. 1 spots of music charts throughout the Internet, there has been speculation as though why SNSD had changed their musical style abruptly. Some have been calling the melody “too complicated” in contrast to the addictive, cute songs the public has come to expect from SNSD.

According to SNSD’s management company SM Entertainment, the reason behind their choice of “The Boys” as SNSD’s title track was because they saw this song as another “turning point.” Their opinion was that since SNSD’s new album would be released worldwide at the same time, and since it was obligatory for them to go “worldwide,” they did not want to repeat the same kind of music as was the typical SNSD style.

An associate of SM Entertainment has revealed, “In the meaning that this album is being released at the same time throughout the world, it has the meaning of opening a new act to SNSD. Although it is a new track originating from Korea, it is not an exclusive new song for Korea. At this point, we also didn’t want to settle for the music following the typical formula for success and wanted to make a new venture.”

The judgment is that it is meaningless for SNSD, now grasping the title of being the Korean representative girl group, to continue releasing hits through hook songs that are guaranteed in its success.

The associate also explained, “To graduate from hook songs doesn’t mean that hook songs aren’t bad, but it means that we won’t be satisfied with it. It also holds the resolve of SNSD, who wants to newly ‘pioneer’ something new worldwide.”

With the Korean music industry keeping a keen eye on what SNSD’s results will be, with the subtracting of the arguable “core” of K-Pop, hook songs, an associate of an idol group said, “K-Pop is sometimes easily spread out to international netizens with its easy, addicting choruses, but it’s interesting to see how SNSD left out the signature K-Pop hook. I speculate that it wasn’t an easy choice to go on this new exploration.”

The SM Entertainment associate said in conclusion, “We don’t think that K-Pop became a hit solely due to its choruses. SNSD’s ‘Tell Me Your Wish’ and ‘Run Devil Run,” which attracted a lot of popularity throughout the whole world, were also not hook songs. Of course, ‘The Boys’ is a big gamble and adventure, but the will of Lee Soo Man producer and SM Entertainment to pioneer new frontiers played out very strongly in this decision.”