Girls' Generation Makes Big U.S. Debut on 'Letterman': Watch

2/1/2012 by Jeff Benjamin

Girls' Generation Push Japanese Domination With 'Paparazzi,' 1 Million Albums Sold

"Girls' Generation make you feel the heat," chants the K-pop powerhouse group Girls' Generation in its premiere English single, "The Boys." And that's just what the nine-member group did during its U.S. network TV debut on "The Late Show with David Letterman" last night (Jan. 31). Watch below.

Looking sexy in black lace ensembles, the girls performed a remixed version of "The Boys" (produced by Michael Jackson hitmaker Teddy Riley), incorporating impressive dance breakdowns. It's not easy to fit nine singers on the Ed Sullivan Theater but the girls moved and transitioned without a hitch, moving back and forth in their slick dance style -- one of the reasons they are such a phenomenon in Asia.

Not letting a day go to waste while in America, the girls also performed on "Live! With Kelly" this morning. They chatted with Kelly Ripa and guest host Howie Mandell, teaching them a dance move they named "The Ripa." Watch below.

Girls' Generation stand as one of the few Korean acts to make its way to American television. In 2009, fellow girl group Wonder Girls cracked the Hot 100 chart (with the retro-tinged single "Nobody," which has sold 78,000 downloads and 42,000 physical singles, according to Nielsen SoundScan), following appearances on "The Wendy Williams Show" and "So You Think You Can Dance." At press time, "The Boys" has sold 21,000 downloads.