Girls' Generation - Girls' Generation

I. Introduction

Girls' Generation is the self-titled debut Japanese album and third overall by South Korean girl group Girls' Generation, released by Nayutawave Records and Universal Music Japan on June 1, 2011. A repackaged edition of the album, The Boys, was released on December 28, 2011. With the aid of their repackaged album, the album has officially shipped over 1 million copies as of January 11, 2012. As of June 2012, the album has been "Million"-certified by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ), making the group the second Korean artist and first Korean group to earn this achievement in Japan since Korean labelmate BoA's Best of Soul in 2005.

II. Background and Compostiton

After releasing three singles in the Japanese market, including "Genie", "Gee", and "Mr. Taxi/Run Devil Run", Girls' Generation released their first Japanese studio album Girls' Generation on June 1, 2011. A music video for the track "Bad Girl" was released on August 11. Other tracks in the album, "Mr. Taxi" and "Let It Rain", were used as the background music for various versions of Girls' Generation's CF with Lipton Tea. Girls' Generation became the highest earning foreign artist in Japan for the first half of 2011. On December 28, the group released a repackaged version of the album, Re:package Album "Girls' Generation" ~The Boys~. It includes a Japanese version of their international hit "The Boys", and remixed versions of "The Great Escape", "Bad Girl", "Mr.Taxi", and a new song "Time Machine". A music video for "Time Machine" was released on March 13, 2012.

III. Impact

Pre-orders started on different e-stores. On Amazon Japan, the deluxe edition sold very well and rose quickly to No.1 on the pre-order chart while the limited edition was ranked 7th. On various Japanese album stores, Girls' Generation was the No.1 pre-ordered album with over 300,000 units expected to be shipped. The album topped the Oricon Daily Album Chart at first place on June 1 with a sales count of 74,000 copies, which made Girls' Generation the first foreign girl group ever to top the chart on the release date. According to Oricon, the album sold 232,000 copies in the first week and placed first on the Oricon Weekly Album Chart, surpassing the record for first week debut album sales for a foreign artist, a record previously held by SM Entertainment labelmate BoA's Listen to My Heart. One month after the album release, Oricon reported a total sales of 250,000 copies. The album placed second on the Oricon Monthly Album Chart for the month of June and became the 5th best selling album of 2011 in Japan according to the Oricon Album Rankings. On December 19, 2011, Oricon reported that Girls' Generation sold over 642,054 copies in the 2011 calendar year to rank 5th place on the Oricon Yearly Album Chart. This surpassed the previous record of 7th place and 569,530 copies sold by SM Entertainment labelmate TVXQ's Best Selection 2010, and makes Girls' Generation the highest selling album and the highest annually ranked album achieved so far by a Korean group in Oricon history. On June 8, 2012, the RIAJ certified the album "Million" for shipping over a million copies. The album placed 5th on the Oricon Weekly CD Albums chart for the second week of January 2012, and Oricon announced that it was the first time in history that an album by a Korean artist placed in the Top 10 for 17 weeks. The previous record holder was the original soundtrack for the Korean drama Winter Sonata, which remained in the Top 10 for 16 weeks

IV. Versions

The album was originally released in three different editions: Deluxe Limited First Press Edition, Limited Pressing Edition, and the Regular Edition. A repackaged Edition was released later.

- Deluxe Limited First Press Edition comes with a bonus DVD featuring "Mr. Taxi"'s original and dance versions of the music video, plus "Genie" and "Gee" Japanese music videos, a 40-page photobook, a mini bag that comes in a special box.

- Limited Pressing Edition comes in a slipcase with a 32-page photobook and a bonus DVD featuring the same contents at the Deluxe Limited First Press Edition except "Mr. Taxi"'s dance version.
- Regular Edition comes in a standard jewel case with a lyrics-only booklet.

The album was later re-released as Re:package Album "Girls' Generation" ~The Boys~ was released in three editions: a Regular Edition with a lyrics-only booklet, a Limited Edition with a 36-page photobook, a bonus DVD featuring music videos of "Bad Girl" and "The Boys" (English Version) plus two rubber coasters and a Limited Pressing with the same photobook, bonus DVD and a case from the limited edition, but with two B2-size posters.

V. Tracklisting

VI. All Versions Girls' Generation Original Release CD

VII. Re:package Album "Girls' Generation" ~The Boys~ (CD)

VIII. Girls' Generation DVD (Limited Period Edition)

1. "Mr. Taxi" (Original version)

2. "Genie" (Japanese original version)

3. "Gee" (Japanese original version)

VIV. Girls' Generation DVD (Deluxe First Press Edition)

1. "Mr. Taxi" (Original version)

2. "Mr. Taxi" (Dance version)

3. "Genie" (Japanese original version)

4. "Gee" (Japanese original version)

VV. Re:package Album "Girls' Generation" ~The Boys~ (DVD)

1. "The Boys" (English version)

2. "Bad Girl"

VI. Packaging

Digital/Standard Cover

Physical CD+DVD Version

Limited Edition DVD+CD Version

Re-Release Standard Cover

Re-Release DVD + CD edition

VII. Important Videos from the Era