Perfect Velvet


Perfect Velvet is the second studio album by South Korean girl group Red Velvet. Released on November 17, 2017, by SM Entertainment, the album is the group's first full-length release in two years since The Red . A record that incorporates R&B, soul and hip-hop, with influences from future bass, trap and synth-pop, Perfect Velvet saw contribution from various songwriters and production teams, namely Kenzie, The Stereotypes, Charli Taft, Daniel "Obi" Klein, Jam Factory and Hitchhiker, among others. The album is a portrayal of the group's "velvet" concept, making it their second major release to follow this sonic direction since their second extended play, The Velvet. The album was given a reissue as The Perfect Red Velvet on January 29, 2018.
Upon its release, Perfect Velvet received favorable reviews both domestically and internationally for showcasing the group's ability to switch between their two concepts, their maturity and experimentation as artists, and for breaking stereotypes among South Korean idols in general. The album debuted at number two on the Gaon Album Chart and peaked atop the Billboard World Album Chart, extending their record as the K-pop girl group with the most number-one albums on the latter chart with four. The Perfect Red Velvet became their seventh chart-topper on the Gaon.
Two singles were released from Perfect Velvet: "Peek-a-Boo", and "Bad Boy" from its reissue. Both singles were a commercial success for the group, peaking at number two on both the Gaon Digital Chart and Billboard World Digital Songs, with the latter single becoming the group's first single to receive a Platinum certificate by KMCA. Furthermore, "Bad Boy" went on to enter at number eighty-seven on the Canadian Hot 100 chart, making Red Velvet only the seventh K-pop artist and the third female act to appear on the chart. To promote the album, the group performed on several South Korean music programs such as Music Bank, and Inkigayo, further embarking on their second and third concert tour, Redmare and La Rouge in between 2018 and 2020.
Perfect Velvet was eventually included in several year-end lists from critics, most notably chosen as one of the "Greatest K-pop Albums of the 2010s" by Billboard magazine. It also earned the group several year-end music award nominations, including the Best Pop Album category at Korean Music Awards and Album of the Year category at the 2018 Mnet Asian Music Awards ceremony. A landmark performance by the group was held in North Korea where they performed "Bad Boy" at the "Spring is Coming" concert, to an audience that included leader Kim Jong-un.

Background

''Perfect Velvet''

On October 30, 2017, news about the group's upcoming comeback appeared on various South Korean news sites, which was then confirmed later that day by their company, SM Entertainment. At midnight on November 8, 2017, S.M. Entertainment revealed the title of the group's new single, "Peek-a-Boo", through a teaser along with the title of their second full album, Perfect Velvet, its release date, and that it would contain nine tracks. The title references the "velvet" half of the group's concept which stems from the meaning behind their name, where "red" is their vivid and bold image while "velvet" stands for their softer and more mature side. These two sides reflect the songs they release. In an interview with X Sports News on November 8, S.M. Entertainment stated that they intend to show "an upgraded version" of the group's "velvet" concept.
The group admitted to being unnerved by the success of their last single, "Red Flavor", as they were preparing for the album which the members participated in making through song selection. Similar to their company's statement, their leader Irene told Billboard that unlike their past two releases earlier in the same year which had been bright, falling under their "red" concept, they wanted to show an upgraded version of what they can show of their "velvet" image. Despite their concerns about the drastic change from their previous comeback, member Wendy stated that she thought it was "good timing" for the album to be released before the year ended as it "can show the perfect Red Velvet performances and songs".

''The Perfect Red Velvet''

In an interview with Idolator on January 16, 2018 about being nominated at the Grammy awards and working with K-pop artists, American production team, The Stereotypes, revealed they had "a new one coming that's gonna be really cool" when asked about working with Red Velvet. Previously, they also produced two tracks from Perfect Velvet. It was eventually reported that the new song will be the album's lead single, "Bad Boy". Only two months after the release of Perfect Velvet, S.M. Entertainment announced through an image teaser posted on their official Twitter and Instagram accounts on January 23, 2018 that Red Velvet will be releasing a repackage of the album titled The Perfect Red Velvet with "Bad Boy" as its lead single. "Bad Boy" was described as a song with a "sexy" or "girl crush" concept by South Korean news sites, which has never been done before by the group. On January 24, 2018, it was reported that the repackage of Perfect Velvet will be released on January 29 with three new songs, including "Bad Boy".
On January 26, individual teasers of members Wendy and Joy were released through the group's official SNS accounts which were noted by Kang Seo-jung of Osen as having the vibe of a powerful "eonni". In the same article, Kang also spoke of how their latest concept differs from the group's past releases. These teasers were followed by clips of Irene and Yeri on the following day, with Seulgi's being released on January 28. The reissue was ultimately released on January 29, 2018, at 6PM KST both digitally and physically. The physical album was released in two formats-CD and Kihno kit.

