Red Velvet (group)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to navigationJump to search

Red Velvet

Red Velvet in July 2019

From left to right: Joy, Yeri, Irene, Seulgi and Wendy

Background information

Origin Seoul, South Korea

Genres  K-pop

 R&B

 electropop

 dance-pop

Years active 2014–present

Labels  SM

 Avex Trax[1]

Spinoffs Red Velvet – Irene & Seulgi

Spinoff of SM Rookies

Members  Irene

 Seulgi

 Wendy

 Joy

 Yeri

Website Official website

Red Velvet (Korean: 레드벨벳; romanized: Ledeubelbes; Japanese: レッドベルベッ

ト; romanized: Reddoberubetto) are a South Korean girl group formed and managed by SM
Entertainment. They originally debuted on August 1, 2014, with the single "Happiness" with the four-
member line-up of Irene, Seulgi, Wendy and Joy. A fifth member, Yeri, joined the group in March 2015,
following the release of their first mini album, Ice Cream Cake. Musically, the work of Red Velvet reflects
their own group name: their predominantly-pop "red" side experiments occasionally
with electronic, funk and hip hop, while their "velvet" side focuses on '90s-influenced R&B with
elements of ballad and jazz. Their genre versatility and hooks have garnered critical praise.

The group's Korean-language discography includes two studio albums, one reissue album, one
compilation album, and ten extended plays—twelve of which have topped the South Korean Gaon
Album Chart. Their hit singles "Red Flavor" and "Power Up" reached number one on the Gaon Digital
Chart. Numerous others have charted on both the Gaon Digital Chart and Billboard World Digital Song
Sales chart, including "Happiness", "Ice Cream Cake", "Dumb Dumb", "One of These Nights", "Russian
Roulette", "Rookie", "Peek-a-Boo", "Bad Boy", "RBB (Really Bad Boy)", "Zimzalabim", "Umpah Umpah",
"Psycho", "Queendom", and "Feel My Rhythm". The group also ventured into the Japanese music scene
with the extended plays #Cookie Jar (2018) and Sappy (2019).

Red Velvet have received numerous accolades, most notably the Golden Disc New Artist Award,
the Mnet Asian Music Award for Best Female Group, the Korean Music Award for Best Pop Song, and
the Asia Artist Award for Song of the Year. Their wide domestic influence has been recognized
by Forbes Korea Power Celebrity (placing 11th in 2018 and fifth in 2019);[2][3] internationally, they were
named one of the most popular K-pop groups by Time and Billboard and are the fifth most streamed K-
pop artist worldwide on Spotify as of February 2020.[4]

Contents

 1Career

o 1.12007–2014: Formation and pre-debut activities

o 1.22014–2015: Debut, new member Yeri and domestic breakthrough

o 1.32016–2017: Commercial success and first solo tour

o 1.42018: Japanese debut, touring and worldwide recognition

o 1.52019–2020: The ReVe Festival trilogy and continued touring

o 1.62021–present: Queendom, The ReVe Festival 2022 and Bloom

 2Members

o 2.1Timeline

 3Sub-unit and solo endeavors

 4Artistry

o 4.1Musical styles and themes

o 4.2Image and reception

 5Discography
  6Filmography

o 6.1Film

o 6.2Reality show

o 6.3Video albums

 7Concerts and tours

o 7.1Headlining

o 7.2Concert participation

 8Awards and nominations

 9See also

 10References

 11External links

Career[edit]

2007–2014: Formation and pre-debut activities[edit]

