HONG KONG: Blackpink and Twice might be the queens of K-pop today, but before their reign another girl group paved the way. Girls' Generation, also called So-nyuh Shi-dae or SNSD in Korean, dominated music charts from 2007 to 2018 under SM Entertainment that, releasing catchy hits like Gee and Oh!
Although it's been three years since the band last released a song, its members have remained in the limelight thanks to their solo activities.
So what have they been up to?
Despite no longer performing together as a group, a few members still pursued opportunities in the music industry by starting solo careers.
Among them is former leader Taeyeon, who has released four albums and nine singles, even winning a digital record of the year daesang (main prize) at the Seoul Music Awards.
Her bandmate Tiffany, meanwhile, returned home to the United State to start a career there. She released singles such as Over My Skin and Lips on Lips, which won her an award for best solo breakout at the iHeart Radio Music Awards.
Hyoyeon decided to take a different musical path: in 2018, she reinvented herself as DJ Hyo, releasing self-produced tracks in collaboration with artists such as Loopy and Soyeon from G(I-dle). Just this August, she launched new track Second featuring Bibi.
While a few Girls' Generation members did TV cameos in the past, many of them took the band's indefinite hiatus as an opportunity for bigger roles in films and TV series.
Yoona, who previously won most popular actress in film at the 53rd Baeksang Art Awards for her role as Park Min-young in Confidential Assignment, is set to reprise her role in Confidential Assignment 2 alongside Hyun Bin and Yoo Hae-jin.
Sooyoung also chased a career on the big screen. Just last February 2021, her movie New Year Blues was released, where she played the optimistic gardener Oh-wol.
On the other hand, fellow member Yuri has been a fixture on TV, taking main roles in series such as Break Up Probation, A Week and Bossam: Steal the Fate.
Girls' Generation's maknae (youngest member) Seohyun also became a leading lady in television series such as Private Lives, where she starred alongside Go Kyung-pyo. Recently, she was considering a lead role in upcoming drama Jinx's Lover.
Sunny has also been a constant on Korean TV - not as a lead actress of a drama, but as a witty and entertaining variety show MC. She is currently the main host of shows like Idea Panda and Legendary Trainee.
Jessica Jung has continued to flourish even after officially leaving the group in 2014. The former K-pop star is now an established entrepreneur in the fashion industry. She sits at the helm of her own brand Blanc & Eclare, which sells clothing, eyewear and accessories. In 2017, she was even named one of Forbes' 30 Under 30 in Asia.
