"Automatic" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Red Velvet | ||||
from the EP Ice Cream Cake | ||||
Language | Korean | |||
Released | March 17, 2015 | |||
Studio | SM Blue Ocean | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:30 | |||
Label | ||||
Composer(s) | ||||
Lyricist(s) | Choi So-young | |||
Red Velvet singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Automatic" on YouTube |
"Automatic" is a song recorded by South Korean girl group Red Velvet for their debut extended play (EP), Ice Cream Cake (2015). Composed and produced by Daniel "Obi" Klein and Charlotte Taft with Korean lyrics adapted by Choi So-young, the R&B and urban song was released as the group's first single from the EP on March 14, 2015, by SM Entertainment. It marked their first release as a quintet since the addition of member Yeri. The song's lyrics tells about unraveling the feeling of attraction to the other person.
Upon its release, the song received mixed reviews from music critics due to its sultry and minimal production. Some were unsure of what to expect from Red Velvet, as it was still unknown what concept the group has. Commercially, the song charted moderately on both the Gaon Digital Chart and US Billboard World Digital Song Sales, peaking at number thirty-two and number nine, respectively. An accompanying music video was released on March 14, 2015, with a set in composition of different spaces arranged like a human memory. The song has been performed on M Countdown , Music Bank , and Inkigayo .
Prior to their official comeback announcement, Red Velvet was spotted filming in a desert outdoors in the city of Palmdale, California, for a music video with a believed SM Rookies member (which was eventually revealed as their filming location for their single "Ice Cream Cake"). [1] [2] On March 11, 2015, SM Entertainment officially introduced Yeri as a new member of Red Velvet through a video, along with image teasers of her, and members Irene and Joy as they will make a comeback as a five-member group. [3] [4] On the same day, the label revealed the title of the group's first album to be Ice Cream Cake, which was set to be released on March 18, 2015. [5] The song was released digitally along with the EP on March 17. [6] [7]
"Automatic" was composed by Daniel "Obi" Klein and Charlotte Taft, who would later produce several songs for Red Velvet, while the Korean lyrics were written by Choi So-young. [8] [9] [10] In an interview with MACG Magazine, Taft revealed that she met Klein at a songwriting camp in Copenhagen, Denmark. The two songwriters then wrote a track called "Lips" and made it to the first cut with Girls' Generation, and Taft was later invited to take part in songwriting camps at SM Studios in Seoul, South Korea. Taft said that she had a really memorable time writing "Automatic"; she revealed that the song was written in her first trip to Korea. Additionally, she told that the song came together "quickly and quite effortlessly", and that she spent coming up with the lyrics and melodies for the track on a rooftop in Seoul. [11] During a podcast, Klein revealed that what seemed like an iPhone recording of girls dancing to Janet Jackson's "Got 'til It's Gone" (1997) was shown to him. He told that he was asked to make a song from the shown video and agreed to do so. However, Klein said that he needed the same BPM for the song in order to fit with the dance tempo. [12]
Musically, "Automatic" was characterized as an urban genre song. [13] Jeff Benjamin of Billboard described the song as a "slow-burning, Janet Jackson-esque R&B jam", which represents the group's "Velvet" side. [14] Kim Do-hyun of IZM highlighted the song as created through the experiment of "Be Natural". [15] It is composed in the key of F minor, with a tempo of 180 beat-per-minute. [16] The song was noted for its synthesizer tone and simple chords, without a "fancy" session. [17] Lyrically, the song conveys a message of automatically unraveling the feeling of attraction to the other person. [18]
Following its release, "Automatic" has received mixed reviews from music critics. While Benjamin called the song "a slow-burning, Janet Jackson-esque R&B jam that positions them as sultry sirens", Kim cited the track as a song that stand at both extremes of "innocence and sexy". [14] [15] In addition to the review of follow-up single "Ice Cream Cake", Jakob Dorof of Spin magazine praised the track as "a recent winner" for both Red Velvet and SM Entertainment. [19] Park Soo-jung from Ten Asia praised Red Velvet's tone and restrained "sensual" vocals for standing out on the song. [20] Cho Ji-hwan of Weiv noted the song for succeeding in producing its own "stickiness". [21] On another album review, while Yoo Je-sang of Idology called the song as "a move to take a stable position", further explaining that it certainly reminds of past idols such as S.E.S., MRJ described the song as "a little disappointing", clarifying that he didn't know what to expect from Red Velvet this time. [22] Jung Byung-wook of Y-Magazine described the song as "one of the risk factors that obscures one's own color", adding that it is still unknown whether the group can have a "steady concept" or has potential as a "more advanced narrative". [23]
Jacques Peterson of Idolator ranked "Automatic" 22nd on "The 25 Best K-Pop Songs of 2015" list, calling the song a stand-out due to its "minimalist R&B beat" and "melancholy sensuality". [24] The song also landed on Billboard's "The 25 Best Red Velvet Songs: Critic's Picks" list at number nine, and the staff highlighted it for being one of their "smoothest cuts to date". [25]
