You heard that right! Red Velvet is officially coming back with a new song and EP titled “Queendom” this Aug. 16 after almost two long years.
Over the course of their career, Red Velvet’s members have produced numerous hits, two full-length albums, and 11 mini-albums, with the upcoming “Queendom” being their twelfth. The group—composed of Irene, Seulgi, Wendy, Joy and Yeri—is known for its distinctive and conceptual discography and videography, often experimenting with varying genres as reflected in its name.
“Red” signifies its energetic, saccharine, and experimental pop sound, infused with electronic, funk, and hip-hop elements, while “Velvet” stands for the group’s more mature, sultry, and sensual side, characterized by R&B, soul, and ballad influences.
To commemorate their 7th anniversary last August 1, the five members paid homage to some of their deep cuts in a series of omnibus-style videos called “Queens Archive.” This project featured each member in individual concepts, throwing back fan-favorite B-sides like “Something Kinda Crazy,” “I Just,” and “Kingdom Come.”
However, seven songs aren’t enough to encapsulate just how extensive their discography is. Whether you are a certified Reveluv going down a trip on memory lane or a new listener interested in diving head-first before the upcoming comeback, here are more of the group’s B-sides that best represent its iconic repertoire:
“Red Dress” (2015)
Bursting with energy, “Red Dress” represents the best of Red Velvet’s “red” sound. It comes from the group’s debut studio album “The Red” which focuses on a vivid and quirky side led by single “Dumb Dumb.”
In “Red Dress,” the group sings about a girl who wants to shed her childlike innocence away for her lover. It’s a song built with playful clapping and marching beats reminiscent of a nursery rhyme, only to crescendo in a synth hook that draws you into a bold and daring spell.
“Cool Hot Sweet Love” (2016)
“Cool Hot Sweet Love” is the second track from Red Velvet’s second EP “The Velvet” which aims to showcase the group’s “velvet” side in contrast to “The Red,” with songs like R&B ballad single “One of These Nights.”
The track features a more sensual sound, laced with vocal harmonies and synthesizers that later became one of the act’s signatures. It explores the blossoming emotions associated with a newfound relationship.
“Lucky Girl” (2016)
“Lucky Girl” expands Red Velvet’s “red” sound by incorporating elements of doo-wop, funk, and showtunes. It serves as one of the standouts from the group’s third EP “Russian Roulette.”
In this song, the members run their vocals over layered textures of brass instruments and a bassline that will surely make you groove. The end result feels like a theatrical explosion as they all sing about a girl unabashedly and enthusiastically professing her love.
“Body Talk” (2017)
Arguably one of Red Velvet’s best B-sides, “Body Talk” is a song that was definitely ahead of its time—an ambitious track from its most holistic EP to date, “Rookie.”
Described as an ‘80s-inspired work, “Body Talk” starts with a moody synth intro that you can easily mistake for a Prince song. It then soars into a lush, atmospheric melancholia that you would later hear in hits like The Weeknd’s “After Hours.”
“My Second Date” (2017)
Red Velvet’s second studio album “The Perfect Velvet” saw the girls embrace their “velvet” side with a newfound confidence and a fresh perspective embodied in lead singles “Peek-A-Boo” and “Bad Boy.”
Where most songs lean on R&B and soul, “My Second Date” is a mid-tempo pop track that takes cues from labelmate f(x)’s quirky percussions found in the songs like “Shadow” and “Rainbow.”
“Aitai-tai” (2018)
In 2018, Red Velvet made its Japanese debut with EP “#Cookie Jar” composed of three new Japanese tracks, as well as the Japanese version of previous hits “Dumb Dumb,” “Russian Roulette,” and “Red Flavor.”
“Aitai-tai” remains as the EP’s stand-out B-side with its frisky anime-ish beats that suddenly sweep you off of your feet after a rather romantic intro. Its lush instrumentation is a refreshing addition to the idols’ slate of sweet, upbeat tracks.
“Blue Lemonade” (2018)
“Summer Magic” gave Red Velvet its first Perfect All-Kill (simultaneously charting number one in weekly and real-time charts) with “Power Up.” It serves as the follow-up to one of the act’s most iconic hits, “Red Flavor.”
“Blue Lemonade” is an urban pop dance song that features effervescent melodies embellished with quirky, bubble sounds—a sweet intersection of the “red” and “velvet” sound.
“Butterflies” (2018)
As a sequel to “Bad Boy”, “RBB” also focuses on Red Velvet’s “velvet” side, incorporating varying elements of hip-hop, punk-pop, and R&B. It’s often regarded as one of the group’s most cohesive projects to date.
“Butterflies” is a lush, retro synth-pop that describes the youthful, fluttering emotions of love. It’s probably the closest thing the group will ever get to hyperpop, with main vocalist Wendy pitching her tones up to a bashful affectation that will definitely make you blush.
“Eyes Locked, Hands Locked” (2019)
In 2019, Red Velvet embarked on a trilogy project composed of two EPs and a compilation album with singles like “Zimzalabim,” “Umpah Umpah,” and “Psycho”.
Though the project saw other notable tracks like “LP” and “In & Out,” it’s “Eyes Locked, Hands Locked” that fully embodies the group’s sonic and vocal evolution after five long years. In this track, they describe the nuanced and sensual feeling of being lost in a lover’s eyes.
Featured photo courtesy of Red Velvet’s Twitter
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