No, those behind us are really just back-up dancers
Introducing sub-units for pop groups is a common sight in South Korea as well as Japan. Household names like Japanese girl group AKB48 and Girls' Generation's label mate Super Junior have all experienced some sort of division within the group.
Fans of Girls' Generation are naturally excited by the news of a new sub-group. Positive comments about TaeTiSeo have been flooding the internet for the past week. However, did we ever try taking a look at the other side of the story?
The media as well as Girls' Generation's label, SM Entertainment, have claimed that the sub-unit is made up of the three best vocals of the group namely Taeyeon, Tiffany and Seohyun.
Although the singing abilities of the three ladies are undoubted, the average Girls' Generation fan might question why was Jessica, another lead vocalist of the group, omitted from the squad.
If SM Entertainment wanted to wow fans by concentrating the best vocals into one sub-unit, there is no reason why Jessica should not be included. Although there is a member, Sooyoung, who can speak Japanese fluently in the group, Jessica still manages to get more lines in Girls' Generation's Japanese songs due to her impressive voice.
SM Entertainment decision to leave Jessica out clearly shows that it is preserving strength, probably for another sub-unit in the future where the remaining five members to choose from are either supporting vocalists or lead dancers.
The result of excluding Jessica is more of a commercial decision than a musical one to neutrals. Both Jessica and Tiffany are widely-known to be the English spokeswomen for their group due to their American roots since both were both and lived in San Francisco.
By partnering Jessica up with Tiffany, the overall image of the sub-unit might look too "westernized", making people think that SM Entertainment is too eager to break into the American market.
By using the three members of TaeTiSeo to form the first sub-unit, SM Entertainment is actually trying to test the waters to see how they adapt to new brand concepts without making any significant impact on the renowned image of Girls' Generation.
Sub-units are a new source of making money and since the fire is still blazing strongly for Girls' Generation, it is understandable that its label wants to make full use of the members while they are in their peak.
Seohyun, the youngest in the group, is an underrated member whose glamour pales in comparison to the likes of Taeyeon or Yoona. However, by including her in the sub-unit, SM Entertainment is giving her an opportunity to boost her popularity and in turn, assisting Girls' Generation as a whole.
No matter which angle one chooses to look from, it is an undeniable fact that TaeTiSeo, or rather Girls' Generation's sub-groups, were formed for a commercial reason. But that's okay to fans so long as they get to see their idols appear more often.
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