Composition

''Perfect Velvet''

Perfect Velvet has nine songs which features mostly pop, hip hop, soul and R&B genres. The album's first track, "Peek-a-Boo", was described as an up-tempo pop song with addictive hooks. Tamar Herman of Billboard stated that it is "laden with trop house elements underneath the overarching quirky pop vibe, and is driven by a deep bass drumline, scratchy synths, and metallic beats" which also features "a variety of diverse, playful instrumental elements nestled beneath the main melody". Lyrically, it compares a new romantic relationship to a game that children play.
"Look" is a disco-styled dance song written by Jinbo and Sumin who also composed the song along with Charli Taft and Daniel "Obi" Klein who have written several songs for the group since their first EP, Ice Cream Cake, including the single "Automatic". "I Just" is a pop song with a futuristic bass and distinctive synth sound composed by Aventurina King, Kim Boo-min, John Fulford with arrangement by South Korean EDM artist and DJ, Hitchhiker and its Korean lyrics written by Kim Boo-min. "I Just"'s lyrics express the empty emotions felt after a break-up. The fourth track, "Kingdom Come", has been noted as an R&B song with a gentle beat and a soft melody. It was written by Lee Seu-ran of Jam Factory with music by Deez, Ylva Dimberg and was produced by The Stereotypes. "My Second Date" was characterized as a mid-tempo pop track, composed by James Wong, Sidnie Tipton and Sophie Stern with lyrics by Jeon Gan-di. "Attaboy" is a hip hop song with a hook melody. It was penned by S.M. Entertainment lyricist Kenzie who also composed the song with Ylva Dimberg and The Stereotypes. "Perfect 10" is an R&B song composed by Charli Taft, Daniel "Obi" Klein and Deez with lyrics by Cho Yoon-kyung. "About Love" is a mid-tempo pop song produced by re:one who also composed the song with Davey Nate. Its lyrics were written by January 8 of Jam Factory. The final track, "Moonlight Melody", is a low-key ballad with a delicate piano melody, written and composed by Lee Joo-hyung of Monotree and Kwon Deok-geun.

''The Perfect Red Velvet''

"Bad Boy" is characterized as an R&B song with elements of hip hop and a synth melody along with a heavy bass sound. The song was composed by The Stereotypes, Maxx Song and Whitney Philips with Korean lyrics by Yoo Young-jin, and the lyrics describe the attraction between bad men and arrogant women. Mexican news site Milenio called the song's melody a mix of R&B and hip hop, and described its lyrics as the story of the beginning of a couple's relationship.

"All Right" is an up-tempo dance-pop song that lyrically encourages a person to look forward to the future with the people around them. Composed by Kevin Charge, Phoebus Tassopoulus and Jessica Jean Pfeiffer, its lyrics were written by Lee Seu-ran of Jam Factory. "Time to Love" is a mid-tempo R&B ballad composed by Ellen Berg Tollbom, Ming Ji-syeon and Lee Dong-hoon with lyrics written by Kim Eun-jung detailing excitement over a new relationship.

Promotions

''Perfect Velvet''

The group began releasing teasers for their upcoming comeback on November 8 through their official social media accounts, which was followed by individual photo teasers of the members and a preview of a track from the album on each day until November 16. To further promote their comeback, the group held a showcase on November 16 which was hosted by label mate Taeyeon, where they discussed their album and performed the lead song, "Peek-a-Boo", live for the first time. On the same day, they appeared on a live broadcast through the Naver app, V Live.
The group had their first music show appearance on November 17, 2017 on Music Bank, where they performed "Peek-a-Boo" and "Look". As part of their promotions, Red Velvet appeared on the variety show Weekly Idol and were guests on several radio shows, where they performed "Peek-a-Boo" along with "Look" and "Kingdom Come". A remixed instrumental version of "I Just" was performed by the musician Hitchhiker, member Seulgi, and NCT 127's Taeyong at the 2017 Mnet Asian Music Awards, where the group also performed "Peek-a-Boo".

