Red Velvet (group)
South Korean girl group with dual red and velvet concepts.
Red Velvet is a South Korean girl group formed by SM Entertainment, originally debuting in 2014 with four members before adding a fifth in 2015. Their music is divided between a pop-oriented "red" side and an R&B-focused "velvet" side, and they have achieved multiple chart-topping albums and singles in South Korea. The group has received significant domestic and international recognition, including placements on Forbes Korea Power Celebrity and mentions by Time and Billboard.
Quick Facts
- Origin
- Seoul, South Korea
- Genre
- K-pop
- R&B
- electropop
- dance-pop
- Years active
- 2014–present
- Label
- SM, Avex Trax
- Spinoffs
- Red Velvet – Irene & Seulgi
- Spinoff of
- SM Rookies
- Current members
- Irene
- Seulgi
- Wendy
- Joy
- Yeri
Facts from the source article.
Career
Red Velvet's story began in 2007 when SM Entertainment cast Seulgi through an audition. Irene followed in 2009, and Yeri in 2011. Wendy and Joy were both cast in 2012, Wendy through the SM Global Auditions in Canada and Joy through the same program in Seoul. The group's debut preparations kicked off in late 2013, with Irene and Seulgi introduced that December and Wendy in March 2014 as part of SM's trainee unit SM Rookies. Before debuting, Irene appeared in Henry's "1-4-3 (I Love You)" music video, Seulgi appeared in his "Fantastic" video and also featured on his track "Butterfly." Wendy released her first solo soundtrack, "Because I Love You," for the Mnet drama Mimi in March 2014. Rumors about a new girl group surfaced in July, and SM Entertainment confirmed them. With Joy added as the fourth member, Red Velvet debuted in 2014 as SM's first girl group in five years and first idol group since 2012. They made their first performance on Music Bank on August 1, 2014. Their debut digital single "Happiness" dropped on August 4, an urban Europop track with a strong synth sound and African tribal beat. Its music video racked up over two million YouTube views in its first day before being pulled due to controversial background images and replaced with an edited version. "Happiness" was the second-most viewed K-pop music video worldwide in August 2014 and made Red Velvet the first K-pop girl group to chart a debut single on the Billboard World Digital Songs chart, peaking at number four. Their second digital single "Be Natural," a remake of S.E.S.'s 2000 song featuring a rap verse from Taeyong, came out on October 13, 2014. It reached number 33 on the Gaon Digital Chart and number six on the Billboard World Digital Songs chart.
Sub-unit and solo endeavors
On April 21, 2020, SM Entertainment confirmed the formation of Red Velvet's first sub-unit, Red Velvet – Irene & Seulgi, which released its debut EP Monster on July 6. Wendy was the first member to debut as a soloist, releasing her EP Like Water on April 5, 2021. Joy followed as the second soloist with her EP Hello on May 31, 2021, featuring remakes of songs from the 1990s and 2000s. Seulgi debuted as a soloist with her EP 28 Reasons on October 4, 2022. Irene, the fourth member to debut as a soloist, released her EP Like a Flower on November 26, 2024.
Artistry
Red Velvet’s identity is split between two opposing concepts: the bright, energetic “red” side, which leans on pop music and colorful outfits like pastel sweaters or doll costumes, and the more refined “velvet” side, rooted in R&B and ballads with mature styling such as suits. Their recent releases blend both sides to create a mix of sensuality, vibrancy, and polish. This duality also extends to their fashion, with “red” looks featuring bright, playful clothes and “velvet” looks favoring sleek, sophisticated attire. Unlike many South Korean girl groups that stick to either a cute or sexy image, Red Velvet has been praised for breaking those molds. In a country where most girl groups attract male fans, Taylor Glasby of Dazed Digital noted that Red Velvet’s fanbase is largely made up of young women. IZE recognized the group in 2017 as one of the female figures who helped shift the passive stereotype of South Korean women. Time magazine highlighted their musical range as a standout in K-pop, and Vogue’s Janelle Okwodu described them as dominating charts with an innovative pop sound. Billboard also reported that in 2018, Red Velvet was the most popular K-pop group across all genders and sexual identities on Reddit’s K-pop community.
More in South Korean Contemporary R&B Musical Groups
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