Monday, 10 August 2015

Girls Generation: The Best

Hello 
An nyoung 
Konnichiwa 
Ni hao 


We've come to the final and up to date Girls Generation album for K-pop/J-pop Monday and it's time we spotlight what in the UK and other countries would call a greatest hits album, but this album known as The Best features their Japanese singles including 5 new and bonus tracks.




Released July 2014, The Best was released in three versions: a regular edition which just included a lyric booklet and the CD, Limited edition that came with the CD and lyric booklet and the bonus of a DVD with the MV'S and an on set photo booklet and the Complete limited pressing edition which I wish I'd ordered, it came with 2 CD'S, Blu-ray, interview booklet and it all came in an LP size box. I have the limited edition version that came with the DVD. Each CD had 14 tracks with 2 bonus tracks which was the Japanese version of Mr.Mr. and a brand new single showcasing the bond between the girls and their fans a song that came under scrutiny after events that happened 2 months later.
The theme and layout of the album to me shows a mature and sophisticated look for the girls with them all in black and white outfits, even the colour scheme of the CD & DVD is black and white. My on set photobook was in the garden and shows the girls looking stunning in colourful and gorgeous outfits having fun together it definitely shows a different side to the black and white images.


Tracklist:
Genie
Gee
Run Devil Run 
Mr.Taxi 
Bad Girl 
Time Machine 
Paparazzi 
Oh!
All My Love Is For You 
Flower Power 
Beep Beep 
Love & Girls 
Galaxy Supernova 
My Oh My 
Bonus Tracks:
Mr.Mr. Japanese Version 
Indestructible 


Group picture 
YoonA 
Jessica
Tiffany 

SooYoung 
TaeYeon 
Sunny 

YuRi 
HyoYeon 
SeoHyun 


Song & album credits 



SeoHyun 
Sunny
L-R SeoHyun, TaeYeon & Sunny 
L-R TaeYeon & Tiffany 
TaeYeon 
Tiffany 
HyoYeon 
L-R YoonA & HyoYeon 
L-R SooYoung & Jessica
YoonA 
YuRi 
SooYoung 
Jessica 






Jessica 
Tiffany 
SeoHyun 
Group shot 
TaeYeon 
YoonA 
HyoYeon 
Sunny 
SooYoung 
YuRi 
L-R TaeYeon, YuRi & SooYoung 
L-R YoonA, Tiffany & SeoHyun 
L-R Sunny,Jessica & HyoYeon 
Group picture 
Group picture 
Back of booklet 
A majority of these songs have featured as my favourite songs in past posts with the album it was on so instead of the usual these are my favourite songs with the accompanying video I'm going to share my favourite live performances of those songs, but first let me share with you the thank you song from the girls to their fans.

Indestructible 

Indestructible eng sub

Genie

Gee

The Boys

Mr.Taxi 

Like many repackaged albums I have seen come out a few months after the original release it was a first for me to see it with a Japanese album and even though it was never advertised or promoted as a repackaged album you get the idea of what happened with this album two months later but before we get to that we first have to step into the events of September.
Growing up I was part of the Spice Girls era and they were my favourite group growing up and it broke my heart when it was announced that Geri had parted ways with the group (she was my favourite, my bias if you will) so being an adult I never thought something like that would affect me that way again.
September 30th 2014 I woke up to news that like many Sones felt like the floor had crumbled a way. Jessica had left the group, SM were stating that Jessica had agreed to one more album then she would be making her departure from the group to focus on her fashion company but the departure was brought forward because of schedules. On the opposite side Jessica was stating that she had been kicked out of the group by management and 8 other members. Nearly a year on there are people that say she was kicked out because the rest of the girls were jealous etc. In my honest opinion I do believe the rest of Girls Generation had a part to play in her exit but I also believe that if they did they did it for a reason to protect the group and their fans. Since her departure Jessica has been busy with her company and has even stated that she's happy now she no longer has activities with Girls Generation as she has more free time to do the things she's been doing which to me I would like to believe and think GG was thinking of this for Jessica.

Now let's get back to the music October saw the release of The Best New Edition which was a re release of their The Best album with 3 new songs where Indestructible was used for the release of The Best a ballad titled Divine was used for the release of The Best New Edition and the MV was Jessica's final MV with the group.


Divine 

The New Edition came in two versions a regular version with just CD and booklet and the 2nd version was a limited edition version which came with booklet, CD and a bonus item which were 9 earphone jack figures. I pre ordered the limited edition version. The earphone Jacks show each member from a different MV from their Japan releases.

Back row L-R
Yuri: Flower Power, Sunny: Run Devil Run, 
Yoona: Paparazzi, Seohyun: Oh! &
Hyoyeon: Galaxy Supernova.
Front row L-R
Jessica: Genie, Sooyoung: Love & Girls,
Taeyeon: Mr.Taxi & Tiffany: Gee

Sunny


The colour theme for this album was white with them mainly in denim making them pop out of the white background and set as you can see the only colour seemed to be the girls making them stand out.
Front of case 
Back of case 



Tracklist:
Genie 
Gee 
Mr.Taxi 
Oh!
Run Devil Run 
HOOT
The Boys 
Paparazzi 
Flower Power 
Love & Girls 
Galaxy Supernova 
Mr.Mr.
Chain Reaction 
Indestructible 
DIVINE
Show Girls 

YoonA 
Jessica 
HyoYeon 
Sunny 
TaeYeon 
YuRi 
SeoHyun 

Tiffany 

SooYoung 
Song credits 
Album credits 
Back of booklet 

I'm going to do the same as before and use live performances for the songs but four of these performances are after Jessica left as they performed at their Tokyo Dome concert December 2014.

Mr.Mr.

Chain Reaction


Show Girls
@
Tokyo Dome 

Indestructible 
@
Tokyo Dome 

Divine
@
Tokyo Dome 

Jessica's vocals appear on all four of the Tokyo Dome songs in the original recorded songs but obviously Jessica was removed before they could hold their special anniversary concert there was also like at their 3rd Japan Tour (the lyric MV for Indestructible was released as a gift to fans) they were meant to release an MV for their last Japanese single Catch Me If You Can as a gift and thank you to their fans but due to Jessica's departure the MV and track was scrapped to be released later with vocals reworked and the MV re shot, I'll be posting about it in the future showcasing the new era of Girls Generation.

I think the only way to end this post is with an emotional goodbye to Jessica, it still breaks my heart and brings a tear to my eye watching and hearing this version but not only did the power of 9 debut something new with Into the New World but it only seems right that GG-8 would do a new version of the track and step together with us Into the New World as 8. What really touched me with this performance wasn't just the emotion shown by the girls but when it pans out there is a space and spotlight on where Jessica would have been stood before they close the gap.

Into the New World Ballad

지금음 소녀시대
Jigeumeun So Nyu Shi dae 
Right now it's Girls Generation 
앞으로도 소녀시대
Apurodo So Nyu Shi dae 
From now on it's Girls Generation 
영원히 소녀시대
Yeongwonhi So Nyu Shi dae 
Forever Girls Generation 

See you soon! 


An nyoung 
Sayonara 
Zai Jian 
Bye 

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