Red Velvet's Joy feeling 'gratitude' ahead of comeback EP release

Red Velvet member Joy is making a comeback as a solo artist for the first time in over four years, a process the artist says has given her "gratitude" ahead of the release of her EP "From Joy, with Love" at 6 p.m. on Monday.

Joy of Red Velvet [SM ENTERTAINMENT]

Red Velvet member Joy is making a comeback as a solo artist for the first time in over four years, a process the artist says has given her "gratitude" ahead of the release of her EP "From Joy, with Love" at 6 p.m. on Monday.

“Releasing an album that fully expresses my emotions once felt vague and daunting, but thanks to so many people who helped me, I’m just filled with gratitude these days,” Joy said. “Since I put everything into preparing this album, I hope many people will listen and love it.”

The EP consists of six tracks, including the pop dance song “Love Splash!” and others Joy contributed lyrics to. "From Joy, with Love" comes over four years since Joy's solo debut album "Hello" released in May 2021.

“The biggest challenge was expressing the grand and profound theme of love in an accessible way,” she said.

Joy chose “Love Splash!” as the title track because “it was the song that best visualized the stage and music video,” adding, “More than anything, I was confident I could convey its lovely melody well with my voice. I also felt it most naturally embodied the mood evoked by the theme of love.”

Among the tracks is “Get Up and Dance,” which Joy wrote the lyrics for by herself.

Joy of Red Velvet [SM ENTERTAINMENT]

“As soon as I heard the song, I imagined two people instantly drawn to each other, passionately in love,” she said. “I didn’t want it to just be upbeat, I tried to weave a certain seductive tension into the lyrics. Especially in the first and second verses, I wanted it to feel like reading a thrilling romance novel while keeping a tight rhyme structure.”

The album will be available on major music streaming platforms at 6 p.m., and the music video for the lead track, “Love Splash!” will also be released through SM Entertainment's YouTube channel.

“The music video for ‘Love Splash!’ stands out for its analog, vintage-inspired color palette, kitschy and cute outfits and props, and most of all, a storyline that perfectly captures the song’s lovely atmosphere,” Joy said. “One memorable moment was having to film a fight scene with model Yugo, who plays the male lead, right after we first met. It was a bit awkward at first, but he was very receptive to my ideas, so the shoot went smoothly and pleasantly.”

Joy of Red Velvet [SM ENTERTAINMENT]

Joy will also hold a special countdown livestream to mark her comeback, starting at 5 p.m. on Monday via Red Velvet’s YouTube and TikTok channels to celebrate the release with fans around the world.

“These days, I feel like all I do is think about ‘From Joy, with Love’ 24/7,” said Joy. “I hope many people will dive right in and splash into my first EP just like I have.”

Joy made her debut as a member of girl group Red Velvet in 2014. The group is known for hit tracks “Red Flavor” (2017), “Power Up” (2018), “Feel My Rhythm” (2022) and more.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]