On August 5, 2007, the nine-member girl group Girls’ Generation debuted with the song Into The New World. Fresh-faced with a hint of base makeup, the energetic tune later became one of the emblematic songs in K-pop. Into The New World’s hopeful lyrics made it a song that galvanised protestors at political rallies and LGBTQ parades in South Korea and around the world.

In 2008, Girls’ Generation released a slew of songs as part of their debut album, which included the album namesake Girls’ Generation, Kissing You and Baby Baby. Girls’ Generation featured them in red and white sporty outfits, Kissing You took a more saccharine, cutesy approach with their giant lollipop props while Baby Baby’s music video took a look back at their journey thus far.

That same year, the Girls’ Generation would go on to suffer one of the most infamous incidents that happen to them – the black ocean at the 2008 Dream Concert. Spectating fans supporting other K-pop acts shut off their light sticks while the girl group performed, resulting in a 10-minute-long performance to a crowd that showed little to conceal their contempt. Little did fans know that Girls’ Generation would rebound stronger than ever with…

Related article: Girls’ Generation’s Yoona Shares Her Secrets To Glowing Skin

The fever for neon and colourful skinny jeans and shorts would come to dominate in 2009 as Gee swept South Korea and the Hallyu Wave. With its catchy lyrics and dance moves, Gee is a familiar song to most of us as it went on to become the best-selling single of 2009 in South Korea and broke the then-record by being a nine-time consecutive number-one song on the music show Music Bank. Since then, the bubblegum pop Gee is widely recognised as an iconic tune for both K-pop and the Girls’ Generation.

Following Gee, the song Tell Me Your Wish (Genie) was released that same year as the title track for their second mini-album by the same name. Likewise, the electropop song became a commercial success, in part thanks the the “beauty leg dance” and “marine girl” concepts that accompanied the song. Their performance of Genie on a helipad also became legendary for its performance location and for the staggering viewership where 8.6 million South Koreans tuned in.

Related article: 8 Ways Kpop Star Taeyeon Slayed Instagram With Her Outfits

Released at the start of 2010, Oh! quickly became another hit both commercial and on the airwaves, with the single selling 30,000 copies on its first day. Oh! is widely noted for the cohesive cheerleader concept where Girls’ Generation would also perform in the get-up fitted with pom poms.

At the end of the Oh! music video, the song that would become Run Devil Run was teased. Originally a demo recorded by Kesha, Run Devil Run was the group’s way of showcasing a darker side to their sweet and cute image, which was known as “Dark SoShi”. Together with the song Mr. Taxi, Girls’ Generation would begin their foray into Japan in mid-2010, the second-largest music market in the world, where they enjoyed great success as a foreign act.

Related article: How To Recreate Jessica Jung’s Best Beauty Looks

Late 2011 saw the release of The Boys, an experimental single that was done in collaboration with new producers including the Grammy award-winning American producer Teddy Riley. The Boys also marked the group’s attempt to enter the American market, the largest music industry in the world. Performances on the Late Show with David Letterman and Live! With Kelly were done as part of promotions. Though Girls’ Generation didn’t manage to replicate the success they had in South Korea and Japan, their performance invariably helped future K-pop acts enter the closed-off market.

The Boys’ music video also showed off a more polished, edgy version of Girls’ Generation that differed greatly from their previous stylings.

The first day of 2013 saw the release of I Got A Boy. The song stood out in that period for being a mash of genres that K-pop hadn’t tried before but would later move towards as the years progressed. The music video, similarly, pushed the envelope as it featured an explosion of bold and bright colours with the members dressed in street style fashion.

I Got A Boy was unsurprisingly another commercial success. The music video also received much attention after it won Video of the Year at the inaugural YouTube Music Awards, winning over the likes of Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez.

Related article: All Of Korean Star, Jessica Jung’s Best Street Style Moments

Released in 2015, Party marked Girls’ Generation’s first album as an eight-member group after Jessica had departed the group a year prior. Shot in Ko Samui, Thailand, Party is an upbeat song that celebrated the joys of summer while styled in playful beachwear. As with past singles, the song went on to sell hundreds of thousands of copies.

Party was proceeded by Lion Heart, the title and also the name of the album. It is a soul-pop-inspired tune that had members dancing in the 1920s, The Great Gatsby-esque flapper costumes.

Holiday Night celebrated Girls’ Generation’s 10th year anniversary in August 2017. The album consisted of two lead singles – All Night and Holiday. The former features a 1980s electronic vibe with the members dressed in sparkly Studio 54-like discotheque outfits. Holiday, meanwhile, imbues a retro vibe in both the song and the styling. Holiday Night went on to sell over 160 thousand copies and topped Billboard’s US World Albums.

Read Next

Hailey Bieber Pairs A Cropped Vintage Tee With A Nylon Miniskirt

Gwyneth Paltrow And Daughter Apple Martin Coordinate In Summer Whites

Rihanna Wore Slouchy Thigh High Boots For Her Latest Date Night With A$AP Rocky