See also:  SM Rookies

Red Velvet began forming in 2007 when Seulgi was cast as a trainee by SM Entertainment via audition.
[5]
 Irene was cast in 2009, and Yeri in 2011. [6][7] In 2012, Wendy and Joy were cast through the SM Global
Auditions in Canada and Seoul, respectively. [8] Preparations for Red Velvet's debut began in late 2013,
with the introduction of Irene and Seulgi in December 2013 and Wendy in March 2014 through SM
Entertainment's trainee group SM Rookies.[9] Irene and Seulgi made cameo appearances in the music
videos for "1-4-3 (I Love You)" and "Fantastic", respectively, by then-labelmate Henry; Seulgi also
featured in Henry's "Butterfly".[10][11] In March 2014, Wendy, then credited as a member of SR14G, was
introduced through the release of "Because I Love You", her first solo soundtrack for
the Mnet drama Mimi.[12] Rumors of a group debut gained traction in July, which were subsequently
confirmed by SM Entertainment.[13][14][15] With the addition of member Joy, the quartet went on to debut
in 2014 as SM Entertainment's first girl group in five years and first idol group since 2012. [16]

2014–2015: Debut, new member Yeri and domestic breakthrough[edit]

Red Velvet at KCON 2015 in Los Angeles

Red Velvet had their official debut stage on August 1, 2014, on the program Music Bank.[17] Their first
single, "Happiness", was released digitally on August 4.[18] It was an urban Europop song with "strong
synth sound" and "African tribal beat",[19][better  source  needed] penned by Yoo Young-jin and composed by Will
Simms, Chad Hugo (The Neptunes), Chris Holsten, and Anne Judith Wik (Dsign Music). The original music
video for "Happiness" gained more than two million views on YouTube in its first 24 hours of release
before being removed due to controversy over problematic background images and replaced with an
edited version. "Happiness" was the second-most viewed K-pop music video worldwide in August 2014.
[20]
 Red Velvet became the first K-pop girl group to chart a debut single on the Billboard World Digital
Songs chart, where it peaked at number four. [21] The group released their second digital single "Be
Natural" on October 13, 2014.[22] The song, which includes a rap verse from then-
SR14B member Taeyong, was a remake of the 2000 single of the same name by S.E.S., SM
Entertainment's first girl group.[23] The music video for the song was directed by Kwon Soon-wook and
Shim Jae-won, choreographed by Kyle Hanagami, and featured original choreography seen in a pre-
debut SM Rookies teaser of Irene and Seulgi. [24][25] The group began promoting the release on October 9,
making their first appearance on M Countdown.[26] The song peaked at number 33 on the Gaon Digital
Chart and at number six on the Billboard World Digital Songs chart.[27][28] Red Velvet won Rookie of The
Year at the Golden Disk Awards and Seoul Music Awards.[29]

Red Velvet at the Incheon Hallyu K-pop Concert in October 2015

Following news reported that the group was filming in a desert just outside of Palmdale, California in
February 2015, SM Entertainment announced that former SM Rookies member Yeri would officially join
the group on March 11, 2015.[30] Yeri had been one of the remaining SM Rookies female trainees to
appear in the group's music video for "Happiness" and was first introduced to the public through a
Rookie Station video and a group performance on SM Town Live World Tour IV.[31] Preceded by the
release of "Automatic", the group's first mini-album, Ice Cream Cake, was released on March 17, 2015,
to critical and commercial success. The album's second single, "Ice Cream Cake", marked their
commercial breakthrough.[32][33] On March 19, the group held an album showcase on Ice Cream TV, a
program streamed through Naver Music and hosted by Shinee's Minho.[34] On March 27, they won their
first music show trophy on KBS's Music Bank, and the album became the best-selling album by a girl
group in South Korea for the first half of 2015 on the Hanteo Chart. [35] In August 2015, Red Velvet held
their first US performance during the annual KCON convention and music festival in Los Angeles,
California.[36]

The group released their first studio album, The Red, on September 9, 2015, also to critical and
commercial success.[37] Billboard's Jeff Benjamin described The Red "an impressive, solid debut album",
stating that it "indicates big things for the act that needs to follow in the footsteps of their beloved
female label mates Girls' Generation and f(x)".[38] The album debuted at number one on
the Billboard World Albums Chart and South Korea's Gaon Album Chart,[39] and appeared on Billboard's
list of the "10 Best K-Pop Albums of 2015". [40] Lead single "Dumb Dumb" peaked at number two on
the Gaon Digital Chart and number three on the Billboard World Digital Songs chart, topping the list of
the "Top 20 K-pop Tracks of 2015" by Dazed.[41] The music video for "Dumb Dumb" was the only non-
English language entry in Rolling Stone's "10 Best Music Videos of 2015".[42] Red Velvet went on to take
part in the SM Entertainment's special Christmas project, Winter Garden, releasing a digital single titled
"Wish Tree" on December 18, 2015.[43]

