Red Velvet’s Return “Chill Kill(s)” The Entertainment Industry

It’s been over a month, since Red Velvet made a comeback with their 3rd studio album, “Chill Kill” (with a title track of the same name), after 6 long years. ReVeluv, or affectionately known as Luvies (Red Velvet’s fandom), are currently suffering “post-comeback depression” as we speak and can’t wait for more content to drop from Red Velvet. To fill the empty void, let’s look back at Red Velvet’s “Chill Kill” era and what bars have been raised with their extensive discography.

Once “Chill Kill” dropped, it topped both domestic and international charts. The world has been hyped up for Red Velvet’s comeback from the previous trailer and concept photo teasers (which we will dive into later). Red Velvet did not disappoint music critics and fans with their discography and stage performances. Domestically, all 10 songs from the album entered Korean charts.

The title track ‘Chill Kill’ debuted at No.3 on Bugs, No.11 on Genie, No. 21 on Melon, and No. 57 on FLO. An impressive feat with younger and tough K-Pop groups making comebacks around the same period, like aespa, IVE, Stray Kids, and ENHYPEN to name a few. The song debuted at No. 30 for Top Songs in South Korea, showing its strong domestic presence. As proof of Red Velvet’s global appeal across continents, the album hit No. 1 in 44 countries on iTunes overall, debuted at No. 2 for US iTunes, No. 1 for both Worldwide and European iTunes chart. This is Red Velvet’s 8th album to do so which makes them the female K-Pop group with the most No. 1 debuts on Worldwide iTunes chart to date.

The song ‘Chill Kill’ debuted at No. 14 on worldwide iTunes song chart, No. 10 on Billboard Japan Hot Albums chart, and No. 11 for Billboard World Albums. The album consists of 10 tracks of various music genres spanning 33.5 minutes but raked in a debut Spotify count of 4,117,618 streams. Additionally, with “Chill Kill”, Red Velvet has exceeded 3 billion total Spotify streams to date. The music video for ‘Chill Kill’ made a debut at No. 4 on YouTube Music Global Daily Top Music Videos Chart. These numbers only serve to highlight the relevance and appeal Red Velvet still holds on listeners globally. 

Furthermore, with the help of their fandom, Red Velvet managed to get their ‘Chill Kill’ 1st music show win on “Show! Music Core“. This win marks Red Velvet’s 84th music show win overall and 12th on “Show! Music Core”. Red Velvet is now tied alongside (G)I-DLE as the highest earning girl group on “Show! Music Core”. Red Velvet also holds the record with Apink as the only female groups to have won music shows every year across 9 years since 2015 — a remarkable feat!

This ‘Chill Kill’ win did not come easy with the award being highly contested among aespa and IVE for ‘Drama’ and ‘Baddie’ respectively. Red Velvet had consistent scores for digitals, album sales, and broadcast points, but the deciding factor ultimately came down to fans’ votes. Domestic and international Luvies banded together and pulled in the crucial voting numbers to tip the odds into Red Velvet’s favor at the last minute. With the comprehensive support and backing from the fandom, Red Velvet took home the prize, much to their utmost surprise, and fans were treated to a high-quality Red Velvet live encore after so long. 

The main storyline behind ‘Chill Kill’ is about 5 sisters and how they navigate a difficult event as they mature along the way. SM Entertainment described to the press that the song ‘Chill Kill’ is talking about how an event can suddenly disturb the peace of one’s life. The song goes back and forth between tragedy and hope with regards to the event. Joy explained that while an event can be distressing and difficult, there is hope that things can work out and get better.

In the music video, we see 5 girls enjoying a secret birthday party until Irene sings the line “Chill Kill enters like thunder. That thrill be making my mind ill” and the peace is fragmented. Wendy leaves the room the girls were hiding, and she kills the abusive father (which was previously foreshadowed with a knife slicing off the father’s head in the picture frame of their family). The velvet side of the song suddenly shifts into upbeat pop dance as the girls dance lightheartedly and have fun, presumably in the past, juxtaposing with the present moment as they are trying to clean up the evidence of the murder. Wendy is visibly distressed and overwhelmed with guilt and sings “Regretting so bad I could die.” There is disharmony in the household, as we switch to Joy and SeulGi quarreling and fighting over the murder evidence, accompanied by YeRi and Joy’s rapping in the background.

