A cosmic return, this surely was. Red Velvet has made a beeline for their 10th anniversary comeback, and it’s every bit the dreamy, rousing trip that some have doubtlessly expected to see from the decade-old quintet. As far as K-pop girl groups go, the five—namely Irene, Seulgi, Joy, Wendy and Yeri—are undeniably one of the most recognisable names in the industry, with a directional discography that has always put them ahead of the game musically.
With songs like ‘Psycho’, ‘Bad Boy’ and ‘Peek-A-Boo’, the group has not only been behind some of the industry’s most addictive chart-toppers, but also some of the most enrapturing visual concepts. At the tail end of last year, they released their first full album in six years, titled Chill Kill : a notable showcase of their notoriously darker, and more sinister sound. Fast forward to today, Cosmic is a six-track EP that is poised to convey a superfluous mood of summer; something one can glean best from its eponymous title track.
‘Cosmic’ works the best of the group’s supremely infectious vocals into a soaring , euphoric melody—one that has you floating in mid-air when you realise what a decade it’s been for them. Fellow K-pop aficionados will ask: what of the music video? No questions there, the ‘Cosmic’ MV visually borrows from one of the most captivating horror films in recent history: Midsommar . Behold, the quintet wrapped in their frothy Molly Goddard dresses, before sweating out their immacula.
