Following the shock exit earlier this year of K-pop idol star Jessica from Girls’ Generation, the now eight-member girl group has revealed that it will release a new single in Japan.

According to an announcement by SM Entertainment, Girls’ Generation will release a new Japanese single sometime early next year, which will mark its first release since the departure of Jessica.

The members of Girls’ Generation recently performed in front of their Japanese fans for the first time since becoming an eight-member group, during their solo concert at the Tokyo Dome on Tuesday. It was reported that the ladies put in extra practice time over the past couple of months to compensate for Jessica’s absence in hopes that fans would feel less awkward.

Inarguably one of K-pop’s most recognized acts, Girls’ Generation fans were stunned by Jessica’s sudden announcement on her Weibo page in late September that her agency, SM Entertainment, informed her that she would no longer be an active member of the iconic K-pop girl group due to constant scheduling conflicts.

By Julie Jackson (juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)