SEOUL, July 31 (AJP) — K-pop girl group Red Velvet will return as a full group on Aug. 3 with "Velvet Summer," its first five-member release in more than two years, marking a return to the summer season that helped establish the act as one of K-pop's defining warm-weather groups.
SM Entertainment said Friday that the five-track EP and its lead single, "Surfin' Boy," will be released at 6 p.m. KST on Aug. 3. The comeback is the group's first release featuring all five members since "Cosmic," which came out in June 2024.
Rather than revisiting the bright, high-energy sound of earlier hits such as "Red Flavor," "Power Up" and "Umpah Umpah," the title track blends bossa nova guitar, reggae rhythms and house grooves in a more laid-back take on Red Velvet's signature summer sound. SM said the song highlights a more mature side of the group's seasonal musical identity.
The EP also brings together several of Red Velvet's longtime creative collaborators. Member Joy, who has increasingly participated in songwriting through her solo work, wrote the lyrics for both "Surfin' Boy" and "Hawaii." Veteran songwriter and producer KENZIE, whose previous credits include "Red Flavor," "Peek-A-Boo" and "Psycho," contributed lyrics and composition for "Hot Girls Cold Vibe." Producer Hwang Hyun and lyricist Jo Yoon-kyung, both longtime collaborators with the group, also contributed to the album with "Orchestra" and "Hula Hoop."
Ahead of the release, Red Velvet will hold a three-day fan concert at Korea University's Hwajeong Gymnasium in Seoul from July 31 through Aug. 2, where "Surfin' Boy" is scheduled to receive its first live performance. Originally planned as a two-day event, the fan-con was expanded after tickets sold out, with the additional show also reaching full capacity. The final performance will be livestreamed globally through Beyond LIVE and Weverse.
The group will also host a countdown livestream on its YouTube and TikTok channels beginning at 5 p.m. KST on Aug. 3, ahead of the album's release. SM said "Level Up Project," Red Velvet's reality series, will return later this year with its sixth season, the first new installment in about four years.
Since debuting in 2014, Red Velvet has become one of K-pop's best-known summer acts with songs including "Red Flavor," "Power Up" and "Queendom." While the group has alternated between its bright "Red" concept and its more refined "Velvet" identity throughout its career, "Velvet Summer" aims to bring those two sides together in a single, unified sound.
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