Red Velvet is a South Korean girl group formed and managed by SM Entertainment. They originally debuted on August 1, 2014, with the single "Happiness" with the four-member line-up of Irene, Seulgi, Wendy, and Joy. A fifth member, Yeri, joined in March 2015, following the release of their first extended play, Ice Cream Cake. Sonically, the music of Red Velvet reflects their group name: their predominantly-pop "red" side experiments occasionally with electronic and funk, while their "velvet" side focuses on '90s-influenced R&B with elements of ballad and hip hop.
Red Velvet in May 2024 From left to right: Joy, Yeri, Irene, Seulgi, and Wendy
Red Velvet at KCON 2015 in Los Angeles
Red Velvet at the Incheon Hallyu K-pop Concert in October 2015
Red Velvet at the 25th Seoul Music Awards in January 2016
A girl group is a music act featuring several female singers who generally harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female pop music singing groups, many of whom were influenced by doo-wop and which flourished in the late 1950s and early 1960s between the decline of early rock and roll and start of the British Invasion. All-female bands, in which members also play instruments, are usually considered a separate phenomenon. These groups are sometimes called "girl bands" to differentiate, although this terminology is not universally followed.
Singing group Labelle, c. 1975
Breaking through during the mid-1990s, the Spice Girls became the best-selling girl group of all time.
Image: Please Mr. Postman album
Image: Girls' Generation at DMC Festival 2015 MBC Radio DJ Concert 02