Girls’ Generation have explained why only two of the group’s eight members, namely Sooyoung and Tiffany, have songwriting credits on their new comeback album, ‘Forever 1’.

In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Taeyeon revealed that the group’s members were involved in producing tracks for the album, but only two tracks with SNSD member contributions made it to the final tracklist – ‘Seventeen’ and ‘Villain’, both of which credit Sooyoung and Tiffany as lyric co-writers.

“Other members also participated in creating the album, but SM [Entertainment]’s standard is very high,” leader Taeyeon explained with a laugh. “It’s very hard. Tiffany and Sooyoung’s results managed to end up passing.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Sooyoung revealed that she was working on lyrics for five songs at one point, and that ‘Seventeen’ was the first time she and Tiffany had written a song together. “It was my first time writing with her, and we worked while hanging out, chatting and making notes, and the lyrics came out pretty quickly,” she said.

“We had great chemistry. I think it’s because we spend a lot of time together, so we understand what the other is thinking with one glance.”

Sunny, meanwhile, opened up about what it was like to working with Tiffany as a producer. “When recording for Tiffany’s self-composed track “Villain,” she was in charge of directing and it was definitely something I hadn’t experienced before,” she explained.

“It was quite new and exciting to have a member working from the outside of the recording booth.”

‘Forever 1’ is Girls’ Generation’s seventh album and their first record as a full unit in five years. It got a digital release on August 5, the same day of the group’s 15th anniversary.

The future of Girls’ Generation beyond the album is still undecided, leader Taeyeon told media at a press conference on the day of its release. “We didn’t have enough time to think about our past and future because we have just gotten together after five years of individual activities and the present is the most important,” she said.

“So please watch us through our activities for this album. We will decide on the future path based on what we felt and learned through them.”

Girls’ Generation are due to perform as a full group at SM Entertainment’s SMTOWN LIVE 2022: SMCU Express @ Human City Suwon concert on August 20. Taeyeon and Hyoyeon are also on the bill as solo acts and in project supergroup GOT The Beat.