Wonder Girls are one of those classic k-pop girl groups, debuting under JYP Entertainment in 2007 with five members: Hyuna, Sohee, Sunye, Sunmi, and Yeeun. They went through a few lineup changes in that time, ending their career in 2017 with original members Sunmi and Yeeun (the former returned from a years-long hiatus for school) and newer members Yubin and Hyerim.

Here are my credentials: Despite being what I would consider a huge fan of Sunmi’s solo career and a casual fan of a couple of the group’s songs, I’ve never sat down to watch a Wonder Girls music video or heard any b-sides of theirs, so I’m pretty excited for this deep dive! And as you may see in the title, my mother makes her triumphant return alongside my father, who makes his Married To The Music debut, as I was on the couch with a cold when typing this and roped them into watching music videos from 2008 with me. So, let’s get into it!

Single #1: The Wonder Begins

Irony begins as most JYP hits from the time do, with the iconic intro, “JYP introducing…the Wonder Girls!” The song reminds me a lot of Perfect Man by SHINHWA; it’s got the R & B and hip-hop influences from the first generation of k-pop and the smoother delivery from the second generation, along with a solid hook that’s catchy (but not too catchy). Meanwhile, the dance moves are simple compared to later hits and Irony just feels like a long song, although maybe that’s just in comparison to nowadays. It’s always interesting looking back at older kpop videos, before the genre was solidified. “Everyone has black hair and a normal skin tone”, my mother remarked. “The school girl thing is a bit overdone though.” My Dad liked it, noting the MV’s similarities to the show Laugh In and references to spy movies of the 60’s. “The dog made it all worth it,” Mom teased, pointing at the pudgy bulldog that was there for some reason.

From the single, I enjoyed the choppy beat of Bad Boy.

Single #2: Tears

As was common for the time, Wonder Girls’ second single Tears lands firmly in the ballad category. From its quiet, gentle piano to its soothing, heartbroken melody, there’s honestly not much about it that stands out from other, similar songs. That’s not to say it’s not beautiful; it unquestionably is. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to go search it out, when I could be listening to something else.

Album #1: The Wonder Years

Tell Me’s breathless vocal delivery would become a trademark of their career later, in songs like I Feel You, but for now, this is a song that sticks out from its landscape. It perfects the catchy-but-not-too-catchy sound, bopping along with just enough of a beat to get you dancing but not enough to exhaust you. This was also the first time I recognized Sunmi’s voice, looking up just in time to see Sunye, dressed as Wonder Woman, stop a car. As one does. “They’re still doing the school girl thing, which I don’t have a lot of patience for”, Mom noted. “They’re starting the close ups on the faces with no pores”. Dad, meanwhile, noted the Madonna influences in the video, which all three of us really liked. It’s not only really funny but was clearly made by someone who loves superhero comics, in the way it blended comic book staples with the live action, through speech bubbles, illustrations, and changes in the frame rates. Thumbs up from all three of us. My mother was delighted to have an opportunity to share her comic book knowledge with us.

God, I miss when full albums were more common. And this is a great one, especially for so early on in their careers. From The Wonder Years, I enjoyed the great vocals of Friend, the distorted beat and smooth harmonies of So What, and the percussion-led verses of Bad Boy. As for my hidden gem, I couldn’t choose between the fast-paced, frizzy Headache, which seems tailor-made for a shoulder-shuffling dance, and the confident, in-your-face Good Bye, with its insistent hook.

Single #3: Joyo Joyo

I confess that my first thought upon the opening lines of Joyo Joyo was, “Is this a cover of the Beatles’ Get Back?” Spoiler: It’s Not. Yeah, I don’t know either; it’s something in the beat. Blame my Dad; he heard it too! But as for the song itself, I enjoyed the verses more than the chorus, which is a little simple and understated for the good build-up.

Single #4: So Hot

I first heard the song So Hot from Blackpink’s cover of it a few years back, and while it didn’t strike me much then, I liked it this time. Operating on a pulsing, head-bopping, fast-paced beat for its verses and then transforming into a breathy, sensual but still dandy sound for its choruses, it teeters the line between what was at the time considered “cutesy” VS “sexy” girl group music. “We’re sexing up a little bit, we’ve got the leopard print, the hot pink and black, the hip rotation,” Mom counted off on her fingers. It’s a bit iffy in parts, but it’s overall not too male gaze-y. “They have a great sense of fun”, Dad complimented.

From the single, I enjoyed the no-bullshit attitude of You’re Out. (This may be an odd way to describe it, but it felt like what fit best)

EP #1: The Wonder Years Trilogy

If you ask the average kpop fan for a Wonder Girls song, 9 times out of 10 you’ll end up with “Nobody”. And there’s a reason for that: melding their breathy R & B / pop style with a jazzy beat and some delightfully retro costumes, it’s stuck in the ears of generations of stans—and now it’s stuck in mine. The music video wasn’t what I was expecting; “why this premise?” my mom asked, the fourth time it cut back to JYP. I could only offer a shrug. In terms of the MV, I loved the mixing of the retro aesthetics from different years; Dad noted Golden Age Hollywood influences and Motown as well. “They’re kind of like the Supremes or the Ronettes,” he said. I liked how they kept changing positions at the microphones and making it look seamless, and I especially loved seeing them on the black and white TV screens—my Dad remarked that it reminded him of his childhood. It’s 60’s in a…very 2000’s way.

From the EP, I enjoyed the incredible drama of the intro, and the acoustic remix of Nobody.

Next time, we’re onto Part 2! Tschüss!