Tell Me Your Wish (Genie)

"Tell Me Your Wish (Genie)"; stylized as GENIE in Japan) is the lead single from the mini-album of the same title by South Korean girl group Girls' Generation. Released digitally on June 22, 2009, the song became the group's 6th hit Korean single, topping various offline and online charts.

Background and composition

After the success of the last mini-album Gee, the group had a short hiatus. In late June, SM Entertainment announced that Girls' Generation would be making a comeback with a new single and showing a "Marine Girl" concept; Sowoneul Malhaebwa was then released digitally on June 22, 2009. The group's first performance for the mini-album was on June 26 on KBS Music Bank. Within a few days, the song topped on 10 different digital music charts. The song was also rewarded as the most popular album and ringtone downloads.

Composed by Anne Judith Wik, Robin Jenssen, Ronny Svendsen, Nermin Harambasic and Fridolin Nordso (Dsign Music), the song was originally titled "I Just Wanna Dance". After SM Entertainment had purchased the rights to the song, the lyrical story of the song was re-written with additional composition by Yoo Young-jin, and the melody arranged by Yoo Han-jin.[8] The original song, I Just Wanna Dance, is a song about ones lust to dance. However, in the re-worked version, the song discusses someone granting the wishes of their partner. Originally, SNSD recorded the song as "I Just Wanna Wish," and was rehearsed to by the girls, however, the song was quickly revised shortly before release, and changed to "Tell Me Your Wish (Genie)." Differences in the demo version, and the official, is most notably the presence of an ad-libbed bridge performed by Jessica, and the second chorus in which “Sowoneul Malhaebwa" (Tell Me Your Wish) is replaced by "I just wanna wish." As well as these, differences between this version and the Japanese version compared to the Korean version can be heard. In the Korean version, the outro features the girls playing around singing “Sowoneul Malhaebwa" whereas, in the other version, this is not heard.

"Tell Me Your Wish" is an electropop song, with influence of eurodance. The song features a synthesized intro performed by Yoo Young-jin, heard at the start of the Korean version, with the line, "Just turn it up, that's right, come on!". His voice is also used in the Korean music video, with the lines "Hey" and "Girls' Generation" being heard. The sound technique of, Musique concrète during the last chorus, in which group leader and main vocalist, Taeyeon, sings above the eight other girls - Tell me your fantasy, without holding back. I'll show you the genie's path. Tell me your wish, without holding back, I, your genie, will grant them. While the other girls sing the traditional chorus.

Japanese debut

"Genie" (stylised GENIE) is the official title for the debut in Japanese. The single was the first ever Japanese single released by Girls' Generation on September 8, 2010 in Japan. A new version of the music video was filmed to accompany the Japanese version, and the teaser was released on August 19, 2010. On August 26, 2010, the full music video was released. The song reached #5 on Oricon Charts on the releasing day. The song reached #2 on September 11, 2010. The song was released in three editions, two CD+DVD (first press and regular), and a CD Only edition. First press CD+DVD edition includes a special photobook and a random (1 of 9) photocard. The single includes also includes the Korean version, Tell Me Your Wish (Genie).

It was selected by iTunes Japan as the #1 Breakthrough Album of 2010 on 2010: Music, 2010 BEST chart.

Music videos

The choreographer was Rino Nakasone Razalan.

Korean version

The teaser video was released at 9:20 p.m. (KT) on June 19, 2009. Later, the original video was released on June 26, 2009. In the music video, Yoona appears first sitting in a large lamp, the other members sitting around her. The music video cuts back and forth between the group performing the choreography and scenes from three separate rooms occupied by three different members each. Yoona, Yuri and Jessica are in a large pink bedroom, Tiffany, Taeyeon and Sunny are in a dance club or disco bar, while Seohyun, Sooyoung and Hyoyeon are in a room there is a large cake from which Seohyun pops out. The girls wear white uniforms and perform on a long runway-like stage with a large heart in the background, while on the other they are in khaki uniforms with the words "GIRLS' GENIE" in the background. The music video frequently shows the girls interacting with the camera and with arms that sometimes extend from either side of the screen to give the impression that the girls are interacting with the viewer personally. The stage sequences have heavy, flashy lights and moving spotlights to give strong and bright effects.

Japanese version

The music video teaser was released August 16, 2010 and the full music video was released August 25, 2010, it was also their first video to be filmed in Japan.

It begins with a young boy (EXO's Chanyeol) who found an old lamp and a scale model of a circus tent in an old attic. After rubbing the lamp, the camera zooms inside the tent where the Girls' Generation can be seen coming to life as the song begins to play. The girls then alternately switch to different costumes as the boy rubs the lamp once again, where in they are seen on an old television screen with a huge candy cane and colorful balloons. The music video ends with the boy rubbing the lamp again before magically disappearing into another scene where he is walking out of a limousine with Girls' Generation members meeting him on the red carpet at a premiere event. It is implied that his wish had been granted by lamp. There are also individual close-up scenes of members dressed in old fashioned pink shirts.