The scene switches to Irene trying to comfort YeRi with food but is equally conflicted within herself. True to real life, everyone is aware of Irene being the oldest in the group that most often acts as the “mother” and looks after the rest. This draws parallels to the music video as she disconnects the TV to make YeRi be aware of the present, since YeRi is trying to distract herself by watching memories of their happy times. YeRi is frustrated and is about to hit Irene, until Irene in true K-Drama fashion, stops the hit mid-air and pulls her into a hug. I am sure I heard multiple “aw(s)” as people are watching this. 

The pace of the song changes as we see the girls looking out the window and a traditional Asian calendar is shown with 13th November being highlighted (most likely referencing Red Velvet’s comeback date in reality). The scene moves to the girls in a bus with a suspicious looking gallon bottle of possibly kerosene in the middle and no music, with the only sound being background noise. The girls return to the house of the crime scene, pack their belongings, and are seen setting the house on fire.

They then sing the chorus in perfect harmony and are seen running away, seemingly happier than before into the forest. Until they get surrounded by the police, all of them have worried expressions while Irene appears resolute (as the leader and eldest that she is), seemingly throwing her belongings in a final showdown. Our Red Velvet girls break down into their dance choreography with smiles on their faces as they “Don’t think about tomorrow”, completely ignoring the police, and finally get into their famous cult-like circle holding hands as law enforcement confronts them.

The police sirens blast through our headphones as the screen cuts to an old footage showing the girls playing happily, until the video closes off with Red Velvet’s artistic talisman-styled wording of “Chill Kill”, concluding with Red Velvet’s cleverly styled logo in ancient calligraphy. The entire video literally “screams” Red Velvet, paying homage to their widely known horror genre with murder and arson, significant hand switching/link choreography, heavenly harmonized vocals, and their group’s trademarked hand-holding circle.  

After the release of the music video and behind-the-scenes, fans can get a clearer picture of the ‘Chill Kill’ concept. The audience are better able to appreciate Red Velvet’s intention and beautiful artistry in their work. According to YeRi, Red Velvet has put in a lot of thought into this comeback and had numerous meetings compared to the past.

The girls were aware that the world was expecting a lot from their comeback, the pressure that comes along with it, and the standard to bring something new to the table. Red Velvet delivered both musically and artistically. The girls kept their promise that they would always introduce something new with each comeback, as YeRi mentioned it’s the 1st time that the members fully acted in their music video.

It’s also the first time that Red Velvet’s entire comeback has a main storyline, from the concept photos, video teasers, trailer to the music video itself. Fans could not be more thrilled to see Red Velvet’s full capacity to act convincingly and with much realism. Joy elaborated in an interview saying the oriental themed sisters’ version of photos shows the girls as “expressionless” and dressed in clear black-and-white clothes, whereby they are oppressed. While the elemental photo shoot teasers are the girls’ inner egos that grows to protect themselves against adversity.

It falls along the lines of an “inner guardian” theory and how we have Wendy that represents the shield to protect the girls, by killing the abusive father. Whereas we have the rest of the girls providing back up as seen with their offensive weapons: Irene with the spear, SeulGi carrying the bow, Joy aiming a gun, and YeRi holding a sword. The supportive sisters’ role can be seen in the music video as they help cover up evidence of Wendy committing the murder by cleaning the crime scene. 

Red Velvet Official

Red Velvet Official

SeulGi confirmed that the trailer for ‘Chill Kill’ is the girls’ dreams (or rather nightmare) after the murder incident. The trailer goes in depth about how the girls’ cope with their guilt and alter egos. There are numerous ominous and dark references throughout the entire trailer, which is thrilling for horror fans, especially to those that are psychological thriller fanatics like myself.

Noticeably, I immediately thought of Natalie Portman’s “Black Swan” when I saw SeulGi scratching herself to the point that she has abrasions on her back. This is especially so when SeulGi admitted her character’s point of view was obsession, a distinct parallel to Portman’s character in the movie.

No one could forget the image of an adversary that is trying to attack SeulGi through the door with arrows and the fragmented door image with the idol’s doppelganger in the crack. Anyone had a “Eureka!” moment of Stephen King’s novel “The Shining” turned film? There were multiple references to the classic, including words being written backwards or mirrored, and even the corridor with multiple doors. I highly recommend watching “The Shining” and you will be able to see the hints in Red Velvet’s trailer.