''The Perfect Red Velvet''

The album's title track "Bad Boy" had what Annie Martin of UPI called a "sultry" music video that featured the members in various coordinating outfits, which include all-black ensembles and pink pajamas, while performing against a snowy backdrop. The song was choreographed by Japanese hip hop dancer and choreographer Rie Hata, who had previously worked with CL for the choreography of "The Baddest Female" and with the group's label mate BoA for her single "Nega Dola".
Red Velvet held a comeback showcase on January 29, 2018, the same day as the album's release, and was hosted by label mate Girls' Generation member Hyoyeon. It was broadcast live through the Naver app V-Live. During the show, the members discussed their new songs, including "Bad Boy" which they performed live for the first time. The group started their music show promotions through M! Countdown on February 1. The group also performed the song on Music Bank, Show! Music Core, Inkigayo and Show Champion where they won their first trophy for "Bad Boy" on February 7. To further promote the album and single, the members also appeared on several radio shows in South Korea such as SBS FM's Choi Hwa Jung Power Time, SBS' NCT's Night Night and SBS FM's Kim Chang Ryul's Old School Radio.
In 2018, Red Velvet embarked on their Redmare world tour to promote the album and its reissue alongside their first Japanese mini-album, #Cookie Jar, and their special summer mini-album, Summer Magic.
A vertical music video for the song "I Just" was released on February 28, 2018.

Reception

''Perfect Velvet''

Perfect Velvet received positive reviews from both domestic and international critics. The release of the album was also seen as the group's softer, more mature and sophisticated "velvet" side finally being accepted by the public. Seon Mi-kyung of Osen considered the transition from their last song, "Red Flavor", to their "velvet" concept a bold move, especially when they had just gained notable success and recognition for it, but commented that it is noteworthy the group chose to change their identity and color to showcase their growth as artists. In their review of the album, KookMin Ilbo complimented the songs on the album as "colorful and solid". After shedding light on how the distinction between the group's "red" and "velvet" tracks are not as simple as being "dance" vs. "ballad", they claimed that Red Velvet's music is like a signal that people can now "do this kind of music". They also noted that visually, it references mysterious images of classic B-grade movies reminiscent of retro music in the UK. Kim Sang-hwa of Oh My Star on the other hand, called Red Velvet "a force other groups could not begin to imagine" particularly because of how all five members of the group reached new peaks vocal-wise. He also spoke of their musical experimentation and "future-oriented sound", asserting that it is their strongest ever. He then concluded that the album is one of the most outstanding domestic music records released in the year. Writing for OhmyNews, Oh Joon-young discussed the prejudice that idols are not considered artists and how Red Velvet pushed the boundaries of what idol music should be with their diverse musical inspirations and styles, thus gaining the public's respect. South Korean online magazine weiv also chose Perfect Velvet as their pick for the best domestic album of the year and was the only album by an idol group to be included on the list. In January 2018, Perfect Velvet was chosen by Idology out of 729 Korean albums as the best album of 2017, where 11 of their writers voted.
Tamar Herman of Billboard labelled the lead single as a "stylistic follow-up" to their 2015 single, "Ice Cream Cake", which according to her had the same "haunting, chromatic melody and taunting choral hook". She then described the album as "a lush retro-pop soundscape that offers up a complete turnabout from the vibrant sound and styling of their summer hit "Red Flavor" and The Red Summer". In December, Herman chose it as one of Billboards 20 Best K-pop Albums of 2017: Critics' Picks. Aubree Stamper of The Michigan Journal stated that "all nine tracks on the album fit well together" and showed a new side of the group. Chase McMullen of The 405 believed that too often than not, most of South Korea's popular girl groups were limited to two concepts, which are "cute" and "sexy" but "Red Velvet's only true interest appears to be dodging what's expected" and is a group who valued their versatility. He also stated that "The album plays like something of a challenge, constantly seeking to top itself". Lastly, he maintained that the members continue to challenge themselves, all the while crafting "irresistible pop that doesn't lose an ounce of sheen once the buzz wears off".
PublicationAccoladeRank
BillboardThe 25 Greatest K-Pop Albums of the 2010s5

