Girls’ Generation Title Track That Initially Faced Backlash Gains Viral Praise Years Later
A viral post on Nate Pann has reignited discussion about one of Girls’ Generation’s title tracks that initially received overwhelmingly negative reactions. Despite being performed by one of K-Pop’s most legendary girl groups, the song’s debut was met with unexpected criticism — even from fans.
The title track in question is none other than “The Boys” — a song deemed iconic by many K-Pop fans nowadays.
The post — which has amassed over 62,000 views — highlights how the song was poorly received upon release but has since been re-evaluated more positively over time. Some netizens admitted they were shocked at how much backlash it received at the time, while others debated what other tracks from the SM Entertainment girl group faced similar backlash.
Other than “The Boys,” their controversial hit “I Got A Boy” was also mentioned often in the comments.
While “The Boys” was a stylistic departure from Girls’ Generation’s signature bubblegum pop sound, “I Got a Boy” took an even more experimental approach — blending multiple musical genres within one track. Upon its release in 2013, some K-Pop listeners found it chaotic! But over the years, it has now gained a reputation as an innovative and influential track.
- “If you look at just the songs themselves, all of Girls’ Generation’s tracks are great, but there are so many I can’t listen to because of the lyrics… Especially these days, I really can’t stand them.”
- “I remember ‘The Boys’ and ‘I Got a Boy’ getting some backlash. Wasn’t ‘Hoot’ also kind of hated, too…?”
- “I thought it would be ‘I Got a Boy.’ I actually liked ‘The Boys.'”
- “‘I Got a Boy’ really stirred up mixed reactions.”
- “I don’t know about fans disliking it, though. Their fandom was at its peak during this era. The concept was great.”
This pattern of initial backlash followed by later appreciation is not unique to Girls’ Generation. Other groups have experienced similar trajectories with experimental title tracks — Red Velvet’s “Zimzalabim” and NCT 127’s “Sticker” being prime examples.
As trends in K-Pop evolve, songs that were once seen as divisive often get rediscovered by newer generations of fans, proving that first impressions aren’t always final.
What do you think? What other Girls’ Generation title track can fit the description of being disliked at first, but then becoming an iconic hit? Let us know in the comments to our social media posts!
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