Famous K-pop group, Red Velvet, recently released their 5th Mini album, “Really Bad Boy” (RBB)!
Red Velvet’s comeback, “Really Bad Boy” was released on the 30th of November. It consists of 5 new songs along with an English version of the title track, “RBB (Really Bad Boy).” In this article, I will take you in depth through the title track and briefly through the side tracks.
Like many others, when I first found out that this comeback was named Really Bad Boy, I got a little skeptical and I worried that this comeback would have the same concept as their hit song from the start of 2018, “Bad Boy.” However, when the songs came out I was pleasantly surprised as the only thing that was similar about the songs were the titles. Although they both fall under Red Velvet’s ‘velvet’ concept, consisting of the darker and softer concepts, they had very different vibes. But that’s enough of the past, let us start going through the songs of this comeback!
Being the main focus of the Album, “RBB (Really Bad Boy)” is a somewhat upbeat jazzy song with a song format unlike any other. Although it has two verses, a bridge, and a chorus like most songs, the way it was executed makes not feel like your average song. What makes this song feel so different is that there are adlibs from the start of the song, and the way the song was arranged makes it so you focus on these adlibs. This effect is very clear in the choruses of the song. They consist of repeated variations of the sentence “He’s a really bad boy.” In most occasions having repetitive parts in songs would make the song weaker. However, the repetitiveness is actually what makes this song stronger. The main reason for this is because the lines in the chorus are sung with all of the group members with minimal change in pitch, and this is paired with the members adlibbing melodies over the lines. This strengthens the effect of the adlibs, making them stand out; honing in the listener’s focus on them. This same effect is used in the bridge of the song, where Yeri and Irene sing the phrase “you’re a bad boy and you’re bad for me,” constantly in an almost monotone voice while Wendy sings the main part of the bridge building up to the climax being Seulgi’s high note which is the last “you’re a bad boy and you’re bad for me.” This song definitely showcases the vocal ability of Red Velvet perfectly. It forces listeners of the song to focus on the members’ vocals, and this is one of the reasons I love the song so much.
Before we get into the side tracks I wanted to talk a bit about the English version of ‘RBB.’ Personally, I didn’t have much of an interest in this version. I felt that the Korean version of the song already had plenty of English featured in the song. Along with this, many of the English lyrics of the song were very repetitive. This is an example of when repetition of lyrics takes away rather than adds to a song. The song was just a bonus track so it didn’t take away from the album at all. Now on to the side tracks! I will try to explain the vibe and type of song each of the 4 side tracks is along with my opinion of them. First up is ‘Butterflies.’ This song is the first side track in the album and was a song they promoted along with the title track on music shows. This song’s concept is definitely a big contrast to ‘RBB’ in which it is much more of innocent and bubbly concept. I enjoyed thing song because of its contrast with the title track, especially the brighter sound and several beautiful harmonies.
Now to our next title track. ‘So Good’ is a more “chill” type of song and it is the slowest song on the album. Although it is slower, it is not a ballad. I would consider it just a slower pop song. It features their voices beautifully and has great melodies. However, the next song on the list definitely picks up the pace. The song ‘Sassy Me’ is similar to RBB in which there is a heavy beat with a brass instrument featured in the background, however, this song definitely has more of a girl crush concept feel. It features a wide range of vocals from many lows in the verses with highs in the pre-chorus, chorus, and bridge. Overall it is one of my favorites of the album. The last song on the list is definitely my favorite song from the track list. ‘Taste” is a standout track to me because of the beat and I enjoyed the verses and especially the big rap section during the third verse. I really love the rap sections of Red Velvet songs because I feel like it doesn’t happen enough, especially in the recent songs. Also, I really love the beginning of this song, I don’t really know why I just really do.
We’ve reached the end of the tracklist, so I’ll just leave some of my final thoughts about the album as a whole. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole mini album and I believed it had an amazing track list that had many different songs that really showcase Red Velvet’s versatility. I hope you enjoyed the album as much as I did, and that you support them on this comeback and comebacks to come!
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