Group Name: Girls' Generation (소녀시대) Debut: August 5, 2007 Debut Single: Into the New World Members: Taeyeon, Sunny, Tiffany, Hyoyeon, Yuri, Sooyoung, Yoona, Seohyun Former Members: Jessica Girls' Generation (often abbreviated SNSD for their Korean name) is a Kpop girl group signed under SM Entertainment. The group currently has eight members: Taeyeon, Sunny, Tiffany, Hyoyeon, Yuri, Sooyoung, Yoona, Seohyun. Girls' Generation originally debuted in 2007 with nine members (Jessica eventually departed the group in 2014) with "Into the New World." The song was received with some attention, but it was not until the 2009 release of the group's mega-hit "Gee" that Girls' Generation was propelled to their current status as "the nation's girl group." Girls' Generation followed up "Gee" with a string of hits, including "Genie (Tell Me Your Wish)," "Oh!," and "Run Devil Run," cementing their status as a group that to this day is arguably Kpop's most popular girl group. The group made their Japanese debut in June 2011 and saw immediate success, becoming the first ever non-Japanese act to sell over a million albums. Upon their return to Korea later that year, Girls' Generation released "The Boys" in both Korean and English. Despite The Late Show with David Letterman and Live! with Kelly appearances, the group saw limited success with the release in America. Despite this, the Korean version of the album did well at home, eventually selling over 3 million copies in Korea alone. For most of 2012, Girls' Generation concentrated their energy on the Japanese market, releasing three more singles ("Paparazzi," "Oh!," and "Flower Power") and an album (Girls & Peace) in Japan. All of their 2012 releases did well on the Japanese charts, and the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan. On January 1, 2013, Girls' Generation made their long-awaited Korean comeback with "I Got A Boy." The album was once again a commercial success in Korea, topping charts and selling over a million digital units. The group embarked on a Japanese tour before returning to Korea in 2014 with their fourth Korean EP "Mr. Mr." in February of 2014. In September of 2014, controversy erupted when Jessica uploaded a message to her personal Weibo account claiming that SM had forced her to leave the group. SM Entertainment confirmed that Jessica was no longer a member of the group, and that Girls' Generation would carry on as an eight-member group for the foreseeable future. The group carried on with their Japanese dome tour without Jessica, and in March 2015 released their first single, "Catch Me If You Can," without her. Girls' Generation released their fifth studio album "Lion Heart" in August 2015, promoting three lead singles from the album: "Party," "Lion Heart," and "You Think." Following the album's release, the group went on their fourth concert tour, becoming the first ever girl group in Kpop to do so. Girls' Generation has created a legacy for themselves as Asia's top girl group, being one of the most prominent figures in the "Korean wave" or "Hallyu" movement that brought Korean pop culture to the world's attention. The members of the group are some of Korea's most powerful and influential celebrities, and consistently rank at the top of Forbes Korea's "Power Celebrity" list. Girls' Generation is one of the best-selling artists in Korea today, having sold over 30 million singles and 4.4 million albums by 2012 alone.