┬Ā Red VelvetŌĆÖs Wendy announced that she is preparing for an album to be released in April. With various soundtracks, featuring, and duets that she participated in, she is the first member of the team to release a solo album. And that is precisely why we should pay attention to her. LetŌĆÖs take a guess on what SM will create with Wendy this time, after producing multiple solo musicians who made history with their ballads. While many things are still under the veil, fans are more confident than anxious about her upcoming album. Perhaps her past career can tell us more. ┬Ā
Temporarily Shifting Away from the Universe, Going Towards a SoloistŌĆÖs Sentiments
If we were to name some iconic vocalists from SM, there would be Super JuniorŌĆÖs Kyuhyun, GirlsŌĆÖ GenerationŌĆÖs Taeyeon, and EXOŌĆÖs Baekhyun. They have something in common: they have created a new impression of themselves as soloists after working in idol groups with a strong identity. These vocalists have particular sentiments in telling their stories, different from Taemin, Kai, Irene & Seulgi, who are mostly focused on performances. How did Baekhyun keep his character while singing about a typical love in ŌĆ£UN VillageŌĆØ after EXOŌĆÖs powerful and adventurous performance? To clarify, SMŌĆÖs solo artists are great at separating their identities from their group. Baekhyun had to tell a completely different story from EXO and thus had to start from back to square one. That is how he led the comforting, soft, and romantic album ŌĆ£DelightŌĆØ to be a million-seller with ŌĆ£Amusement ParkŌĆØ and made his solo debut in Japan. By all means, EXOŌĆÖs collective popularity played along with his success. It is a characteristic of SMŌĆÖs soloist to catch the ears of listeners apart from their fans.
Could it be the Korean listenersŌĆÖ love for the ballad, as they are almost always on the chartsŌĆÖ top? A wide range of listeners has loved solo albums of Kyuhyun, Taeyeon, and Baekhyun. It is because the artistsŌĆÖ music changes the styles as they enter the path of the soloist. Taeyeon is an excellent example. For instance, she maintained her popularity from her track ŌĆ£IŌĆØ because she chose to work with R&B instead of sticking to traditional ballads. This way, she was able to demonstrate her style of singing better. Baekhyun used futuristic sounds to sing as if he was talking to the listeners, and Taeyeon showed her capabilities as an artist with R&B sounds. How will Wendy greet the second chapter of her career? Among SM artists, Red Velvet relies on their members the most, as they both cooperate and chase after one another. With both hostility and solidarity in their universe, the group identity of Red Velvet has been portrayed constantly. ŌĆ£One of These Nights,ŌĆØ ŌĆ£Russian Roulette,ŌĆØ and ŌĆ£Pee-A-BooŌĆØ clearly demonstrates how all five members are upholding the groupŌĆÖs universe. So, as Wendy temporarily moves away from this thoroughly built world, she is expected to stand on a new starting line with an R&B-based ballad with her refreshing voice. Especially as a ballad track with R&B elements has become the success formula for SM vocal soloists to follow. But if Wendy was to break the mold and make a bold attempt at creating her unique genre, I look forward to a mid-tempo title track filled with her bright sunshine-like charms. ┬Ā
Soundtracks, SM Station, Featuring: The Various Forms of Music that Strengthened WendyŌĆÖs Popularity and Vocal Styles
Wendy has already demonstrated her capabilities through many different projects and collaborations. Kicking off with ŌĆ£Spring LoveŌĆØ alongside Eric Nam through SM Station in 2016, she eventually accomplished a legendary duet with John Legend in ŌĆ£Written in the Stars.ŌĆØ
The artist also gained experience by singing TV soundtracks, including ŌĆ£GoodbyeŌĆØ from Beauty Inside, ŌĆ£What If LoveŌĆØ from Touch Your Heart, and ŌĆ£Two LettersŌĆØ (literal title) from Start-Up. Her voice caught both K-drama and K-pop fans as she was able to portray various sides of love that were at times sorrowful and calm. Looking through the songs she worked on so far, they were primarily duets with a showŌĆÖs male singer or soundtracks. Thus, she joined in projects predominantly with the theme of love. Besides, Wendy changed her voice and vocal style along the way to suit each songŌĆÖs ambiance. However, now with her solo album, it seems that the tracks will now be custom-made to fit Wendy. That is to say; she will now have an identity as a soloist that everyone can recall when they think of ŌĆśWendy.ŌĆÖ Perhaps Wendy wonŌĆÖt sing only about love anymore. With a stage accident on the day of Christmas in 2019 and the time she spent recovering from the injuries, it seems likely that she will sing for encouragement and hope. Unlike the unit Irene & Seulgi, who demonstrated the genre of SMP (SM Music Performance) in ŌĆ£MonsterŌĆØ and ŌĆ£Naughty,ŌĆØ Wendy could attempt to tell an autobiographic story. The truthful stories that come from her experiences are expected to be a part of the album. Her new solo albumŌĆÖs theme and mood will separate her from Red VelvetŌĆÖs universe and its vibrant performances. Nevertheless, we hope that Wendy comes out with music that overcomes the binaries of Red Velvet/Wendy, Dynamic/Lethargic, and Performance-driven/Vocal-driven. It is a personal wish that Wendy makes a refreshing solo debut that is more than just a soft and calm track that SM vocal soloists of the past have already overplayed. This has so far been the wishes and expectations for WendyŌĆÖs upcoming solo album, though contents like the highlight medley, are still unrevealed. Regardless of her flawless vocals proven through various projects, the upcoming songŌĆÖs style and theme raise multiple questions. We have no choice but to look forward to seeing the message Wendy will deliver as the first soloist of Red Velvet upon her new start. The album will likely differentiate from Red VelvetŌĆÖs color yet not completely break away from WendyŌĆÖs character. I hope that the albumŌĆÖs theme and story wonŌĆÖt be flattened out in the process of choosing between the publicŌĆÖs popularity and an intriguing universe. While it is a huge challenge to juggle with the purpose, direction, and style of an album, we have no choice but to have faith in SM and WendyŌĆÖs outstanding skills. ┬Ā Editor Kim Yoo Hyang ŌĆŌĆØ I chase after the fancy and ever-so-shifting K-pop. Different universes and fantasies of K-idols intrigue me as they become a new medium of communication in our reality. Finding meanings in the tiniest details is my hobby and fort├®.
