Feel the Rhythm of Red Velvet's Most Recent Comeback!
Written by Chelsea Tiso
Graphic by Rebekah Witt
Having impeccably made their mark on the K-pop industry and the creators of popular TikTok audios and dances (most popularly their “Russian Roulette” dance), Red Velvet never fail to extend their talents further. The K-pop sensation, as one of the most revered girl groups in K-pop history, is back with their new EP, The ReVe Festival 2022 - Feel My Rhythm. It follows the rapid success of their 2021 release Queendom and explores multiple genres in such a short timeframe. This EP highlights their ability to constantly change and reinvent what they deliver to their fans, the ReVeluvs.
The six-track EP begins with their lead single “Feel My Rhythm,” which samples J. S. Bach's “Air On The G String." Yet, in true SM Entertainment fashion, it flips this sample into something completely unexpected. This sentiment extends to the promo photos for their EP, in which the teasers place members IRENE (Bae Joo-hyun), SEULGI (Kang Seul-gi), WENDY (Shon Seung-wan), JOY (Park Soo-young), and YERI (Kim Ye-rim) as the stars of their ballet, and in the music video, classic paintings: a completely new concept.
Keeping up with the classical theme, the track begins with the airy and delicate vocalisations of members WENDY and SEULGI overlaying the aforementioned sample before the beat drops us into a catchy trap beat. The lyrics start as a welcome to a party, or really, the future of Red Velvet as they continue to transform musically. Vocally, the track, as with much of the EP, is higher than some of their previous works. Yet, it works as it perfectly compliments the instrumental track and elevates their talents to the forefront of the listener’s mind.
Visually, when watching their music and performance videos, two sections stand out the most to me. The first is the choreography of the first pre-chorus in which JOY, at the centre of the formation, controls the movement of her other members in such a satisfyingly subtle way. The second section, though the technique is sprinkled throughout the dance at various parts, is the cannon or ripple effect featured in the bridge, which is reminiscent of the gracefulness of a swan. To capture the full essence of the choreography and song, I’d recommend watching their Inkigayo performance.
“Feel My Rythym” as an opening track is entirely subversive in terms of instrumentals and the concept associated with it. Yet, it indicates just how innovative and thus enticing the future of Red Velvet’s discography looks to be. The rest of the EP does this too in various ways.
The following track, “Rainbow Halo,” features a groovy synthesised bass, a clear staple of the song. One of my favourite inflection variations is performed by YERI and featured at the beginning of the second pre-chorus. The build-up of the pre-chorus to the chorus guides the listener into the feature of the incredibly jazzy sax riff, which accompanies the hook of the song and transitions us out of the song.
Courtesy of SM Entertainment
Next, “Beg For Me,” a personal favourite of mine, begins with a sneak peek of the post-chorus “Dance for me/ Work for me/ Beg for me” and the overall tone of the song. As an R&B / dance-inspired track with sultry vocals dispersed throughout the verses, “Beg For Me” feels like a song I’d put on any one of my female empowerment playlists. The first part of the refrain, performed by IRENE, highlights the tonality that comes with being the main rapper of the group and the years of experience that back their talents.
The next song, “BAMBOLEO,” changes the genre of the EP once again to what I can only describe as a retro/city-pop fusion. The retro drum fill, funky bass, and slap bass riff leave enough room to not overpower the sensational vocals of Red Velvet and their harmonies. The title means ‘sway’ or ‘wobble’ in Spanish, and that is simply how this song makes one feel: like swaying to their mesmerising and infectious vocals.
The penultimate track, “Good, Bad, Ugly,” is probably one of their most soul-inspired tracks. A special standout in the track is the brass instruments’ enhancement of the rhythm section. The lyrics, using the analogy of a box of chocolates, reference the unexpected ups and downs that you may face in life before ultimately telling their fans they can make the most of the beauty of life.
The closing track on the EP, “In My Dreams,” is the broken heart anthem. A powerful ballad about unrequited love, the amount of times the refrain of "In my dreams, you love me back" is repeated throughout the song emphasises how heartwrenching a situation like that can be. Almost sounding as though defeated in the earlier verses, the richness of the group’s vocals increases and reaches its peak in the final chorus. The overlapping harmonies and vocalisations reach an invigorating head before the final group harmony.
All in all, Red Velvet’s most recent mini-album has proved once again the overflowing talent that makes their group work so well. It seems their creativity knows no bounds. They’re continuously participating in projects, as a group and even on their own - JOY and WENDY both recently made their solo debuts with the special album Hello and Like Water, respectively. Though they just released not only this mini album but also their debut Japanese album, Bloom, I’m excited for the future of Red Velvet’s discography. They’re a group you don’t want to miss out on.