2016–2017: Commercial success and first solo tour[edit]

Red Velvet on stage at the Myongji University Festival in 2016

Red Velvet's second mini-album The Velvet was intended to be released on March 16, 2016; however,
SM Entertainment announced that the music video and album's release would be delayed "to guarantee
a high quality of work".[44] The album and its lead single "One of These Nights" (Korean title: 7 월 7 일)
was released on March 17.[45] The album showcased the smooth R&B-influenced "velvet" side of the
group's concept as a direct follow-up album to The Red, which highlighted the group's bright and bold
"red" persona.[46] On May 2, Red Velvet released the soundtrack Yossism for the children animation
series Telemonster.[47]

The group released their third extended play, Russian Roulette, on September 7, 2016.[48][49] The album
consisted of seven tracks, with the lead single titled "Russian Roulette".[50] On September 13, 2016, Red
Velvet took their first music show win for Russian Roulette on The Show.[51] The track peaked at number
two on the Gaon Digital Chart and Billboard's World Digital Songs chart, making it their highest rankings
on both charts at the time.[52][53]

On February 1, 2017, Red Velvet released Rookie,[54] an EP with six tracks, including the lead single
"Rookie" and a solo track by Wendy titled "Last Love" (마지막 사랑). The album topped the
weekly Gaon Album Chart as well as the Billboard World Albums Chart.[55] The group took their first
music show win for "Rookie" on The Show on February 7, followed by wins on Show Champion, M
Countdown, Music Bank, and Inkigayo.[56][57][58] On March 31, the group released the first single for SM
Station 2, titled "Would U".[59] From July 27 to September 10, Red Velvet starred in their first reality
television program, Level Up Project, which showcased footage of their trip to Thailand. The show aired
for 23 episodes and was shot without member Joy, who was filming the drama The Liar and His Lover,
where she was the female lead.[60]
Red Velvet attending the Idol Star Athletics Championships in 2017

On July 9, 2017, Red Velvet released their first summer extended play, The Red Summer, with the lead
single "Red Flavor" (빨간 맛).[61][62] The EP was a commercial success, topping the Gaon Album Chart and
the Billboard World Albums Chart. This was Red Velvet's third number-one album and set the record for
most number one albums on the chart by a K-pop girl group. [63] Additionally, "Red Flavor" debuted atop
the Gaon Digital Chart, with the other four songs from the EP also charting in the Top 50. [64]

In August 2017, Red Velvet's rendition of Yoon Jong Shin's "Rebirth", made possible by the
show Snowball Project, was officially released as part of SM Station. [65] On August 18, the group held
their first solo concert titled "Red Room" to an audience of 11,000. Although it was initially planned to
be a two-day concert, a third was added due to demand. [66] On October 4, SM Entertainment announced
through their Japanese website that the group would have their first showcase in Japan.[67] "Red Velvet
Premium Showcase F'U'N Room Reveluv-Baby Party" took place at the Yebisu The Garden Hall
in Tokyo on November 6.[68] They performed the Japanese versions of their Korean songs "Dumb Dumb"
and "Red Flavor" for the first time.[69] After wrapping up the showcase, it was officially announced that
Red Velvet's concert "Red Room" would take place in Japan in 2018.