''The Perfect Red Velvet''

Tamar Herman of Billboard called the title track "Bad Boy" their "darkest yet", comparing them to the rainbow hues of their last single, "Peek-a-Boo", and stated the members "played up their smoother retro leanings" with the addition of the new songs. Herman also commented on the members' styling, noting the "sexy uniforms and athleisure fishnet-and-leather outfits" which depicted the group as "femme fatales". The song's choreography was also seen as the sexiest the group has ever done. Lastly, she called the song and the album "overall representatives" of the group's "velvet" side, contrasting the quirkier "red" songs the group has released in the previous year. Similarly, Ela Teodosio of Christian Today believed that the single was their "most fiery track yet" and stated that the two other tracks that were added to the album "follow the group's theme of retro disco". Avery Thompson of Hollywood Life called the members "the epitome of girl power" as she praised the music video of the lead single. Fuse's Jeff Benjamin opined that the group put their own spin on modern R&B and hip hop, comparing it to the likes of Rihanna, Tinashe, and Cardi B where they incorporate "sassy, catch phrases into their verses and choruses". He then described the other track "All Right" as a "synth-pop cut" and "Time to Love" a "snappy ballad". Forbes stated that The Stereotypes' work on the album "have helped hone the girl group's lush contemporary R&B-meets-pop sound". In December 2018, Billboard included the title track "Bad Boy" in their '100 Best Songs of 2018: Critics' Picks' list while MTV picked "All Right" as one of the 'Best K-Pop B-Sides of 2018'. The Perfect Red Velvet was also included in Refinery29's '12 Best K-Pop Albums of 2018'.
In South Korea, X Sports News called "Bad Boy" the perfect blend of the group's intense "red" side and soft "velvet" in their review of Red Velvet's dual concept "red" and velvet" since their debut with "Happiness" and "Be Natural".

Commercial performance

Domestically, Perfect Velvet was a commercial success, peaking at number two on the Gaon Album Chart upon its release. It eventually became the fifth best-selling album on the November issue of the Gaon Monthly Album Chart, and ultimately the thirty-sixth best-selling album of 2017 in South Korea, having sold a total of 90,456 copies by the end of the year. As of April 2018, Perfect Velvet has sold a total of 101,032 copies, making it Red Velvet's first album to surpass 100,000 copies sold in South Korea. Under its re-release title The Perfect Red Velvet, the album became Red Velvet's seventh chart-topping title and spent a week atop the Gaon Album Chart. The re-release was the sixth best-selling album of January 2018, having sold a total of 55,128 copies, and eventually finished as the fifty-third best-selling release of 2018, achieving a total sales of 91,325 copies.
In addition to the album's native success, Perfect Velvet also attained success in the States. It topped the Billboard World Albums Chart for the week of December 9, 2017, becoming the group's third consecutive chart-topper in 2017 and fourth overall, following The Red, Rookie and The Red Summer. By this, Red Velvet extended their record as the K-pop girl group with the most number one entries on the chart, breaking tie with their fellow labelmate Girls' Generation. The album also made its debut on the Billboards Top Heatseekers Albums chart at number three, becoming their first release to enter the top five of the chart. With over 2,000 copies sold in its first week, Perfect Velvet earned their best US sales week at the time, later surpassed by the group's fifth extended play RBB in the same year. Following the release of the album, Red Velvet appeared on the Billboard Social 50 chart at number thirty-three, a new peak for the group. In Japan, the album debuted on Oricon Weekly Albums chart at number twenty with 2,867 copies, the group's first release to enter the top twenty. The album also debuted at number ninety-five on the French Download Albums Chart, making it their first release to enter the component chart. Upon its re-release as The Perfect Red Velvet, the album debuted and peaked at number three on Billboards World Albums chart, becoming their seventh top-three entry on the chart. It also entered the French Download Albums Chart, achieving a peak position of number eighty-seven. The re-release also helped Perfect Velvet re-entered the top fifty on the Oricon Albums Chart, reaching number twenty-nine on the fifth week of January 2018.

Track listing

Credits adapted from Naver

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Perfect Velvet.

Release history

Accolades

Annual music awards

Music program awards