On Jessica's Departure

This is probably the first positive thing I'll write about this, but I'm still pretty much bitter about this.


I've recently met with a friend who's surprisingly updated about SNSD despite her not being a hardcore k-pop fan. She told me she liked So Nyuh Shi Dae without Jessica better. She said Jessica wasn't nice. I couldn't bring up points to defend her but still I tried to argue against her point. However, she was a good friend, so I didn't pursue it anymore.

Moments later, as I headed home, the statement hit me harder that it previously did. It paved the way for acceptance. Slowly, I began to realize that Jessica was no longer part of SNSD and I should probably move on. We didn't know the entire story and Jessica might've really wanted to leave. But still a heavy part of me insisted that Jessica would still be part of SNSD if not for SM. Then the other part argued that SNSD wouldn't have gone on with projects because of Jessica's indecision-if she was thinking of her fashion empire that time. Let's stop here before you and I get exhausted with the endless what if and unanswered questions we SONEs have.

So, Lion Heart got released and I felt really guilty for watching the mv on the day of its release. It took me a lot of convincing from my sister to watch the Party MV because I wanted to stay loyal to SNSD (OT9). Come to think of it, that might have been a bit pointless. By the way, I ended up buying all of Jessica's recent magazines because I missed her badly. But then, Lion Heart was great and so enjoyable. By far, the best mv they've released.

Then I realized soshi has already changed. There was no going back. They're improvement is owed to Jessica's departure. Due to the absence of one, the eight had to overcompensate. In addition to the performance and aesthetic, they had to get back the trust of the fans who were badly hurt when Jessica was kicked out of SNSD. They had to work hard and work hard they did. Lion Heart was so good that it carved out a space in my heart. It might've shaken my loyalty but still I'll stick with OT9.

Plus, the eight of them shined more than they ever did. Maybe they had more opportunities to show their talents due to the longer lines and better exposure, but again this comes from the effort they've exerted in producing this record.

I haven't purchased any official merchandise post-OT9 but I might just consider buying this album.