28 Reasons

28 Reasons
Digital cover
EP by Seulgi
Released	October 4, 2022 (2022-10-04)
Length	19:45
Language	Korean
Label	SM Dreamus
Singles from 28 Reasons
"28 Reasons" Released: October 4, 2022

28 Reasons is the debut extended play by South Korean singer Seulgi. It was released by SM Entertainment on October 4, 2022, and contains six tracks, including the lead single of the same name.

Background and release

On September 6, 2022, SM Entertainment announced that South Korean singer Seulgi, a member of their group Red Velvet, would release her first solo album in October 2022. ^[1] On September 13, SM revealed the title of her first extended play (EP), 28 Reasons, set to be released on October 4. ^[2] On the same day, an album trailer video was released. ^[3] On September 19, the promotional schedule was released. ^[4] On September 26, a mood sampler video was released through Red Velvet's social media accounts. ^[5] On October 3, the music video teaser for the lead single, "28 Reasons", was released. ^[6]

Composition

The EP contains a total of six songs. ^[7] The lead single, "28 Reasons", is described as a dance-pop song characterized by groovy and heavy bass sounds and featuring a whistling sound. The lyrics depict a character who is both "good and evil" and the way this affects the relationship they are in. ^{[8] [9]} "Dead Man Runnin" is a R&B, dance-pop song featuring "energetic" drums, synth sounds, and bass drops. Written by Seulgi, in the lyrics she expresses her anxiety and the emptiness she felt when she was hurt in the past. ^{[10] [11]} In an interview with Rolling Stone , Seulgi explained "It was a song that makes you feel like a villain will appear. How will the villain appear? I made up that narrative and thought of someone who would want to destroy the world. These are thoughts we don't normally have. I got a lot of help from films — Joker, in particular. He was hurt and abused before he turned into a villain. When you hear the song, I think those emotions come to the surface." ^[12]

"Bad Boy, Sad Girl" is a mid-tempo R&B song featuring rapper Be'O that features a "bouncing" piano. ^{[13] [14]} "Anywhere but Home" is a "disco-style" song with elements of R&B and dance-pop, with lyrics describing taking a ride to an "unfamiliar place" on a sleepless night. ^[15] "Los Angeles", is an EDM song with a drop of techno sound. Lyrically, it describes the scenery of the "City of Angels", and the feeling of excitement and anticipation of finding a new dream in an unfamiliar place. ^[15] "Crown" is an R&B dance-pop track with heavy drum and synth melody. ^[14]

Promotion

On October 4, 2022, Seulgi held a live broadcast on YouTube and TikTok to commemorate the release of 28 Reasons. ^[11]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
IZM	[16]
NME	[17]

Rhian Daly of NME called the EP "pure brilliance" in his five-star review, saying it "moves cohesively through dark and delicious tracks that draw from different facets of R&B and dance-inflected pop, each incorporating opposing forces of light and dark, as hinted in the good vs evil narrative". ^[17] NME listed the EP as one of the best Asian albums of 2022, highlighting "Dead Man Runnin'" as the EP's key track and writing: "28 Reasons is a dark, existential story told through serpentine lyricism, watertight sonics and above all, Seulgi’s dulcet voice, which cuts through the haze like a light at the end of a dark tunnel. 28 Reasons is a solid start for Seulgi as she begins to explore her creative voice and hones her craft." South Korea publication Idology listed the EP as one of the best K-pop albums of the year, praising the themes of duality of the protagonist.

28 Reasons on year-end lists

Critic/Publication	List	Rank	Ref.
NME	25 Best Asian Albums of 2022	11	[18]
Idology	20 Best K-Pop Albums Of 2022	Included	[19]

Commercial performance

28 Reasons debuted at number three on the Circle Album Chart in the chart issue dated October 2–8, 2022, with 171,262 copies sold. ^[20] In Japan, the EP debuted at number 13 on the Oricon Albums Chart in the chart issue dated October 17–23 , 2022, with 4,156 copies sold. ^{[21] [22]} On the Billboard Japan Hot Albums, it debuted at number nine in the chart issue dated October 26, 2022. ^[23]

