U-Go-Girl
{{about|song by Lee Hyori|the comic book character|X-Statix}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox song
| name = U-Go-Girl
| cover =
| caption =
| type = single
| artist = Lee Hyori
| album = It's Hyorish
| language = Korean
| released = {{Start date|2008|07|12}}
| recorded = 2008
| genre = Dance-pop
| length = 3:09
| label = Mnet Media
| writer = E-Tribe
|producer = E-Tribe
| prev_title = Cat on the Roof
| prev_year = 2008
| next_title = Hey Mr. Big
| next_year = 2008
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|v8Y3NL1KeNQ|"U-Go-Girl"}}}}
}}
"U-Go-Girl" is a song by South Korean recording artist Lee Hyori, featuring rapper Nassun. It was first made available to digital outlets in South Korea a three days prior to the release of her third studio album, It's Hyorish, on July 12, 2008. A dance-pop number with hip hop influences, "U-Go-Girl" was written and produced by songwriting duo E-Tribe, who would later compose Girls' Generation's "Gee" (2009) and Miss A's "Hush" (2013). "U-Go-Girl" was made available via Mnet.com along with the second title track "Hey, Mr. Big" as one of the pre-releases.{{Cite web |last= |date=July 11, 2008 |script-title=ko:이효리, 14일 3집 수록곡 중 5곡 선공개 |trans-title=Lee Hyori, pre-release of 5 songs from her 3rd album on the 14th |url=https://entertain.naver.com/read?oid=108&aid=0001951627 |access-date=2021-11-11 |website=Star News |language=ko |via=Naver}}
Background
Lee's third studio album along with its two title tracks were unveiled on July 9, 2008, and was originally intended to be released a week later on July 16. The album marked Lee's first album since Dark Angel in 2006.{{Cite web |date=July 9, 2008 |script-title=ko:이효리, 3집 제목은 '잇츠 효리시(Hyorish)' |trans-title=Lee Hyori, 3rd album titled 'It's Hyorish' |url=https://entertain.naver.com/read?oid=001&aid=0002166121 |access-date=2021-11-11 |website=Yonhap News |language=ko |via=Naver}} Mnet Media initially planned to pre-release five of the upcoming album's songs, including "U-Go-Girl" and "Hey, Mr. Big", on July 14. After several of the album's songs were illegally leaked to YouTube, however, Mnet Media pushed up the release of "U-Go-Girl" to July 12, 2008. The full album was released a day earlier than intended, on July 15.{{Cite web |date=July 14, 2008 |script-title=ko:'음원유출' 이효리, 음반 15일로 앞당겨 발매 |trans-title=Lee Hyori songs leaked, the album will be released earlier on the 15th |url=https://entertain.naver.com/read?oid=108&aid=0001951817 |access-date=2021-11-11 |website=Star News |language=ko |via=Naver}}
Composition and promotion
"U-Go-Girl" is a hip-hop dance number with its lyrical content directed towards her female fans, featuring lyrics that loosely translate to "don't be shy, show yourself boldly".{{cite web |date=July 18, 2008 |title=Lee Hyo Ri Vol. 3 - It's Hyorish CD |url=http://www.yesasia.com/global/lee-hyo-ri-vol-3-its-hyorish/1011045301-0-0-0-en/info.html |access-date=November 11, 2021 |publisher=YesAsia}} Lee appeared and promoted the single on several South Korean music programs, including Music Bank, Show! Music Core, and Inkigayo.{{Cite web |date=July 16, 2008 |script-title=ko:이효리 3집, '악재' 불구 온라인 장악 |trans-title=Lee Hyori's 3rd album takes over online despite 'controversy' |url=https://entertain.naver.com/read?oid=022&aid=0001973391 |access-date=2021-11-11 |website=Segye Ilbo |language=ko |via=Naver}} In December 2008, Lee performed the song at her first solo concert titled Lee Hyori the Invincible at the Jamsil Indoor Stadium.{{Cite web |date=2008-12-19 |title=이효리, '핫팬츠 섹시 퍼포먼스 8000명 만원관중 홀렸다' |trans-title=Hyori Lee, 'hot pants sexy performance captivated 8,000 people' |url=https://entertain.naver.com/read?oid=144&aid=0000084690 |access-date=2022-10-17 |website=Sports Kyunghyang |publisher=Naver |language=ko}}