On the 13th week of March 2015, "Automatic" debuted and peaked at number 32 on South Korea's Gaon Digital Chart. [26] It also debuted and peaked at number 16 and number 100 on the Gaon Download Chart and Gaon Streaming Chart, respectively. [27] [28] The song has since reached total sales of 71,844 digital units in South Korea, as of March 2015. [29] Elsewhere, the song debuted and peaked at number nine on the US Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart, making it Red Velvet's fourth entry and at the time, their lowest peak position on the chart. The ranking of the group's lowest peak was later surpassed by their 2017 SM Station single "Rebirth", which debuted and peaked at number 25 on the World Digital Song Sales chart. [30] [31]
On March 14, 2015, the music video for "Automatic" was uploaded on both SM Town's YouTube channel and Red Velvet's website. [34] The visual for the song was directed by Shin Hee-won, standing as the first visual he worked on for SM, and he later directed the music videos for Red Velvet's singles "One of These Nights" (2016), "Russian Roulette" (2016), and "Rookie" (2017). [35] In an interview with K-Popped, group member Seulgi revealed that while filming for the music video, the most fun part for her was the hardness of syncing lips with "Automatic", as the song was really fast. [36]
The music video is set in a composition of different spaces arranged like a human memory. [37] In order to project the lyrics "I want to continue to stay in your space together" and express that it stays in the memory without departing it, the video is directed with a symmetrical narrative. [32] [38] In addition, it has also redesigned spaces and scenes with unique angles and camera walking. [39] Through the narrative, a differentiated visual beauty is provided that emphasizes a "drowsy yet feminist" concept, "amplifying" curiosity about the opposite double title track. [33] [40] All five members are "showcasing sensual choreography at a dimly lit dinner table". [14] The visual became the sixth-most viewed K-pop music video worldwide and the fourth-most viewed in the United States by March 2015. [41]
Red Velvet started the promotion for "Automatic" dressed in black and white costumes on M Countdown , where they also performed "Ice Cream Cake". [42] For the performance, choreography by SM performance director Shim Jae-won was commissioned with moves that emphasized fascination and femininity. [43] The choreography included "detailed expressions", such as the movement of turning the wrists crossed with fingers made of the letter "A", taken from the song title. [44] It also featured the movement of the members gathering in a circle and matching the steps with their feet to the lyrics of "I'm putting my feet together". [45] As part of Ice Cream Cake's promotions, the song was performed live during the first promotion week on both Music Bank and Inkigayo . [46] [47] On April 6, 2015, Red Velvet performed the track on Kim Shin-young's Hope Song at Noon. [48] The song was also performed during Red Velvet's first concert Red Room in August 2017. [49]
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Ice Cream Cake. [50]
Studio
Personnel
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Various | March 17, 2015 | [52] |
Red Velvet is a South Korean girl group formed and managed by SM Entertainment. They originally debuted on August 1, 2014, with the single "Happiness" with the four-member line-up of Irene, Seulgi, Wendy, and Joy. A fifth member, Yeri, joined in March 2015, following the release of their first extended play, the chart-topping Ice Cream Cake. Sonically, the music of Red Velvet reflects their group name: their predominantly-pop "red" side experiments occasionally with electronic and funk, while their "velvet" side focuses on '90s-influenced R&B with elements of ballad and hip hop.
Ice Cream Cake is the debut Korean extended play by the South Korean girl group Red Velvet. It was released digitally on March 17, 2015, and physically on March 18 by SM Entertainment and distributed by Dreamus, marking the group's first proper release since their initial debut in August 2014 and their first release as a quintet since the addition of the group's fifth member Yeri. The extended play was released in two physical versions, named after the two singles and contained six tracks which introduced both the group's "Red" and "Velvet" sonic concept. The duality was further demonstrated by its two singles, "Automatic" and "Ice Cream Cake", with the latter becoming the group's breakthrough commercial success. S.M. founder Lee Soo-man served as the EP's executive producer, with Hayley Aitken, Trinity Music, Daniel "Obi" Klein, Charli Taft, Jam Factory, Kenzie, Teddy Riley, Cha Cha Malone, MonoTree and others contributed lyrics and production.
The Red is the debut studio album by South Korean girl group Red Velvet. It was released on September 9, 2015, by SM Entertainment and distributed by Dreamus. LDN Noise, Ryan S. Jhun, Denzil "DR" Remedios, Dsign Music, Kenzie, Deekay, Charli Taft, Jinbo, Dem Jointz, as well as others, handled production of the album, with SM founder Lee Soo-man serving as the executive producer. The record primarily showcases the group's "red" image with "fun, peppy" pop-oriented musical styles.
Russian Roulette is the third Korean extended play by South Korean girl group Red Velvet. It was released on September 7, 2016, by SM Entertainment.
Kim Ye-rim, better known by her stage name Yeri, is a South Korean singer and actress. She is a member of South Korean girl group Red Velvet. Aside from her music career, Yeri hosted Show! Music Core (2015) and The Viewable SM (2016). Yeri also appeared on variety show Secret Unnie (2018) and Law of the Jungle in Thailand (2019). In 2020, Yeri hosted her first reality-variety show Yeri's Room, which aired through the YouTube channel Dum Dum Studio.