Track listing

Track listing for 28 Reasons

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Arrangement	Length
1.	"28 Reasons"	Jeon Ji-eun January 8th Jo Yoon-kyung Yoo Young-jin	Sean Kennedy Johan Fransson Henrik Goranson Yoo Kriz	Fransson Goranson Yoo Imlay	3:09
2.	"Dead Man Runnin"	Seulgi	Yaakov "Yash" Gruzman Shaun Frank Audra Mae	Gruzman	3:19
3.	"Bad Boy, Sad Girl" (featuring Be'O)	Danke (Lalala Studio) Be'O (rap making)	Dino Medanhodžić Johanna Jansson Ryan Jhun Be'O	Medanhodžić Jhun	2:57
4.	"Anywhere but Home"	Seo Ji-eum	Emile Ghantous Leslie Johnson Josh Goode Sofia Quinn Carly Gibert	Ghantous Johnson	3:21
5.	"Los Angeles"	Jung Il-li	Jennifer Decilveo Wens Justin Seiser Oliver Goldstein	Decilveo Seiser	3:43
6.	"Crown"	Kim Su-ji (Lalala Studio) Lee Ji-yoon (Jam Factory)	Hitimpulse Violet Skies Ilira Gashi	Hitimpulse Skies Gashi	3:26
Total length:					19:45

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from album's liner notes. ^[24]

Studio

• SM Booming System – recording, mixing, engineered for mix, digital editing (track 1)
• SM Big Shot Studio – recording (track 1, 3, 6), mixing (track 5), digital editing (track 5–6)
• SM Yellow Tail Studio – recording (track 5)
• SM Blue Ocean Studio – mixing (track 4)
• SM Blue Cup Studio – mixing (track 2, 6)
• SM Lvyin Studio – recording (track 2, 6), mixing (track 3), digital editing (track 2–3), engineered for mix (track 3)
• SM Ssam Studio – recording (track 4, 6)
• SM Starlight Studio – digital editing (track 4)
• Sonic Korea – mastering (track 1)
• 821 Sound Mastering – mastering (track 2–6)
• Doobdoob Studio – digital editing (track 1, 3)
• BPM Studio – digital editing (track 3)
• Sound Pool Studio – digital editing (track 6)

Personnel

• SM Entertainment – executive producer
• Lee Soo-man – producer
• Lee Sung-soo – production director, executive supervisor
• Tak Young-jun – executive supervisor
• Seulgi – vocals (all tracks), background vocals (track 2–6), lyrics (track 2)
• Yoo Young-jin – producer (track 1), lyrics, composition, arrangement, vocal director, background vocals, recording, mixing, engineered for mix, digital editing (track 1), music and sound supervisor (all tracks)
• Kriz – composition (track 1), vocal director (track 2), background vocals (track 1)
• January 8th – lyrics (track 1)
  • Jeon Ji-eun – lyrics (track 1)
• Jo Yoon-kyung – lyrics (track 1)
• Sean Kennedy – composition (track 1)
• Johan Fransson – composition, arrangement (track 1)
• Henrik Goranson – composition, arrangement (track 1)
• Imlay – arrangement (track 1)
• Yaakov "Yash" Gruzman – producer (track 2), composition, arrangement, drums, keyboards, synthesizer, programming, background vocals (track 2)
• Shaun Frank – composition (track 2)
• Audra Mae – composition (track 2)
• danke (Lalala Studio) – lyrics (track 3)
• Be'O – lyrics, composition, background vocals (track 3)
• Dino Medanhodžić – producer (track 3), composition, arrangement, background vocals (track 3)
• Johanna Jansson – composition, background vocals (track 3)
• Ryan S. Jhun – producer (track 3), composition, arrangement (track 3)
• Seo Mi-rae (ButterFly) – vocal director (track 3)
• Seo Ji-eum – lyrics (track 4)
• Emile Ghantous – producer (track 4), composition, arrangement (track 4)
• Leslie Johnson – producer (track 4), composition, arrangement (track 4)
• Josh Goode – composition (track 4)
• Sofia Quinn – composition (track 4)
• Carly Gibert – composition, background vocals (track 4)
• Lee Joo-myung – vocal director (track 4)
• Jung Il-li – lyrics (track 5)
• Jennifer Decilveo – producer (track 5), composition, arrangement (track 5)
• Oliver Goldstein – composition (track 5)
• Wens – composition, background vocals (track 5)
• Justin Seiser – producer (track 5), composition, arrangement (track 5)
• Kim Yeon-seo – vocal director (track 5)
• Kim Su-ji (Lalala Studio) – lyrics (track 6)
• Lee Ji-yoon (Jam Factory) – lyrics (track 6)
• Hitimpulse – producer (track 6), composition, arrangement (track 6)
• Violet Skies – composition, arrangement (track 6)
• Ilira Gashi – composition, arrangement (track 6)
• Kim Tae-woo – background vocals (track 6)
• Kenzie – vocal director (track 6)
• Lee Min-gyu – recording (track 1, 3, 6), mixing (track 5), digital editing (track 5–6)
• Lee Ji-hong – recording (track 2, 6), mixing (track 3), digital editing (track 2–3), engineered for mix (track 3)
• Noh Min-ji – recording (track 5)
• Kang Eun-ji – recording (track 4, 6)
• Kim Cheol-sun – mixing (track 4)
• Jung Eui-seok – mixing (track 2, 6)
• Shin Soo-min – mastering assistant (track 1)
• Jeon Hoon – mastering (track 1)
• Kwon Nam-woo – mastering (track 2–6)
• Eugene Kwon – digital editing (track 1)
• Jung Woo-young – digital editing (track 3)
• Min Sung-soo – digital editing (track 3)
• Jung Yu-ra – digital editing (track 4)
• Jung Ho-jin – digital editing (track 6)

