Red Velvet, a third generation all girl K-pop group formed by SM Entertainment, debuted on August 1, 2014, with their first single “Happiness.” Bae Ju Hyun (Irene), Kang Seul Gi (Seulgi), Wendy Son (Wendy), Park Soo Young (Joy) and Kim Ye Rim (Yeri) are the five members of the well-known girl group, Red Velvet. Although Kim’s and Son’s contract was announced to end April 5, 2025, both members will continue to be active members of Red Velvet and collaborate for group-related projects.
With a total of four official studio albums, one compilation album and 15 extended plays (EPs), I believe that Red Velvet’s mini album “Russian Roulette” is one of their best albums. “Russian Roulette” was released September 6, 2016, with a primary theme of love. All seven songs refer to distinct experiences one might go through when being in love. “Russian Roulette,” “Lucky Girl,” “Bad Dracula,” “Sunny Afternoon,” “Fool,” “Some Love” and “My Dear” all relate to the idea of love while using retro-style music and synth-pop to communicate their message.
“Russian Roulette” is both the mini album’s title and the first title track. With more than 200 million plays on Spotify, six-plus music show wins, a win for The Best Music Video of the 2016 Melon Music Awards, and the Best K-Pop Song win at the Korean Music Awards, the song’s focus is a comparison between the game of Russian Roulette and the challenge one goes through to receive love or affection from someone they are interested in. Lyrics such as, “A dazzling secret, you can’t turn away from it anymore, I’ll p-p-push your button, accept it now” shows the perspective of a person who is waiting for someone to accept their love and affection rather than pushing them away.
Although the lyrics of “Russian Roulette” focus on the theme of chasing someone for love, the music video has more of a dark humor concept to it. Some perceive the music video as dark because of the juxtaposition of the bubbly and bright setting that undermines the potentially harmful pranks that the members are playing on each other.
“Russian Roulette” is also one of Red Velvet’s well-known tracks because of the viral edits and clip that was showcased on TikTok in 2021 when a former member of the K-pop girl group LOONA, Wong Ka Hei (Vivi), went viral for her cute cover of the song’s choreography.
“Lucky Girl,” the second track on “Russian Roulette,” is best known for its jazzy style that breaks into a funky beat and silly sounds that create a smooth contrast between the two. The song honestly makes one feel like a lucky girl for having the opportunity to listen to such a fun song. “Lucky Girl” explores the mindset and self-prophecy of being lucky as it attracts the best and brightest experiences while effortlessly charming and captivating others.
The third track, “Bad Dracula,” is about a woman who is not afraid to be confident in herself although others view her as scary or simply disagree with who she is. Rather than disliking the title of “Dracula” (a title given to her because she is perceived as scary), she owns up to the title and calls herself “Bad Dracula.” With the use of the genres R&B and ballads, the message of self-love and not caring what others think is conveyed.
The fourth track of “Russian Roulette” is “Sunny Afternoon.” This song celebrates the concepts of love, the small pleasures of life and happiness. With energetic upbeats and high melodies, it radiates positivity and is sure to make you feel joyful. The sweet lyrics show gratitude to small events proving that you don’t need grand things to make a moment special.
“Fool,” the fifth track of “Russian Roulette,” is my second favorite song. It’s simply so sweet and fun to listen to. It’s almost impossible to not get up and want to scream the lyrics in the end with Joy’s beautiful vocals repeating, “I’m a fool.” “Fool’s” lyrics focus on the overwhelming feeling you get when falling in love while also acknowledging that you are getting swept away by all the emotions because of this love. “Fool” also uses high melodies and the repetition of the word “fool” to show the self-awareness that is difficult to ignore.
“Some Love,” the second to last song on “Russian Roulette,” is about the complexities of relationships because although love is romanticized, there are always problems that occur. The lyrics focus on longing, emotional turmoil and uncertainty. “Some Love” uses different beats compared to prior tracks, but it is still a good song. I would say it has more of a “tropical house” melody while the other tracks use softer vocals.
The last track on the album and my number one favorite song is “My Dear.” The focal point of “My Dear” is cherishing the heartfelt memories you share with a significant other. With the use of a mellow and soothing beat, the lyrics capture the bittersweet feeling of yearning and being attached to your cherished moments while also showing the deep appreciation one has for someone special. “My dear, my love, my best” is a lyric that is repeated throughout the song to communicate this appreciation. This song truly makes me feel butterflies in my stomach because of the sweet and soft melodies and beautiful vocals from all five members of Red Velvet.
Altogether, this album would get five out of five stars from me. I love that each song is somehow related to love, but they all share a different experience. I also really enjoy the tunes and contribution from each member of Red Velvet.
