Throwback Thursday: K-Pop Girl Group Edition!
Welcome to The Kraze’s weekly column, Throwback Thursday! What is Throwback Thursday, you may ask? The Kraze is throwing it back to great releases from different artists and groups each week, giving some fans a trip down memory lane while simultaneously introducing newer K-Pop fans to hit songs and artists they may have never heard of before!
Last week, we featured a few throwback hits from popular boy groups. This week’s Throwback Thursday features a few iconic girl groups! For those veteran K-Pop fans from the 1990s to the early 2000s, these particular girl groups will bring in a wave of nostalgia. For newer K-Pop fans reading this, these legendary groups paved the way for the next generations of K-Pop girl groups. This week will cover S.E.S, Wonder Girls, and Jewelry!
“I’m Your Girl” - S.E.S
Arguably one of the most legendary and successful K-Pop girl groups within the industry, S.E.S debuted in 1997 under SM Entertainment. The meaning behind S.E.S comes from an acronym for the members’ names: Sea (Bada), Eugene, and Shoo. In 2016, the veteran girl group came together under SM for a reunion album, with many fans, old and new, expressing their excitement for their return. “I’m Your Girl” is one of the most iconic songs from S.E.S, with many K-Pop groups such as Wonder Girls, miss A, and SEVENTEEN having previously covered the song. “I’m Your Girl” is also the girl group’s debut song, which launched them to their success. Fun fact: the rap introduction for the song was done by SHINHWA members Eric and Andy! This is a cute and happy song, and you will enjoy dancing along.
“Irony” - Wonder Girls
As JYP Entertainment’s first girl group, Wonder Girls put the entertainment company on the map within the industry. Considered to be part of the second wave of K-Pop idols alongside BIGBANG, Super Junior, SNSD (Girls’ Generation), and DBSK, Wonder Girls debuted with their smash hit “Irony” in 2007. The song is a fun hip-hop/pop track that many will enjoy singing and dancing along to. The girl group has seen a few members leave and be added to the group, but they continue to have a lasting legacy and are also considered one of the top K-Pop girl groups of all time. While it is sad to know that the girl group officially decided to disband earlier this year, Wonderfuls and all Wonder Girls members (both past and present) have many memories that will be cherished forever. There is still hope that one day the girl group will be able to come back for a reunion!
“One More Time” - Jewelry
To finish out this week’s Throwback Thursday, we will be looking at another veteran girl group: Jewelry! While the group is no longer active and officially disbanded in 2015, fans would know that Jewelry debuted in 2001 and has brought many hit songs to the K-Pop music industry, with “One More Time” being one of those songs. With an addictive beat and easy-to-follow dance, “One More Time” was released in 2008 with members Park Jungah, Seo Inyoung, Eunjung, and Baby J promoting the track. The song and music video had a sexy vibe that not many girl groups at the time were pursuing. With 14 years of activity, the group came out with different concepts and saw members both leave and be added, similar to Wonder Girls. However, one cannot deny that Jewelry has made their mark and led the way for future generations of K-Pop groups.
This concludes this week’s Throwback Thursday! There are still many more groups and songs to cover, so stay tuned for the next segment. You may just see your favorite artist and song next week!