Most of the choreography remains the same as the Korean version, with a slight tweak to some of the steps. The difference is that in the Japanese version there are some parts where member Taeyeon moves to the front position to sing her solo verse before going back and rejoining the other girls to form a line. While in the Korean version, Taeyeon does not do this. Also, all the girls pose with a hand salute at the end. In the Korean version, only member Seohyun does it as her "end pose".

A dance version was also released which features the girls wearing their brown soldier uniforms which were one of the costumes that they wore in the music 

3D Version (Korean)

On October 24, 2010 a 3D music video of the Korean version, was released for Samsung PAVV LED TV. The video begins with all nine girls sitting down, looking into crystal balls, then cutting into the beginning of the song with "Girls Generation" written in pink, sparkly lettering. The video features three dance sequences, one of which features a floor with cosmic-like sparkles coming out of it. During the video, it cuts to solo scenes of the girls playing with the crystal balls, inside are a man and a woman standing awkwardly beside each other at a bus stop, beside them is a poster with "I Wish" printed on it, and a red Mini Convertible is below it. The girls are then seen changing the couples clothes, and making the Mini appear out of the poster, signifying the girls are 'genies' and granting their wishes. The video ends with the girls waving goodbye to the couple, who then drive off in the car, with the number '37' printed on the side. The outfits worn by the girls follow the typical 'military' style, with two costumes being used. One featuring a black coat, tie and short-shorts, and a white undershirt. The other being all white, topped off with a white navy-esque hat.

Live performance style

On stage, the girls were given a "military" concept for their performance of Tell Me Your Wish, dressing mostly in tight military jackets, miniskirts, and/or hot pants. The colours were mostly white navy shirts, khaki brown, and red,[9] although various uniforms were shown. The group wished to show a mature image, in comparison to the innocence portrayed during Gee. The choreography of the song, done by Rino Nakasone, was focused on synchronization and seductive images. Parts of the choreography became popular in Korea, including the "Jegi-kicking dance" and the "Leg-beauty dance".

The song has been performed on two SMTown tours, In 2010, using the "Rock Tronic" remix, which was also used on their first tour, and then again in 2011 for the continuation of the 2010 SMTown tour. The remix contains a rock inspired dance-break, where the girls perform in-sync routines, the echo of the line sowoneul marhaebwa (Tell me your wish) can be heard, also.

"Genie" was featured as the opening number for the Girls' first Japan tour, and on the 2nd Asia tour. The performance begins with the girls appearing from an odd-shaped cocoon-like prop, where they are assembled in the shape of a pyramid; Taeyeon on top, followed by Jessica and Tiffany, then the remaining girls, Seohyun, Hyoyeon, Sunny, YoonA, Yuri and Sooyoung, on the third level. The song starts with Taeyeon singing the first line of Genie, and then is repeated by Jessica and Tiffany, and then again by the remaining girls, then, the girls begin to sing the song. The remix features a rap interlude performed by Tiffany;

Welcome to my show, it's a revolution

This is my Girls' Generation

Everyone rock with me, take it in all right

Get hype! Jump! Let's party all night

I know we the ones to make you super crazy

Wanna be your genie more than one night

Watchin' me, feelin' me, callin' my name

I just want you and me to feel the same

Come on and move it, put your hands up in the air

Everybody lose control, and hands up in the air.

After the rap, Tiffany replaces the word "DJ" in the line "DJ, put it back on," with the specific city, or venue, they are performing at. They perform at Japan, for example; Tiffany would say "Japan, put it back on!" During their performance of the song at the 62nd NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen in 2011, Tiffany says "Akagumi, put it back on!" as they were part of the all-female Akagumi (red team).

Other versions and plagiarism Issues

Issues of plagiarism were caused by Uzbek singer Dineyra's song "Raqsga Tushgin". It was revealed that although the release of her song preceded the release of Girls' Generation's second mini-album, the Uzbekistan singer's song was recorded without obtaining proper permission from Universal Music, thus plagiarising Tell Me Your Wish (Genie).]

On May 19, 2010 Dutch singer Nathalie Makoma released her second single named "I Just Wanna Dance." However, Nathalie sings the original English lyrics that were written for the song. On June 3, 2011 British singer C.J. Lewis released an English Version of Genie.

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Track listing

1. "Tell Me Your Wish (Genie)
2. "Etude"
3. "Girlfriend"
4. "Boyfriend"
5. "My Child"
6. "One Year Later"