Perfect Velvet is the second studio album by South Korean girl group Red Velvet. Released by SM Entertainment on November 17, 2017, the record incorporates R&B, soul and hip-hop with influences from future bass, trap and synth-pop, and saw contributions from various songwriters and production teams. The album is a portrayal of the group's "velvet" concept, making it their second major release to follow this sonic direction since their second extended play, The Velvet (2016). The album reissued as The Perfect Red Velvet on January 29, 2018.
"Red Flavor" is a song recorded by South Korean girl group Red Velvet for their first Korean special extended play, The Red Summer (2017). It was released as the lead single from the EP on July 9, 2017, through SM Entertainment and was distributed by Genie Music, along with the accompanying fruit-infused music video. Written by SM collaborator Kenzie and composed by Daniel Caesar and Ludwig Lindell, it is primarily a dance-pop song with synths and percussion. The song reflects the summer funky vibe, while the lyrics hint towards a young relationship with summer references. A Japanese version of the song, adapted by songwriter Kami Kaoru, was later included on the group's first Japanese EP, #Cookie Jar, on July 4, 2018.
"Ice Cream Cake" is a song recorded by South Korean girl group Red Velvet for their debut extended play Ice Cream Cake (2015). Primarily a dance-rock track with influences from drum and bass, the song was written by lyricist Jo Yoon-kyung, Kim Dong-hyun, Fredrik Häggstam, Hayley Aitken, Johan Gustafsson and Sebastian Lundberg, while production and arrangement were handled by Hayley Aitken and Trinity Music. Following the release of "Automatic", it was released as the group's second single from the extended play on March 16, 2015, by SM Entertainment, along with an accompanying music video. With its parental release, the group showcased their dual sonic concept in one album for the first time as "Ice Cream Cake" was promoted as the "Red" single, in contrast to "Automatic" which was promoted as its "Velvet" single.
"Peek-a-Boo" is a song recorded by South Korean girl group Red Velvet for their second studio album, Perfect Velvet (2017). An up-tempo dance-pop track with tropical house elements, it was written by Kenzie, Ellen Berg Tollbom, Cazzi Opeia, and duo Moonshine, while production was handled by the latter contributor. The song was released in conjunction with its parental album on November 17, 2017, through SM Entertainment. It was later re-recorded in Japanese for the group's second Japanese extended play Sappy, which was released on May 29, 2019.
"Dumb Dumb" is a song by South Korean girl group Red Velvet for their first studio album The Red (2015). It was written by Seo Ji-eum of Jam Factory and Kim Dong-hyun, while production and arrangement was handled by LDN Noise, Deanna Dellacioppa, Tayla Parx, and Ryan S. Jhun. An uptempo dance-pop track, its lyrics conveys a girl expressing her awkwardness regarding her feelings towards the object of her affections. It was released as the lead single of The Red on September 8, 2015 by SM Entertainment, along with an accompanying music video.
"Russian Roulette" is a song by South Korean girl group Red Velvet for their third extended play of the same name. Written by Jo Yoon-kyung and produced by Albi Albertsson, Belle Humble and Markus Lindell, it is primarily an 8-bit influenced synth-pop and dance-pop song which lyrically compares the process of winning someone's heart to a game of Russian roulette. The song was released as the lead single on September 7, 2016, by SM Entertainment along with an accompanying cartoon-themed music video which saw the group mimicking cartoon tricks to pull a prank and harm each other as the video progressed.
"Zimzalabim" is a song recorded by South Korean girl group Red Velvet for their sixth Korean extended play The ReVe Festival: Day 1, which acts as the first installment of the group's The ReVe Festival trilogy. Primarily an EDM-influenced electropop track that resembles a "colorful parade" and showcases an extravagant soundscape, the song was composed by production duo Caesar & Loui, Ollipop and Hayley Aitken with Korean lyrics written by lyricist Lee Seu-ran, which tells the listeners to "unfold a dream" that is "held deeply" in their heart. Accompanied by an amusement park-themed music video, it was released on June 19, 2019 by SM Entertainment as the lead single for Day 1, and subsequently the first single from The ReVe Festival trilogy.
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Queendom is the sixth Korean extended play and twelfth overall by South Korean girl group Red Velvet. Marketed as the group's sixth "mini album" release, it consists of six tracks, including the lead single of the same name. The EP was released digitally by SM Entertainment on August 16, 2021, and physically on August 17, 2021.
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"Birthday" is a song recorded by South Korean girl group Red Velvet for their sixth special extended play The ReVe Festival 2022 – Birthday. Written by Issac Han, Aaron Kim, Ghostchild Ltd, Loosen Door, Ejae and Kole, it was released as the EP's lead single by SM Entertainment on November 28, 2022.
"Cosmic" is a song recorded by South Korean girl group Red Velvet for their seventh Korean extended play of the same name. Written by Kenzie, Jonatan Gusmark, Ludvig Evers, Adrian McKinnon, and Ellen Berg, it was released as the EP's lead single by SM Entertainment on June 24, 2024.
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