Accolades
| class="wikitable"
|+Awards and nominations for "U-Go-Girl" ! Year ! Award-giving body ! Category ! Result ! {{abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |
| rowspan="3" |2008
| rowspan="3" |Mnet KM Music Festival | {{Won}} |
| Best Dance Performance
| {{Won}} |
| Song of the Year
| {{nom}} |
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+Music program awards ! Program ! width="140" |Date ! {{abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |
| rowspan="3" |Inkigayo
|July 27, 2008 |
| August 3, 2008 |
| August 10, 2008 |
| rowspan="3" |M Countdown
|July 31, 2008 |
| August 14, 2008
| |
| August 21, 2008
| |
| rowspan="3" |Music Bank
|August 1, 2008 |
| August 8, 2008 |
| August 15, 2008
| |
Music video
The music video for "U-Go-Girl" was shot during the first week of July 2008. An official from Mnet said that the video's concept would be "fit for the summer mood."{{Cite web |last= |date=July 7, 2008 |script-title=ko:이효리, 극비리 섹시미 물씬 풍기는 뮤비 촬영 |trans-title=Lee Hyori, secretly filming a sexy MV |url=https://entertain.naver.com/read?oid=108&aid=0001951296 |access-date=2021-11-11 |website=Star News |language=ko |via=Naver}} Upon the video's release, however, it was met with controversy as Lee, who wore a nurse outfit in the video, was accused of representing nurses as a sexual object. Several scenes in the video was also criticized for resembling Christina Aguilera's work. The music video was soon re-uploaded and the controversial scenes were deleted.{{cite web |date=July 15, 2008 |script-title=ko:이효리, 간호사 비하 논란 뮤비 '유고걸' 일부 장면 삭제 |trans-title=Lee Hyori deletes some scenes from 'You Go Girl' in controversy over nurses |url=https://entertain.naver.com/read?oid=076&aid=0001960544 |website=Sports Chosun |language=ko |via=Naver}}
Covers
The song has been covered various times by other K-pop artists. Girls' Generation covered "U-Go-Girl" on the 200th episode special of Show Music Core on February 20, 2010.{{Cite web |date=2010-02-20 |title=소녀시대, 청순버전 ‘유고걸’ 무대 ‘男心흔들’ |trans-title=Girls' Generation, innocent version of 'You Go Girl' stage 'shakes men's hearts' |url=https://www.newsen.com/news_view.php?uid=201002201617291001 |access-date=2024-02-16 |website=Newsen |language=ko}} In 2015, the song was performed by Nayeon, Chaeryeong, Mina, and Jeongyeon during the girl group survival show Sixteen;{{Cite web |date=2015-06-09 |title='식스틴' 모모, 세 번째 탈락자 됐다 '눈물' |trans-title='Sixteen' Momo becomes the third eliminated, 'tears' |url=https://www.xportsnews.com/article/596327 |access-date=2024-02-16 |website=Xports News |language=ko}} while the show's final lineup, who formed the girl group Twice, performed the same song at the 2016 MBC Korean Music Festival on December 31, 2016. Seventeen also performed a cover of the song at the 2016 SBS Gayo Daejeon,{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2016-12-26 |title=[2016 SBS 가요대전] 세븐틴, 'S.E.S부터 소녀시대까지 걸그룹 따라잡기'...못하는 게 뭐야? |trans-title=[2016 SBS Gayo Daejeon] Seventeen, ‘Catching up with girl groups from SES to Girls’ Generation’... What can’t they do? |url=https://entertain.naver.com/read?oid=011&aid=0002944667 |access-date=2024-02-16 |website=Sedaily |language=ko}} while (G)I-dle covered it on a Show! Music Core special stage on August 11, 2018. Everglow performed a cover of the song for CON:nected Live in 2020, while Itzy's Yuna performed the song at the 2022 KBS Song Festival on December 16.