There was another notable nod to “American Psycho”, a psychological thriller, which was made in the trailer with the triangular stairwell that spirals down with a body at the bottom. The scary twinning of 2 sisters in the trailer in an old house pays tribute to South Korea’s critically acclaimed drama-film “A Tale of Two Sisters“, which fans would greatly appreciate with added nostalgia. Horror movie fans’ appetite was gratefully satisfied with the rich amount of thriller references Red Velvet made with their trailer. 

Warner Bros / Cross Creak Pictures / Lionsgate / B.O.M Film Productions / ‘Chill Kill’ Trailer Screenshot

Is it really a Red Velvet album if you don’t have B-sides vying for the title track position? The range of genres in this album is very broad. We have the 2nd track ‘Knock Knock (Who’s There?)’ that is described as a dance song, combining “sharp string rhythm and mysterious bell sounds with heavy bass.” It is no wonder why this was a contender even among the girls themselves as a potential title track. True to their velvet side, as this songs talks about a game of tag in finding someone or oneself and identifying if it’s the devil or angel on the other side. Personally cannot wait to see this potentially on a concert setlist in the near future.

The fandom’s favorite would be ‘Underwater’, the 3rd track on the album, described as a “slow-tempo R&B…heavy and groovy bass, and dreamy synth rhythm” song about a person’s intimate love being compared to that of deep water. ‘Will I Ever See You Again?’ is the 4th track with slight “energetic beats and synth drop” which talks of trying to stay in the beautiful moment despite the possibility of impending separation. The 5th track, ‘Nightmare’, is a personal favorite, described as a “medium-tempo” R&B song with “heavy string orchestration…retro swing rhythm” that talks about how a nightmare, although frightful, is also just a what-if reflection of our inner most desires in reality. 

Red Velvet graced us with a R&B ballad song with “emotional strings and calm guitar rhythm” named ‘Iced Coffee’ as their 6th track, which smartly compares one’s love to drinking iced coffee. Any coffee addicts in the room? This song is up your alley. The album’s pace switches up a bit with ‘One Kiss’ as the 7th track that has “powerful bass and synth sounds” which is fast and addictive. It describes a relationship of capturing a person’s heart as quick as literally a kiss, almost similar in attitude to Red Velvet’s greatly loved ‘Bad Boy’.

Continuing with the “heavy and powerful bass, and catchy sound effects” is the 8th track ‘Bulldozer’. Another dance song whose lyrics talk about once something has started, nothing can stop an upcoming powerful force in a relationship bringing both poetry and pain. As the album approaches the end, the 9th track ‘Wings’, has “piano, bell, and synth rhythm combined with jazz” in the song that has an uplifting tone of hope like a butterfly, which Irene herself has stated the song has grown on her because it can serve as a message to Luvies to not lose faith in hard times.

Concluding the album is ‘Scenery’, a ballad with a “gentle guitar melody” that speaks about drawing beautiful memories like that of a tranquil landscape across the seasons by being together every day. What a poetic and romantic way to end the album! Does anyone notice how Red Velvet’s personal song choices seem to discuss about the contrast between dream and reality or the duality of a person’s nature?

At this point, I believe everyone agrees that the girls’ have good taste in music choices and are confident in what they excel in, especially since they said so themselves that the chosen songs are all according to the members’ preferences. Another wonderful asset to the aesthetics to the final album product, listeners are in for a fantastic treat with 10 brilliantly selected songs by Red Velvet themselves. 

Red Velvet had a mission to promote their long-awaited album with a “divide and conquer” attitude, by appearing on multiple radio shows, music programs, and variety content. Red Velvet guested on several radio shows as a group, and several members explained more about their album to fans and the public. These radio appearances include SBS Power FM’s “Park Sohyun’s Love Game“ and SBS Radio’s “Cultwo Show” to name a few.

Luvies had their wish finally granted when Red Velvet guested on “Killing Voice“, singing songs from their comprehensive discography like a mini concert and now holds the record for longest episode on the program! The episode garnered non-strop praise from reactors, fans, and even music critics for their well-acclaimed and reputable live vocals. Wendy, the backbone of Red Velvet’s vocals, graced “LeeMujin Service“ with her live covers of well-known English and Korean songs, including ‘Chill Kill’. Additionally, Wendy went with SeulGi on the last episode of GOT7’s Bambam‘s variety show, “Bam’s House“, reuniting these long-time 3rd generation idols for some reminiscing and nostalgia. 