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for 28 Reasons Chart (2022) Peak position Japanese Albums (Oricon) [21] 13 Japanese Hot Albums ( Billboard Japan ) [23] 9 South Korean Albums (Circle) [20] 3

Monthly charts Monthly chart performance for 28 Reasons Chart (2022) Peak position Japanese Albums (Oricon) [25] 50 South Korean Albums (Circle) [26] 8 Year-end charts Year-end chart performance for 28 Reasons Chart (2022) Position South Korean Albums (Circle) [27] 58

Release history

Release history for 28 Reasons

Region	Date	Format	Label
South Korea	October 4, 2022	CD	SM Dreamus
Various		Digital download streaming

References

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2. "Red Velvet's Seulgi to make solo debut with EP '28 Reasons' next month". Korea JoongAng Daily . September 13, 2022. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
3. Lee, Seung-rok (September 13, 2022). "와, 美쳤다…슬기, 생애 첫 솔로 데뷔 이런거였어? 파격 그자체" ["Wow, it was beautiful" Seulgi, was this her first solo debut? shocking body]. mydaily. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
4. Park, Seohyun (September 19, 2022). "레드벨벳 슬기, 첫 솔로 '28 Reasons' 스케줄 포스터 공개..기대↑" [Red Velvet's Seulgi, first solo '28 Reasons' schedule poster released Expectations↑]. Herald POP (in Korean). Retrieved September 20, 2022.
5. Kim, Jinseok (September 26, 2022). "10월 4일 솔로 데뷔 슬기, 타이틀곡은 '28 Reasons'" [Seulgi debuted as a solo artist on October 4, and the title song was '28 Reasons'.]. JTBC (in Korean). Retrieved September 27, 2022.
6. Jo, Seong-woon (October 3, 2022). "레드벨벳 슬기, 솔로 데뷔곡 '28 Reasons' MV 티저 공개" [Red Velvet's Seulgi releases MV teaser for her solo debut song '28 Reasons']. Sports Club (in Korean). Retrieved October 8, 2022.
7. Yoon, Jun-ho (September 26, 2022). "레드벨벳 슬기, '사랑의 선·악' 보여준다…첫 솔로곡 '28 Reasons'" [Red Velvet's Seulgi, 'The Good and Evil of Love'Her first solo song '28 Reasons']. Tenasia (in Korean). Retrieved September 27, 2022.
8. Sun, Mi-kyung (September 26, 2022). "레드벨벳 슬기, 사랑의 선과 악 담았다..'28 Reasons'" [Red Velvet's Seulgi, the good and evil of love '28 Reasons']. OSEN (in Korean). Retrieved September 27, 2022.
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11. Woo, bin (September 27, 2022). "레드벨벳 슬기, 데뷔 첫 작사 도전…상처 준 존재에게 경고" [Red Velvet's Seulgi, debut lyricist challenge Warning to the one who hurt you]. Tenasia (in Korean). Retrieved September 27, 2022.
12. Kwak, Kristine (October 4, 2022). "Seulgi of Red Velvet on Exploring Her Dark Side As a Solo Artist". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
13. Choi, Hyejin (September 28, 2022). "레드벨벳 슬기X비오, 풋풋한 러브송 부른다…케미 폭발" [Red Velvet Seulgi X B.O sings a fresh love song chemistry explosion]. Star News (in Korean). Retrieved September 28, 2022.
14. Park, Hanbitnuri (September 29, 2022). "레드벨벳 슬기의 홀로서기, 슬기가 보여줄 28가지 이유" [Red Velvet's Seulgi's Standing Alone, 28 Reasons Seulgi Shows]. GQ Korea (in Korean). Retrieved October 4, 2022.
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18. NME (December 23, 2022). "The 25 best Asian albums of 2022". NME. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
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