Red Velvet revisited their "velvet" image by releasing their second studio album, Perfect Velvet, on
November 17, 2017, with the lead single "Peek-a-Boo".[70] Unlike their first "velvet" release, the album
and single were both commercially successful. [71] The album peaked atop Billboard's World Album Chart.
"Peek-a-Boo" peaked at number two on Billboard's World Digital Songs chart, tying their 2016 single
"Russian Roulette".[72] In South Korea, the album and "Peek-a-Boo" both charted at number two on the
Gaon Album Chart and Gaon Digital Chart. [73][74] Through the release of Rookie, The Red
Summer and Perfect Velvet all in the same year, along with the popularity of the single "Red Flavor" and
the success of their albums overseas, Red Velvet achieved "top girl group" status in South Korea; their
status was further cemented when Perfect Velvet sold over 100,000 copies and "Peek-A-Boo" won first
place on the music program Inkigayo on their last day of promotions for the song, proving its longevity
on the charts.[75][76]

2018: Japanese debut, touring and worldwide recognition[edit]

The group released a reissue of Perfect Velvet, The Perfect Red Velvet, on January 29, 2018. It included
three new tracks, in addition to all the songs from Perfect Velvet, with the single "Bad Boy" promoted as
its lead single.[77]
The album topped the Gaon Album Chart upon its release, while "Bad Boy" debuted at number two on
the Gaon Digital Chart.[78] The Perfect Red Velvet also charted at number three on Billboard's World
Albums chart, while "Bad Boy" debuted at number two on its World Digital Songs chart. Red Velvet also
entered the top 10 of Billboard's Social 50 chart for the first time at number nine. [79] The album also
marked the first time the group has appeared on the Canadian Hot 100 and charted at number 87,
becoming only the seventh K-pop artist and the third female K-pop act to appear on the chart. [80] Red
Velvet promoted the song on various South Korean music shows, earning their first music show win for
"Bad Boy" on February 8 on Show Champion.[81] In December, Billboard chose "Bad Boy" as the best K-
pop song of the year.[82]

Red Velvet at Dream Concert on May 12, 2018.

Red Velvet's solo concert "Red Room" was held in Tokyo, Japan on March 28 and 29 at the Musashino
Forest Sports Plaza, a 10,000-seat capacity venue built for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.[83] On the second
day, the group announced that they would be officially debuting in Japan in July. [84] On May 29, 2018,
Red Velvet performed alongside other selected South Korean artists for an inter-Korean concert in
Pyongyang, North Korea,[85] making them the first artist from SM Entertainment in fifteen years
since Shinhwa to perform in North Korea.[86] Joy was unable to perform with the group due to scheduling
conflicts with the filming of Tempted.[87]

On April 29, 2018, Red Velvet held their first fan meeting at the Rosemont Theater in Chicago, to an
audience of 4,000.[88] The event was first solo performance by a female K-pop group in the United States
since 2016.[89] The group later toured six Japanese cities in May and June to a total of 20,000 people.
[90]
 Their debut Japanese EP, #Cookie Jar, was released on July 4, 2018, by the label Avex Trax and
included six new songs, including the Japanese versions of "Dumb Dumb", "Russian Roulette" and "Red
Flavor". The other songs on the album were "#Cookie Jar" ,"Aitai-tai", and "Cause It's You". [91] The EP
debuted at the third spot of the Oricon Weekly Albums chart and sold 26,124 copies in its first week of
release in Japan.[92]

On July 19, 2018, Red Velvet announced that they would be making a comeback and that they had
filmed their music video outdoors in Gyeonggi-do. The songs from the new album were performed at
Red Velvet's second concert "Redmare", held in Seoul on August 4–5. [93] On August 6, Red Velvet
released their second summer EP, Summer Magic, containing eight tracks, including one bonus track and
one iTunes exclusive track.[94] Its lead single "Power Up" earned the group a "perfect all-kill" for the first
time in their career when it topped all of South Korea's real-time, daily and weekly music charts upon
release.[95] The music video for "Power Up" was the only K-pop music video on Billboard's list of 50 best
music videos of 2018.[96] In September and October, the group took their Redmare concert series to
Bangkok, Taipei and Singapore.[97]
Red Velvet released their third album in the year and their fifth EP overall on November 30. The six-track
EP, RBB, was supported by lead single "RBB (Really Bad Boy)" and its English version. [98][99]

2019–2020: The ReVe Festival trilogy and continued touring[edit]

Red Velvet at Dream Concert on May 18, 2019.

