Netizens are comparing Red Velvet's visual productions before and after Min Hee Jin's departure.
On an online forum, fans are discussing the numerous concepts brought to life by Red Velvet, a girl group from SM Entertainment, where Min Hee Jin served as the creative director for many years. Before leaving the company in 2019, Min Hee Jin famously worked with both girl groups and boy groups to conceptualize their albums for every comeback.
With Red Velvet, Min Hee Jin is known for creating vibrant 'pop art' style concepts and nearly horror-themed concepts, starting from 'Peek-A-Boo.' Her style of kitschy horror movie posters marked Red Velvet's dual themes of 'red' and 'velvet,' achieving both playful and serious styles.
Before:
Netizens compared Red Velvet's concepts before and after Min Hee Jin's departure, highlighting examples from "Happiness," "Russian Roulette," and more recent concepts like "Feel My Rhythm," "Psycho," and "Chill Kill."
Many netizens noted that although Min Hee Jin left SM Entertainment, she often worked together with production director Jo Woo Cheol, who continues to work with Red Velvet.
They also commented that while Min Hee Jin excels at creating playful, kitschy, and nuanced concepts for younger women, the current concepts for Red Velvet better suit their more mature image.
After:
Comments include:
"Why is it better after she left?"
"It's fortunate that Red Velvet wasn't solely managed by Min Hee Jin but co-managed with another art director. So, even after she left, the direction remained similar yet refreshed, which is good. It's a win-win situation. Min Hee Jin left and created a group called NewJeans, and Red Velvet, with their seniority, can now take on more sophisticated and mature concepts."
"Both before and after are good, though."
"Her synergy was actually better with f(x)."
"Whether Min Hee Jin left or not, it's clear that SM, starting with Min Hee Jin, has put a lot of effort into album design and concepts. Even after she left, they've hired directors comparable to her, so both periods are good."
"Min Hee Jin's designs are unique and metaphorical, while SM's concept planning feels more traditional. As the comment below says, Min Hee Jin leaving was a win-win. Personally, I like Red Velvet's concepts more after she left because they feel more fairy tale-like."
"In their early days, they matched well with Min Hee Jin's lively atmosphere, and later, they suited more mature concepts. If they had continued with Min Hee Jin, they wouldn't have been able to do concepts like 'Chill Kill.' Min Hee Jin is better at younger girl group concepts."
"It's more sophisticated after she left."
"When Min Hee Jin was there, there was a freshness and cuteness that suited their rookie period. After she left, there's a mature charm, so both periods are good."
"They look prettier and more sophisticated after Min Hee Jin left."
"I personally prefer the concepts after she left... They feel more fantastical and creative, which I really like."
"Min Hee Jin has a unique vintage color palette."
"Both are good, but my taste is really aligned with Min Hee Jin... I love the concepts for 'Peek-A-Boo,' 'Dumb Dumb,' and 'Automatic,' especially 'Peek-A-Boo.'"
Which Red Velvet concept do you love the most?
SEE ALSO: K-netizens respond to Min Hee Jin telling HYBE to "reform the corrupt company"
Most artists would kill to have an album as visually and conceptually strong as Perfect Velvet.
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