A Prelude to #ReadShine

by Elton Gagni / October 22, 2020

A tell-all exposé that will surely spill the tea on the events that led to the infamous 930 in 2014 — This was every Kpop fan and enthusiast’s motivation as soon as rumors surfaced about former Girls’ Generation member Jessica Jung writing a novel that closely resembled her life in the Kpop industry.

For those who are unaware, Girls’ Generation is a girl group formed by SM Entertainment and debuted in 2007. Composed of nine members, Jessica included, the legendary group has been hailed as the Nation’s Girl Group and has conquered Korea, Asia, and the rest of the world with chart-topping hits like “Gee,” “Genie,” “The Boys,” and “I Got A Boy,” to name a few. Their power and influence remains unmatched and unrivaled, paving the way for a new era girl groups, truly making it girls’ generation.

On September 30, 2014 (thus dubbed 930), shocking news and probably one of the Kpop industry’s biggest scandals to date broke out — SM Entertainment announced that Jessica was no longer a member of the Girls’ Generation and that the group will continue promotions with only eight members. And the rest was history. Not much was said nor confirmed, only speculations remain up to this day.

Since then, Jessica continued her music career as a soloist, releasing singles like “Fly,” “Wonderland,” and her 10th anniversary song “Summer Storm.” Apart from music, she has also been focused on growing her own fashion brand Blanc & Eclare, acting, modelling, and now, writing as an author.

Now that you’re up to speed with the tea, let’s talk about Jessica’s Shine. Since a lot of details about 930 have been kept under wraps, hype for Jessica’s debut novel remains high, regardless if you are a SONE (Girls’ Generation’s fan), a Golden Star (Jessica’s fan), or a casual Kpop fan who’s simply looking for crumbs and clues. So does Shine have the tea we’ve all been looking for for the past six years? Do we find out if the so-called Soshi-bond was even real? Read The Red Circle’s take on #ReadShine: Is it all fair and love in Kpop?

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