“다시 만난 세계” (Into the New World) by Girls’ Generation (소년 시대 SNSD), Tuesday, September 20, 2022 (updated repost)
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Composed by Kenzie, the professional name for SM Entertainment's songwriter Kim Yeon-jeong, the debut single "Into the New World" by what would become one of the biggest K-pop groups, Girls' Generation, set the tone for a ten-year career of fun, bubble-gummy, uplifting songs. Composed of nine young women all born between 1989 and 1991, Girls' Generationhas been been called "the Nation's Girl Group," in South Korea due to their popularity between 2007-2017. Beginning with a sample ofDon Henley's 1984 classic "The Boys of Summer," (covered last August byThe Ataris), "Into the New World" builds on the nostalgic piano and synth sample. Rather than calling back with longing for the past, this song propels listeners forward into the future.
I LEAVE BEHIND THIS WORLD'S UNENDING SADNESS. I've been pretty critical of K-pop in the past for being a-political. I used to think that music in America was too political, especially when I was a Republican teenager (cringe). I was annoyed when Coldplay’s Chris Martin said at the 2004 Grammy's "May John Kerry be your president someday." Of course there were also right-wing musicians, too, but being found have Republican tendencies could end a rock band's career in some cases. In South Korea, because the government subsidizes the industry, idol groups are to be politically neutral. There are very few songs that are overt protest songs which can be found in rock and pop and even country in America. However, today's song, with its hopeful message of stepping into the unknown future, has become a famous protest song in South Korea, starting in 2015, when students led a peaceful protest against Ewha University in Seoul. Both Tiffany and Yuri of SNSD expressed their appreciation to their fans for using the song to rally for change. Tiffany said, "Right now is the generation for feminists, and it’s an era where messages of women empowering other women are important. I feel like our song played that role, so my heart was happy." A year later, the song was sung at protest rallies against President Park Geun-Hye. The massive protests against the leader accused of corruption had the people singing a song of hope, demanding more from their leaders. Fans also sang the song on April 11, 2019, when criminalization of abortion was recognized as unconstitutional in South Korea. Finally, in 2020, the song was sung in anti-governmental protests in Thailand, fans translating the message of the song to spread hope in Thailand. With the globalization of K-pop--the ripples in East Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and North America--it seems inevitable that some songs will be used in protest.
LOOKING INTO YOUR EYES, NO WORDS ARE NEEDED. I don't think that "Into the New World" credits its sampling of "The Boys of Summer," as it's never mentioned in most sources. Last September, I talked about how Olivia Rodrigo was inspired by "Misery Business" and eventually gave writing credit to Haley Williams and Josh Farro. Musicians get into trouble all the time for borrowing too heavily from their sources. There are several video compilations of similar sounding songs. Whether it's Sam Smith listening to Tom Petty or Lana Del Rey listening to Radiohead, we can hear musical similarities if we keep our ears open. I could make a list of songs that I think sound the same or songs that I've mashed up, even disguised as church songs when I played for church ("He Is Exalted" and the guitar from "Don't Stop Believing"). Some groups like The Verve had their career paralyzed by the litigious Rolling Stones' manager. And as much fun as it would be to make a playlist of similar sounding songs or funny mash-ups like "Creep but It's All I Want for Christmas" it seems like the project could get out of control. There's a reason why I only pick one song a day. Tom Petty said it best when he decided not to sue Red Hot Chili Peppers for the similarity between his song "Dani California" and "Mary Jane's Last Dance": "A lot of rock & roll sounds alike." And that similarity can draw parallels in theme in listeners minds. "Into the New World" and "The Boys of Summer" may build off of the same arpeggio, but one looks back without any hope for the future, the other uses the past to build a brighter future.
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