The ladies of Red Velvet take an exciting and impressive dive into genres galore.
By Lucy
Whenever Red Velvet makes a comeback, they never fail to surprise fans. Versatile and delightfully unpredictable, every new release is an auditory adventure. “The ReVe Festival 2022 - Feel My Rhythm” is no different. From the constant genre-jumping to the overall concept to the unexpected addition of brass instruments sprinkled throughout, the album was a delightful deviation from start to finish.
Feel My Rhythm
When the teaser for the Feel My Rhythm music video came out, it was easy to think that the girls were returning to their ‘Velvet’ concept. Even so, listeners only needed to hear a few seconds of the song to realize that that wasn’t entirely the case--the video kept with the darker theme promised in the teaser, but the song was a bit more upbeat than anticipated.
It was an interesting way to kick off the album, to show fans both sides of the girls that ReVeLuv has come to know and love. The duality is also on full display in the music alone; even though the tune is light and colorful, it still possesses a driving beat, and that beat does exactly what the song implores--make you feel their rhythm.
Rainbow Halo
Rainbow Halo gives fans their first taste of those unexpected horns, but not straight off; they don’t burst into the track and make you do a double take until the chorus. Before that brassy beautifulness, we are first treated to synth-heavy melodies and bubblegum-sweet vocals working in tandem to create a layered, interesting and textured pop song, the likes of which the queens of Red Velvet are masters of.
Beg for Me
Nearly halfway through the album on the first listen, fans might have already abandoned the idea of a darker, ‘Velvet’ concept… but then Beg for Me starts up. The bold track is commanding not just musically but lyrically; the push-and-pull power dynamic of the relationship in the song is as sultry as the mood that carries the track itself.
Alluring, atmospheric and powerful, this track provides a nice counterweight to the album’s bubbly beginning. Clicky trap beats in the verses bleed into a classic hype buildup thumping from prechorus to chorus, where the song explodes into that melodic vocal perfection Red Velvet is known for. Dropping off the back end of the chorus are their hushed, smoky voices making compelling commands of ‘dance for me/work for me/beg for me’ to give the song its undeniable edge.
BAMBELEO
Is there anything Red Velvet can’t do? Surely, no one would ever expect a vaporwave-inspired tune from the girls, but here we all are, listening to BAMBELEO as proof of the very thing. The tune continues the album’s path in that it is track after track of unexpected twists and turns.
As for that vaporwave influence—lofi-style production qualities overlay twinkly synths, 80s-inspired, hollow drum-machine kicks and the telltale sound of any vaporwave tune: the occasional horns and a funky bass line in the chorus. It takes a turn at the end, treating listening ears to a muddy guitar solo equally as reflective of the sounds of the 1980s.
All the while, we can hear Red Velvet’s famously fierce signature sound throughout with their vocals making the perfect accompaniment to such a fantastically colorful song.
Good, Bad, Ugly
The penultimate track starts to reel in the energetic mood of the rest of the album while once again flipping the script. After already exploring modern pop and vaporwave, Red Velvet dips their toes into the R&B genre with Good, Bad, Ugly. Jazzy piano also gets the lo-fi aesthetic treatment and lays a beautifully textured foundation for the girls’ voices to dance atop. It’s a groovy, versatile tune laid back enough to study to but upbeat enough to keep you moving while you take care of some work.
In My Dreams
A combination of the heavy hits of bass and rich synths in the beginning of In My Dreams brings to mind their 2019 hit, Psycho. Even so, much of the tune feels like a contemporary take on those old doo-wops of the 1950s, given a fresh coat of paint and dressed up to suit the aesthetic of Red Velvet.
Dramatic, crashing cymbals make the chorus even more dynamic with the vibrant sound of the girls’ voices all harmonizing so perfectly alongside it. Even with its punchy sound, lyrically, the song holds within it something softer. There is an undeniable longing and a little taste of heartache that is made bittersweet with the syrupy vocal harmonies crooning the lyrics ‘in my dreams/you love me back.’
With so much to offer and so much to love in its many twists and turns, this is certainly an album that will go down in Red Velvet’s history as one of their best. If you haven’t listened to this soundtrack for springtime yet, don’t miss out any longer. You can get your own copy of 'The ReVe Festival 2022 - Feel My Rhythm' right here on SM Global Shop!
