Written by: Gerrica Viado
One of South Korea’s top girl groups, Red Velvet, is set to hold their first-ever solo concert in the Philippines on May 7, 2023, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Before we say ‘Happiness!’ with the group, let’s get to know the girls of Red Velvet – Irene, Seulgi, Wendy, Joy, and Yeri.
Who is Red Velvet?
(Photos: instagram.com/redvelvet.smtown)
Red Velvet is a five-piece South Korean girl group formed by SM Entertainment.
The group debuted on August 1, 2014, with their digital single Happiness and with four members: Irene, Seulgi, Wendy, and Joy.
Yeri officially joined the group at the beginning of 2015, completing the quintet. Ice Cream Cake is the group’s first release featuring all five members.
The group is known for their “red” and “velvet” concepts. Their “red” concepts are predominantly pop songs while their “velvet” concepts are mostly ‘90s-influenced R&B songs. The group’s unique artistry gives them a versatile discography that fans of any genre enjoy.
Red Velvet’s official fandom name is ReVeluv and their official fan color is Pastel Coral.
Now that we know who the group is, let’s get to know better the girls of Red Velvet!
Irene
(Photos: instagram.com/renebaebae)
Irene (birth name: Bae Joo Hyun) assumes a variety of positions in the group. She is the leader, main rapper, lead dancer, sub-vocalist, visual, and center.
Irene joined SM Entertainment as a trainee in 2009 and had five years of training under her belt before officially debuting.
Thanks to her beauty and popularity, Irene bagged numerous endorsement and brand deals, hailing her as a CF Queen.
Aside from singing, Irene also has a blossoming acting career both on the small and big screen. Some of her acting credits include the web drama Women at a Game Company and the film Double Patty.
In 2020, SM Entertainment confirmed that Irene and fellow bandmate, Seulgi, would form Red Velvet’s first sub-unit, Red Velvet – Irene & Seulgi. The duo debuted with the EP Monster.
Seulgi
(Photos: instagram.com/hi_sseulgi)
Seulgi (birth name: Kang Seul Gi) is the group’s main dancer and lead vocalist.
She was cast as an SM trainee in 2007 through a public audition. She trained for seven years before making an official debut as a member of Red Velvet.
In 2020, SM Entertainment launched the group’s first sub-unit with her and co-member Irene forming Red Velvet – Irene & Seulgi. They released their first EP Monster.
Two years later, in 2022, the company announced the supergroup Got the Beat, the first sub-unit of the project group Girls On Top. Seulgi and bandmate, Wendy, are both members. Other members include soloist BoA, Girls’ Generation’s Taeyeon and Hyoyeon, and Aespa’s Karina and Winter.
Also in 2022, Seulgi made her debut as a soloist with her first EP 28 Reasons.
Wendy
(Photos: instagram.com/todayis_wendy)
Wendy (birth name: Son Seung Wan) is Red Velvet’s powerful main vocalist. Aside from her powerhouse vocals, she also plays several instruments including piano, guitar, flute, and saxophone.
At five years old, she moved to Canada to study. She also briefly lived and studied in the United States before returning to Canada. Having lived there in her formative years, she is fluent in English.
Before becoming a trainee under SM Entertainment, she submitted an online audition for Cube Entertainment but was not accepted. Though she didn’t intend to audition for SM Entertainment, she was cast after accompanying a friend to the SM Global Audition in Canada in 2012.
She trained for less than two years before debuting with Red Velvet.
In 2021, she released her EP Like Water, making her the group’s first member to debut solo.
And in 2022, together with co-member, Seulgi, she became a member of the company’s supergroup, Got the Beat.
Joy
(Photos: instagram.com/_imyour_joy)
Joy (birth name: Park Soo Young) is Red Velvet’s vocalist and lead rapper. Joy was interested in trot music and dreamed of becoming a singer since she was a child.
In 2012, she auditioned at the SM Global Audition in Seoul and passed. She trained for two years before debuting with the rest of Red Velvet. During that time, a vocal coach gave her the stage name “Joy,” which she used to debut.
On top of being an idol, Joy debuted as an actress in 2017 with a starring role in the television drama The Liar and His Lover. Her other television acting credits include Tempted, The One and Only, and Once Upon a Small Town.
In 2021, she officially debuted as a soloist with a special album Hello.
Yeri
(Photos: instagram.com/yerimiese)
Yeri (birth name: Kim Ye Rim) is the group’s sub-vocalist, sub-rapper, and maknae.
She joined SM Entertainment in 2011 after auditioning and passing at the SM Weekly Audition. She trained for four years before making her official debut as the group’s new member.
On March 10, 2015, Yeri was introduced as Red Velvet’s newest member, with the release of the group’s first EP Ice Cream Cake. Prior to her debut, she briefly appeared in the introduction of the group’s debut song Happiness.
In 2019, she released her first self-composed solo project Dear Diary as part of SM Station Season 3.
Aside from her activities as a singer and idol, she made her acting debut in the episode “Mint Condition” of tvN’s one-act drama Drama Stage. In the same year, she was cast in the web series Blue Birthday. She is set to star in Cheongdam International High School, coming May 31, 2023.
Red Velvet is set to take the stage at SM Mall of Asia Arena on May 7, 2023, as part of the ‘R to V’ concert tour.
SM Entertainment has recently announced that Joy would halt all promotional activities due to health concerns.
PULP Live World has since then announced that Joy would sit out of their Manila stop as well.
Get well soon, Joy!