1. Red Flavor
2. You Better Know
3. Zoo
4. Mojito
5. Hear The Sea



Red Velvet brings the sizzle to the season with their new summer release 'The Red Summer!' Known for tracks like "Dumb Dumb" and "Rookie," the band now has a new EP. Their newest mini-album has five new tracks, including the title track "Red Flavor."



"Red Flavor" doesn't really resonate with me as much as it could. It's bright, poppy, cheerful, and altogether summery. It's also catchy as all get out. I like the beginning a lot, but I don't think the song flows as well as I'd want. I think the chorus is the best part by far, and I heart the bridges and ad-libs. But the main verses are odd: it seems like each line either has too many words or not enough to fill out the melody.

I like "You Better Know" a lot more than the title track. I think it's got some fierceness and sweetness to it, in a unique mix as only Red Velvet could pull off. I like the EDM track running behind it. It never intrudes until the end, making the repetition at the close better than it could be. The slowdowns, I think, serve to highlight the payoff in the chorus. That's why I enjoy this one so much. It's a bit of a break from the frantic energy of the title track.



"Zoo" has a tropical beat to it, and some faux jungle rhythms rounding it out.  This is adorable and fun, especially the way they say "zoo," that hook almost becoming an instrument itself. The tune is fun and danceable, and just a great listen. It's extremely playful and gets its point across nicely -- "Love is a zoo."

"Mojito" continues the same cheerful, bubbly energy we hear through the bulk of the EP. Obviously, the title refers to the drink. It's a very colorful song -- voice is green, the sand is lemon-colored, etc -- all referenced in the lyrics. The rapping is on point and super-cute... it's a good summer love song.

"Hear the Sea" almost sounds like an end of day type song -- the sun is going down, the park is closing, and it's time to pack and go home. It's almost a ballad, but not. It's extremely low-key and has that bluesy piano that we've heard before in their earlier work. Very evocative, and very appropriate to the theme of the song. And a nice, ultra-chill closer.



This is one of the better summer albums I've heard. I like how it's kind of a progression, from being excited about the promise of summer, finding a lover to a reflective, wistful tune at the end. If you're a Red Velvet fan, definitely pick this up. If not, give it a listen -- it might make a fan of you.

MV REVIEW

To start, each girl is associated with a different fruit, presumably to hammer home the idea of "Red Flavor."  But it's all set up almost like an infomercial, with Seulgi translating in the corner.

There were some times where I did feel like I was watching a commercial. There wasn't anything blatant, and the product was clearly the band, but with the fruit splashing into the water I half expected them to pull out bottles of juice. The occasional party scene was sprinkled throughout. And nearly every scene had fruit, even if it was a CGI background. Unlike the song, the MV wasn't terribly summery.



The good things about the video had to be the fact that the girls looked lovely, and the dancing was animated and fun to watch. Rather than tight choreo they had a looser style, but still, it looked like they were getting a workout. The moves came fast, and the dance definitely had some footwork. This would be fun to see live.

I know it sounds like I'm trashing it, but I'm really not. This is not unwatchable, just not what I expected. The girls look like they're having fun, and so it's fun to watch. And there's no shortage of eye-catching scenes. It's a fun ride and gets my stamp of approval.

Score

MV Relevance...........8
MV Production..........8
MV Concept..............8

Album Production.....8
Album Concept.........8
Tracklisting...............8