Not only did Joy add a lot of ideas and concepts to this album, as reiterated by SeulGi, the idol extensively promoted their album on her SNS accounts and used her connections as a host for “Animal Farm” (a well-known local reality-variety show) to get SeulGi and herself a promotional gig. Joy and SeulGi spent 2 days and 1 night looking after 11 dogs! Viewers could not get enough of the duo’s heartwarming gestures and acts of service as they gave utmost care to the dogs in these 2 healing special episodes.

Red Velvet is currently in their sunbaenim era as we speak with their long career and we are all seated for it! First off, we have Joy guesting on “Self-On KODE” as she chats with Billlie’s Tsuki via hidden identities about fun topics. The reveal at the end is both endearing and hilarious as we see Joy in her senior artist role.

Next, we have YeRi and SeulGi chatting with LE SSERAFIM’s maknae on “Eunchae’s Star Diary“, on her birthday no less, as they engage in lighthearted discussions about their profession and offer advice to EunChae as seniors. Red Velvet’s subunit duo, Irene and SeulGi, did a collaboration with Keens Academy to host a live artist class, teaching students their point choreography of ‘Chill Kill’ themselves! Isn’t it amazing to be taught your favorite K-Pop group’s dance by the artists themselves? Students had the opportunity to show Irene and SeulGi their dance skills and receive their feedback as well. Our “all-seeing” and observant leader, Irene, even caught someone just lying down and doing only the hand choreography during the class, while everyone else was working hard on their feet!

Lastly, we have SeulGi guesting on singer, Lee SeokHoon’s YouTube show “Ssulply“, whereby their main discussion of the day is about hair styling. As they interview professionals, we are given a glimpse of how they work to prepare models and artists for their schedules.   

As promotions end and the year draws to a close, Luvies are waiting to hear of more good news from the girls. There is much anticipation for Red Velvet and their fans in the year 2024, as this marks Red Velvet’s astounding 10th anniversary since their debut. The quintet is almost approaching their 11th year and are still going head-to-head with 4th and 5th generation groups in the ever-changing K-Pop industry. This is a significant accomplishment and proves to the world of Red Velvet’s longevity in a competitive playing field. Luvies have much to expect in the upcoming months ahead.

On New Year’s Eve, Red Velvet’s “unnie” line consisting of Irene, SeulGi, and, Wendy, will perform at Taguig’s Bonifacio Global City (BGC) New Year Eve Countdown party in the Philippines. Fans are thrilled to hear of the news since this potentially hints towards an ASeul (Irene & SeulGi subunit) return and Wendy’s 1st solo comeback in the upcoming new year.

Irene and SeulGi debuted as a subunit in 2020 with the 2 title tracks, ‘Monster’ and ‘Naughty’, headlining their 1st extended play (EP) “Monster”. The duo’s return is expected to be nothing less of epic and the fandom can’t wait to see what they will present. Meanwhile, Wendy is the 1st member to debut solo in 2021 with her 1st EP “Like Water” with 2 title tracks namely: ‘Like Water’ and ‘When This Rain Stops’. Wendy won “Best Ballad” at the 31st Seoul Music Awards in 2022 with ‘Like Water’, and it is no wonder why Luvies are eagerly waiting for Wendy’s 2nd solo album to drop.

Although no plans have been made concrete, Joy has taken to Bubble to reassure fans that her year-end plan is to rest so that she will be able to engage in more activities next year. Joy made a loving promise with fans to show them her “100% best” heathy self and will continue hosting “Animal Farm” as long as they want her to.

Finally, YeRi, our beloved maknae, is teasing the fandom with spoilers of her possibly being cast in a new “college student” webtoon drama. YeRi has everyone around her fingertips as she informs fans that there are talks about “Bitch X Rich” season 2 because of positive reviews. The talented maknae earned her 1st “Daesang Acting Female Idol” at the 2023 Brand of the Year Awards for her role as Baek JenNa in the drama “Bitch X Rich”. Fans are further thrilled to hear that YeRi will be attending the APAN Star Awards 2023 in December because her drama garnered much love from the public. Our 5 girls never fail to make their fandom proud, both as Red Velvet and in their individual endeavors.         

All eyes are now on SM Entertainment to see what plans they have in store for Red Velvet, especially since the new year would bring about the beloved quintet’s 10th anniversary. Luvies are earnestly hoping Red Velvet will get the recognition and privileges they rightfully deserve from their company. It is safe to say that everyone will be watching Red Velvet’s new steps as they continue to “Chill Kill” the music industry with their lingering presence and growing legacy.