Red Velvet Returns to Summer — on Its Own Terms: ‘We Wanted to Show a Softer, More Laid-Back Side’
Categoria: Musica
On Velvet Summer, the group that expanded K-pop's emotional vocabulary turns its experiments inward, toward time, growth and the season it owns.
Por Billboard | 06/08/2026
Red Velvet is back as a full group for the first time in more than two years, and on Velvet Summer , the quintet returns to the season it helped define, this time from the other side of its identity. “This time, we wanted to show a softer, more laid-back side of summer instead of the bright, high-energy concepts we’ve done before,” Joy tells Billboard Korea . “Now that we’re in our 12th year, we felt ready to capture a more mature kind of summer that reflects who Red Velvet is today.” Across five tracks, the mini album moves through bossa nova, reggae, dance-pop, classical and acoustic textures, less as genre exercises than as changes in temperature. Lead single “Surfin’ Boy” sets bossa nova guitar and a relaxed reggae pulse over a polished house rhythm. Where “Red Flavor,” “Power Up” and “Umpah Umpah” met summer with bright colors and instant release, “Surfin’ Boy” lets it linger. Twelve years is a rare span for a K-pop girl group, and what Red Velvet has kept across that time is not just popularity, but a distinct identity. The group built its range between two poles, the vivid energy of “Red” and the smoother pull of “Velvet,” until the two stopped alternating and began to coexist. When girl-group pop was still defined by brightness, Red Velvet kept testing its edges: “Peek-A-Boo” turned a playful surface sinister, “Rookie” and “Zimzalabim” pushed kitsch toward deliberate strangeness, and “Dumb Dumb” found unease between human and machine. Those songs widened what female idols were allowed to express, and the group returned to that territory even when it risked failure. The music held it together. SM Entertainment’s A&R system, which pairs Korean and international writers on a single track, has suited Red Velvet’s layered sound, as on the title track from 2024’s Cosmic , cowritten by Kenzie with an international team. The members have grown into it, too. Joy, who sharpened her voice as a lyricist through solo work, wrote both “Surfin’ Boy” and B-side “Hawaii” on her own. The group has charted on the Billboard 200 and topped World Albums four times along the way. “The biggest thing I noticed during recording was how much more distinct each member’s voice has become,” Irene says. “All of those individual colors came together beautifully and gave our sound a richer, more mature feel.” Red Velvet SM Entertainment Below, Red Velvet speaks with Billboard Korea about the time apart, the reunion and what comes after Velvet Summer. Nearly two years have passed since all five members last came together for a Red Velvet release. During that time, each of you expanded into different areas, from solo music and acting to broadcasting. As the group’s leader, what felt noticeably different or more developed about the way the five of you worked together this time? Irene: The biggest thing I noticed during recording was how much more distinct each member’s voice has become. All of those individual colors came together beautifully and gave our sound a richer