A Musical Parade of Lights, Magic and Out-Of-This-World Whimsy  

 by Kyle

Undisputed ‘Queens of Summer’ Red Velvet returned with not one, but two mini albums this summer, delighting fans all season long with their infectious blend of playful pop and sonic symphonies. 

Their ‘ReVe Festival,’ heralded as a trilogy, conceptualizes a summer carnival with the five ladies pulling out all the stops for anyone daring to enter.  

‘Day 1’ kicked things off with magnetic title track “Zimzalabim,” an in-your-face, four-on-the-floor dance song with a hook so catchy it could cast a spell. 

When Wendy asks if ‘[we’re] ready for this,’ it’s surely rhetorical because between the dizzying, up and down instrumentation and the rapid-fire chorus rap, to the high-octane dance break that melts into a melodic 3-part harmonized bridge,  “Zimzalabim” goes off like a rollercoaster into outer space. 

A breath is hardly caught before ‘Day 2’ brings things back to Earth (just slightly) and on to the beach. Title track “Umpah Umpah,” an onomatopoeia for a popular breathing technique used to teach swimming, is a bright, up-tempo disco-synth number featuring its repeated, bombastic bass line layered on top of a lush melody and rich, colorful vocals. 

With lyrics referring to the magic and wonder of swimming, it’s the song itself that’s proves to be ‘something unforgettable.’  

Unabashedly fun, ‘The ReVe Festival’ is what Red Velvet does best: big pop songs and slick R&B jams, cohered together by the ladies’ cute yet confident charms and distinctive, powerhouse vocals.  

Celebrating their fifth year since debut, fans are sure to appreciate all the callbacks to their previous hits, hidden in the album artwork and scattered throughout the song lyrics.  

A particularly memorable fan moment occurred this summer when Red Velvet performed “Zimzalabim” in a gymnasium accompanied by a flash mob of 500 people.  

The perfectly synchronized choreography is a sight to behold and proves why Red Velvet is a group adored by the masses. ‘The ReVe Festival’ is their victory lap.   

Coming December 23rd, ‘The ReVe Festival: Finale’ will serve as the third and final release of the trilogy. Containing four new songs, including title track “Psycho,” as well as the previous 12 tracks from ‘Day 1’ and ‘Day 2’, fans can expect one last grand hurrah as the year comes to an end. 

Red Velvet ‘The ReVe Festival: Finale’ is available in two versions: Finale Ver. and Scrapbook Ver. Pre-Order yours today at SM Global Shop .  

Red Velvet ‘’The ReVE Festival’ Day 2’ (Guide Book Ver.) 

Red Velvet ‘’The ReVe Festival’ Day 2’ (Day 2 Ver.) 

Sources (1),(2),(3)