On January 6, 2019, Red Velvet released their first Japanese digital single, titled "Sappy". [100] The group
released another Japanese single, "Sayonara", on February 20. [101] Both were included in their second
Japanese EP, Sappy, released on May 29; the EP also included Japanese versions of "Peek-a-Boo",
"Rookie" and "Power Up", as well as a new song "Swimming Pool". [102] In February, Red Velvet embarked
on the North American leg of their Redmare Tour. They held shows in Los
Angeles, Dallas, Miami, Chicago and Newark in the United States and Toronto and Vancouver in Canada,
becoming the first K-pop girl group to hold a North American tour in three years. [103][104] On April 5, Red
Velvet were featured in a remixed version of "Close to Me" by Ellie Goulding and Diplo, with members
Yeri and Wendy contributing Korean lyrics to the song. [105] The song won Choice Electronic/Dance Song
at the 2019 Teen Choice Awards.[106]

On June 19, Red Velvet released the EP The ReVe Festival: Day 1,[107] which featured the lead single
"Zimzalabim" and was the first entry of The ReVe Festival trilogy. It was followed by the second EP of the
series, The ReVe Festival: Day 2, and its lead single "Umpah Umpah" on August 20.[108] In the same
month, Red Velvet also released a soundtrack, titled See the Stars, for the tvN's drama Hotel Del Luna.
[109]
 On November 26, "Umpah Umpah" won Song of the Year at the 2019 Asia Artist Awards. The final
release of the trilogy, The ReVe Festival: Finale, was released on December 23 as a repackage of two
previous EPs, led by the single "Psycho".[110][111][112] To promote The ReVe Festival trilogy, the group
embarked on their third tour, La Rouge, which began in Seoul on November 23 and 24. [113] In early 2020,
La Rouge continued as an arena tour in Japan without Wendy, who was injured in a stage accident
during rehearsals at the 2019 SBS Gayo Daejeon on December 25. After three dates in Japan, the final
two La Rouge concerts at Yokohama were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2020, Red Velvet were featured in the animated musical film Trolls World Tour, in which they
represented the K-pop trolls, and their song "Russian Roulette" was featured in the film. The film had
the biggest digital debut of all time and broke streaming records. [114] On August 21, Red Velvet released
their SM Station single, a cover of BoA's "Milky Way", as part of a project celebrating BoA's 20th debut
anniversary.[115] This also marked Wendy's partial return to the group, eight months after her stage
accident.[116] On October 17, Red Velvet released another soundtrack for the tvN drama Start-Up, titled
"Future".[117] Red Velvet was the fifth most-streamed K-pop artist on Spotify in 2020.[118]

2021–present: Queendom, The ReVe Festival 2022 and Bloom[edit]

On January 1, 2021, the group returned as five members, after one year of hiatus due to Wendy's
injuries, for SMTOWN Live "Culture Humanity", an online concert broadcast live on
SM's YouTube channel.[119]

On August 16, 2021, they released their sixth Korean EP, Queendom, including the lead single of
the same name.[120]

On December 10, 2021, the group announced the release of their first Japanese studio album, Bloom,
featuring the lead single "Wildside".[121] It was set to release on February 2, 2022, but was postponed on
January 14, due to production reasons.[122] It was later announced that the album's new release date
would be April 6, 2022.[123]

On February 21, 2022, it was announced that the group will hold a special live performance titled "The
ReVe Festival: Prologue" on March 19–20,[124] the event has since been postponed until further notice as
Irene, Joy, and Yeri were tested positive for COVID-19 on March 14.[125]

On March 21, 2022, they released the EP The ReVe Festival 2022 – Feel My Rhythm, a sequel of their
2019 trilogy The ReVe Festival, including the lead single "Feel My Rhythm".[126]