Red Velvet: “I Started My Career With A Smile, But Gradually Became Weary And Lost Myself”

Red Velvet’s Seulgi, Joy, and Wendy Remember 10 Years Shin Dong Yup’s “Jjanhyung” YouTube channel released “Red Velvet Shares Idol Stories for the First Time in 10 Years” on the 1st. On their 10th anniversary, Red Velvet expressed their ideas and experiences. Joy exclaimed, “The fact that it’s our 10th anniversary doesn’t feel real.” Yeri said, “We were not very outgoing,” and Joy said, “As trainees, we were often asked, ‘How are you going to become celebrities?'” We were meant to shout ‘Yes!’ when Mr. Lee Soo-man spoke, but we were timid.” Joy explained the honorific rule, “I was used to talking casually with my younger sibling, but at the agency, we had to be courteous.

Seulgi and Wendy, the youngest in their families, struggled as older sisters and often said, ‘I’ll do it’ in a formal manner. After joining, Yeri found it unusual and advised we communicate informally, which enhanced team morale.” SM trainees must follow curfews and no cell phones, according to Yeri. She said, “The strangest thing was that we misplaced our trainee cell phones after appearing. Why was that necessary?” Shin Dong-yup said, “You should blame the senior idols for that.” According to Yeri, younger SM trainees no longer suffer such constraints, “We were the last to experience that. Irene is 8 years older than me. We get along best now, but it was important when I was younger.” Seulgi said “Watching Yeri brought a lot of changes in perspective.” Joy described being placed in the debut group immediately after auditioning, living with three others, and debuting as four. She said Yeri was supposed to debut in the next girl group with a distinct culture. Yeri admitted, “The Red Velvet announcement made me more loyal to my friends. I didn’t want to launch without them. I didn’t detest the senior members, but it seemed like betraying my pals.” Seulgi reviewed their hit song ‘Red Flavor,’ noting, “We didn’t win many first places, but it was popular. It worked, although I couldn’t feel it throughout the rainy season. ‘Red Flavor’ played everywhere.” Joy recalls her early days: “I was always smiling, but I got tired. Since ‘Zimzalabim’ is designed to create happiness, I smiled as much as possible to express that sentiment, which made me happy. I focused on the song’s significance rather than chart performance, thinking it might be Red Velvet’s last stage. Our sincerity resonated with fans.” “We struggled physically and mentally during ‘Red Flavor’ and ‘Peek-A-Boo,'” Yeri said. A girl group’s 10th anniversary is hard to achieve, therefore we’re planning a wonderful celebration.”

Yeri also expressed serious fears, “I worry about my future. Celebrities aren’t the most stable.” Dong-yup said, “You need to have a grateful heart to avoid feeling empty and to make sound decisions.” Joy ended by describing her self-discovery journey: “This profession made it hard to find myself. Before I knew myself, people thought I was always bright and clear. I tried to meet those expectations, but it got harder with age. After realizing I wasn’t talking to myself, I focused on self-understanding.