Edited by Seo Hayne
Translated by Yu Jin Kim
Red Velvet celebrated their 10th anniversary on June 24th by releasing the mini album Cosmic, which conveys their heartfelt thanks to their cherished fans. Debuting in 2014 with “Happiness,” Red Velvet has continually expanded the spectrum of K-pop girl groups, always sparking curiosity about their next concept. Embracing the duality in their name, which represents both the bold and captivating “Red” and the feminine and soft “Velvet,” Red Velvet has forged their own path with music that balances these contrasting elements. Here are some of their most iconic songs.
Ice Cream Cake (2015)
“Ice Cream Cake” is one of the two title tracks from Red Velvet’s first album after the addition of their new member, Yeri. While the other title track, “Automatic,” emphasized a mature and velvety mood, “Ice Cream Cake” focuses on a bright, electronic pop sound with synth melodies, highlighting the group’s vibrant “Red” side. The song compares the feeling of a girl in love to the sweet taste of ice cream cake, with catchy lyrics like “I scream, you scream, gimme that, gimme that ice cream.” The song has a lovely vibe, but the members’ performance explodes with energy as they break down the beat into rapid segments, creating a dynamic and nonstop sequence.
Red Flavor (2017)
Before “Power Up” and “Umpah Umpah,” there was “Red Flavor.” This song marked the beginning of Red Velvet’s reign as the queens of summer. It is an uptempo dance track with a refreshing vibe that cools down the summer heat. Caesar & Loui, who participated in the composition, later revealed that they originally created this song imagining a couple breaking up. The emotions of wanting to win the heart of someone they fell in love with at first sight were expressed metaphorically through ‘red’ and ‘flavor.’ From the album jacket to the music video props, the visuals were filled with summer fruits like pineapple, kiwi, grapes, oranges, and watermelon.
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Peek-A-Boo (2017)
“Peek-A-Boo” is the title track of Red Velvet’s second full-length album, Perfect Velvet, and it fully showcases the group’s mature ‘velvety’ concept. In songs with the concept, not only does the music’s atmosphere become darker, but there is also a distinct difference in how the narrator expresses feelings toward someone they currently like or are interested in. In this song, Red Velvet sings about playing in the playground “until the moon gets caught in the jungle gym,” and tells listeners, ‘It’ll be fun, I’ll let you join in.’ The music video also portrays somewhat eerie scenes of playing peek-a-boo with a mysterious pizza delivery guy.
Zimzalabim (2019)
In 2019, Red Velvet announced their own three-part festival titled ‘The ReVe Festival,’ derived from the group’s nickname ‘ReVe.’ Just like choosing any ride you want at an amusement park, they declared that they would explore more diverse genres and concepts. “Zimzalabim” is the song that marks the beginning of the festival, and it is a word used in magical spells primarily in European regions. With rhythmic drum beats, the continuously repeated phrase ‘Zimzalabim’ unfolds on stage with various performances of casting spells. The song was performed as an encore in Red Velvet’s 2023 concert, creating a ‘wild party’ with ReVeluvs (Red Velvet’s fandom).
