Who is Red Velvet? Meet the Iconic 3rd Generation K-Pop Girl Group: Members Guide

Red Velvet are queens of concept! The girl group has some of the funkiest bops in 3rd Gen K-pop and love to change it up. Consisting of members Irene, Seulgi, Wendy, Joy and Yeri, Red Velvet first debuted in 2014 with their single “Happiness.”

Keep reading for everything we know about Red Velvet:

Who Are Red Velvet?

The girl band first came onto the scene with “Happiness,” on August 3, 2014. The group, which is under music label SM Entertainment, originally debuted as a 4-member act including Irene, Seulgi, Wendy and Joy. Yeri joined the group with the track “Ice Cream Cake” on March 15, 2015.

Red Velvet is known for their innovative pop sound, as the band’s music concept lies in their name: “Red” is for their fun and dynamic side and “Velvet” is for their sultry, R&B side. From their sincere R&B tracks like “Bad Boy” and “Psycho” to their fun, all-over-the place (in the best way) tracks like “Zimzalabim” and “Really Bad Boy,” Red Velvet are queens of differing concepts.

The girls released “Queendom,” in August 2021, which was one of the first tracks they dropped after partaking in multiple solo activities.

“‘Queendom’ contains a message about how we are all ‘queens’ of our own lives, and that we shine more beautifully when we are all together,” Wendy told Vogue after the song’s release. “It’s been a while since we came out with new music, so we put a lot of thought into expressing and showcasing Red Velvet’s unique colors differently. So, we came up with this creative idea of storytelling through 3 different concepts, ‘Homecoming’, ‘Journey’, and ‘Carnival.’ When you listen to our song, you can also feel our bright and positive energy!”

Seulgi explained that their album was scheduled to be released much earlier, however, they couldn’t decide on just one concept so they decided to combine them.

“Usually, we release bright and energetic dance songs in the summer and more sophisticated and R&B style songs in fall/winter representing ‘Red’ and ‘Velvet,’ respectively,” Seulgi explained. “If I were to choose songs that lean more towards the ‘Red’ side of the spectrum, they would have to be our title track ‘Queendom’ and ‘Pose,’ one of our B-side tracks. They’re both energetic pop dance songs, and the members’ bright and cheerful vocals make the songs even more exciting!”

Scroll through the gallery below to meet the members of Red Velvet.

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