“It’s not easy for a girl group to reach a 10th anniversary”— Red Velvet gets real about their journey in the music industry

On July 1, 2024, Korean comedian and TV show host Shin Dong-yup's YouTube channel, 짠한형 신동엽, released an exclusive interview with Red Velvet members Joy, Seulgi, and Yeri. In the episode, the trio shared untold idol stories from the last ten years of their careers.

Red Velvet members commemorated their 10th anniversary and candidly shared past experiences and thoughts. During the conversation, Red Velvet Yeri mentioned how it was difficult for a girl group to reach the milestone and stated:

"Those were physically and mentally tough periods for us. It’s not easy for a girl group to reach a 10th anniversary, and we’re thinking about how to celebrate it joyfully." As translated by allkpop.

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Red Velvet discussed SM Entertainment's strange and harsh rules to be followed by the group members

During Red Velvet's interview with the South Korean comedian and prominent television personality Shin Dong-yup, the group members discussed the harsh and strange rules and regulations they had to follow.

Yeri narrated how they were obligated to follow curfew and no cell phone policy. When they debuted, SM Entertainment took away their phones. However, they enjoyed keeping their phones during their trainee years.

The group members at Shin Dong-yup interview (Image via @RVsmtown/X)

Red Velvet member Yeri described how the present generation of SM Entertainment does not have to follow the strict rules and obligations they were compelled to. She further stated that the group members were the last individuals to face such stern obligations. While conversing about the initial days of the group's career, Joy stated how fans used to have an understanding with Red Velvet and said:

"At that time, I didn’t focus on chart performance but on the meaning of the song, thinking it might be Red Velvet’s last stage. Fans seemed to resonate with our sincerity." As translated by allkpop.

Joy also revealed how they were often hit with questions like, 'How are you going to become celebrities?' as the group members were introverted and used to respond in low voices to seniors's orders. She said:

"I was used to speaking informally with my younger sibling, but at the agency, we had to be very polite. Seulgi and Wendy, who were the youngest in their families, found it awkward to act as older sisters and often said, ‘I’ll do it’ in an overly formal way." As translated by allkpop.

The three members Joy, Yeri and Seulgi talking about their past experiences (Image via Shin Dong-yup/YouTube Channel)

Red Velvet's Joy narrated how the group members were successful in dealing with the problem of using honorifics following Yeri's arrival and stated:

"When Yeri joined later, she found it strange and suggested that we could speak informally among ourselves, which improved the team atmosphere." As translated by allkpop.

The Once Upon A Small Town actress shared her process of self-identification. Joy confessed that it was very challenging for her to discover who she was while carrying out the profession of a K-pop idol. She shed light on how the public had formed a discernment about her and how she was a cheerful individual even when she had no idea about her own personality.

However, with the passage of time, it became challenging for her to follow the public's discernment, and she decided to mend her ways. Joy confessed that she embarked on the path of self-discovery and tried to comprehend herself better.

It was also revealed during the interview that Yeri originally planned to debut with some other girl group as the center of the team. However, she was made to join Red Velvet, which made her dejected.

Yeri narrated that she did not want to debut if she had to leave her former group members. Due to her loyalty toward them, Yeri felt she was betraying her friends. She also expressed that she had wanted to act instead of debuting with another group. She then ensured that it was not because she disliked Red Velvet members.

The group members further discussed finding a stable job in the future, insights about their hit track Red Flavor (the lead single of their Korean EP, The Red Summer, released in 2017), residing with each other, debuting as a Red Velvet, and other experiences.

The South Korean girl group is formed and managed by SM Entertainment. The band debuted on August 1, 2014, with the single Happiness, with four members: Irene, Seulgi, Wendy, and Joy. The fifth member, Yeri, was incorporated into the group in March 2015 with the release of their record, Ice Cream Cake.

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In recent news, the group unveiled their eleventh mini-album, Cosmic, on June 24, 2024. The record featured six tracks: Cosmic, Sunflower, Last Drop, Love Arcade, Bubble, and Night Drive.