Red Velvet are hot on everyone’s lips after bursting back onto the K-Pop scene with new album ‘The Red’. Let’s not forget these girls are still considered rookies in the laws of the K-Pop universe and they are exploding with potential and talent. Since their debut last year, the SM rookie group have flourished from their cutesy energetic image to effortlessly sexy. Their latest comeback screams attitude and confidence as ‘Dumb Dumb’ dropped last month. If you haven’t heard the album yet, stay tuned for a review of the tracks and overall sound of the album.
1. Dumb Dumb
Title track ‘Dumb Dumb’ is an energetic, bouncy start to the album. The chanting definitely remains replaying in your ears hours after the very first listen. It’s catchy, powerful and perfect for a comeback track from the SM rookies. The song was produced by British company LDN Noise who are also responsible for SHINee’s ‘View’ and ‘Married to the Music’! We posted a review of ‘Dumb Dumb’ for Song of the Week so check that out for the song and MV review!
2. Huff n Puff
If you kept up to date with the teasers for ‘Dumb Dumb’ you’ll remember that ‘Huff n Puff’ was the song playing in the background. ‘Huff n Puff’ transports you to a fairy-tale. It’s a fantastic song with incredibly fun lyrics! The beat feels like a march with the accompaniment of the marching drums. The melody is giddy and fun as it throws you into Wonderland. You can hear the influence from their seniors f(x) in the melody. It’s a track full of character as the girls tell you their own fairy-tale adventure.
3. Campfire
‘Campfire’ is up next and the vibe of the album switches as the song opens with a neatly plucked guitar. The whole song feels very retro and sentimental as the lyrics explain the feelings of new love. The vocals are so sweet to reflect the romantic emotion of the song. The song is slow in pace with snaps of guitar strings. You can feel yourself snapping your fingers along with the chorus. It’s less ‘Red Velvet quirky’ more natural, effortless 50s inspired swing. It needs an acoustic live to showcase the vocals of these talented girls.
4. Red Dress
‘Red Dress’ is gold. The high energy beat exudes attitude and is destined to flood you with confidence. The lyrics reveal a captivating transformation from girl to woman as the girls are dressed to the nines. The song begins with a similar vibe to ‘Dumb Dumb’ with the fast paced beat and chanting. The clapping beat in ‘Red Dress’ reminds me of the sound of heels and completes the sexy attitude feel of the song. You can imagine the choreography as you hear the beat and the melody in a harmonious duo.
5. Oh Boy
My personal favourite is up next. ‘Oh Boy’ is a fantastic showcase of the girl’s vocals and an example of how perfectly well their voices harmonise against each other’s. The chorus is reminiscent of ‘old school’ R’n’B with the high notes and quick tempo. The vocals kill it with the powerful ad-libs and harmonies. ‘Oh Boy’ describes a dazzling feeling of being in love and the sweet, high notes compliment the lyrics. Red Velvet have done the song justice in several live performances. It’s a fan-favourite and it’s not hard to understand why!
6. Lady’s Room
‘Lady’s Room’ is a party tune for the girls. It’s girl power classic! The conversational parts in the song together with the slick, honey-sweet vocals make this song perfect. The lyrics describe hushed conversations in the bathroom about a boy in the club. We’ve all been there. It’s a catchy melody with a distinguishable bridge and chorus. It’s such a warm song and I can imagine the MV being set in a karaoke room with the girls playfully singing along.
7. Time Slip
‘Time Slip’ sounds like an ode to Iggy Azalea’s Fancy with the beat in the beginning. However, when the vocals are layered on top in the chorus, it is on another level. The velvety vocals contrasted against the low bass of the beat help you to slip away with the melody. The lyrics are relatable to everyone as they describe the reluctance of waking up and the urge to slip back into a dreamy sleep. The slow beat in the verse is the reluctance of being awake and the shift in pace and melody in the chorus is the desire of being asleep and dreaming. Next time we have to wake up for work or school, just remember Red Velvet told us to stay in bed today…
8. Don’t U Wait No More
‘Don’t U Wait No More’ helps embellish the overall ‘bop’ vibe of the entire album with the continuous notion of the chanting and marching beat that’s introduced in a lot of the songs in the album. Personally, I don’t think it brings anything special to the album but it’s a playful song with excellent harmonisation. Beautifully composed harmonies come naturally to Red Velvet. The lyrics are adorably sweet as the girls are trying to attract the boy with ‘aegyo’ style scenarios.
9. Day 1
‘Day 1’ is heaven to my ears. It’s a velvety, retro track that oozes charisma and talent. The pacing of this song is excellent and the vocals compliment the melody beautifully. The vocals prove the versatility and potential of the girls and the melody is reminiscent of an adventure game. It would be a perfect soundtrack to a slow-paced, visually beautiful video game. This song works as relief from the heavy electronic and ‘bop’ vibe of the album. ‘Day 1’ represents the first day of a new relationship and the memories of the moments of attraction surfacing.
10. Cool World
‘Cool World’ is the perfect outro song! It’s a smooth, slow paced track that releases sweet vocals and calming melodies in the chorus. The slow rhythm helps us unwind from the whirlwind of fantastic tracks we’ve just listened to. Every album needs a cool-down song like ‘Cool World’. Although the track has a unwinding, smooth feel, the lyrics are empowering and ambitious. The lyrics represent the free-spirited nature of the song, with the girls feeling like they see the world differently with a romantic passion.
Final verdict: The album is an SM classic. It is pure gold. Red Velvet just keep getting better and better and every song on this album could stand alone as a smash-hit title track. The album has a contemporary EDM vibe with the perfect balance of pace with fast tempo hits and slower melodic tracks. It is the best album of 2015 in my honest opinion. Great job, Red Velvet!
