Happy 10 years!
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[5.75]
Ryo Miyauchi: Now a decade into their career, Girls’ Generation have got down what note to hit and what pose to strike like a science. For the case of “Holiday,” their tight professionalism limits the group more than it impresses. Their constant push for fun under the sun offer not much room for actual ad-libbed silliness, and it makes the all-smiles performance feel like just that: a performance. It also does them no favors that their retro sunshine boogie isn’t the most original backdrop right now.
[5]
Juana Giaimo: Although the cheerful and over-energic spirit may seem perfectly suitable for a holiday themed song, it sounds dated even when it was released only a month ago. The rap verse over the funk beat as well as the horns in the chorus are more suitable for a holiday in a classic broadway musical.
[5]
Alfred Soto: A holiday indeed with these sugar-fast tempos and the ease with which the girls’ vocals and the synths sync in harmony. Faster, though!
[6]
David Moore: We all knew this would be sunny and delightful and good clean fun and, obviously, the perfect opening soundtrack to a summer teen comedy in some parallel universe where millennial American pop metastasized unchecked and yada yada yada, but the real question before us is, how does it compare to a knock-off of “Holiday” by Madonna, which is to say Jessica Simpson’s “A Public Affair?” Less good, but not by as much as you’d think!
[7]
Anjy Ou: Ten years after their debut, Girls’ Generation can no longer pull off these sorts of songs convincingly. The youthful lightness songs like these require is missing in their performance — and it’s sorely needed in a song so lacking in personality. I don’t know why their fans and management seem to want to preserve their cute, young, carefree image in amber, but it does not do them any favors.
[4]
Micha Cavaseno: If I’m being honest with myself, I’ve never believed in Girls’ Generation. “Gee” was an unquestionable banger, and more than a few tracks have impressed me out of the camp. But the more I get into K-pop, the more I continue to ask myself, “Is this group the Biggest, The Best or simply definitive?” Amazing that one can be so reductive of setting precedent, but there’s a point where SNSD have not bothered to continue to establish these precedents. “Holiday” is a generic soul-influenced musical number that somehow manages to sound even more boring than the tyrannically useless mock-Motown-review that was Mamamoo’s “You’re the Best,” no doubt an influence on the group bothering to make a record that feels so conservative in the wake of their recent identity flux. And what trips me up is wondering if a song like this had come from any group without the sense of legacy as the Girls’, would anybody truly be interested?
[3]
Joshua Minsoo Kim: A Mamamoo-informed take on “Party” that’s here to prove that Girls’ Generation aren’t here to stay. They’ve solidified their status as legends long ago, so to release a single that finds them experimenting with new styles is surely not in SM’s interest, especially with the TaeTiSeo girls now flying solo. Even then, it’s a bit ironic that a song meant to celebrate the group’s tenth anniversary finds them at their most anonymous. It’s because of this very reason, though, that “Holiday” has become such an affecting song for me. I’ve finally found a career I love and consequently have an idea of what the next decade of my life will potentially look like. And while I may have settled into a predictable groove, I’ve found immense contentment in the current state of my life. I’m just thankful that I’m still alive and am able to find time to do the things I love, all whilst being around people I can gladly call friends. Considering all the girl groups who have called it quits recently, I’m sure Girls’ Generation feel the same.
[7]
Alex Clifton: I don’t think I’ve ever heard a single from Girls’ Generation I’ve ever disliked; their music is always theatrical and catchy, and “Holiday” is no exception. This is everything I could ask for in a summer song: funky guitars and horns, a beltable chorus, and a heavy dose of winning charm. I find it impossible to listen to this passively — I keep finding myself tapping my toes against my computer chair and bobbing my head at my desk, which makes this even better. Perhaps the highest compliment I can give is that for three minutes, my brain shuts up from its incessant stream of anxious thoughts and just focuses entirely on the music. Well done, Girls. Please stick around.
[9]