Ice Cream Cake | ||||
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![]() Digital and Ice Cream Cake version cover | ||||
EP by | ||||
Released | March 17, 2015 [1] | |||
Recorded | 2014–2015 | |||
Studio | SM Studio (Seoul, South Korea) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 21:28 | |||
Language | Korean | |||
Label | ||||
Producer |
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Red Velvet chronology | ||||
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Singles from Ice Cream Cake | ||||
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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, [3] 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 (marketed as double title tracks), "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.
Upon its release, Ice Cream Cake received positive reviews from music critics for its "impressive effort" of establishing the two sides of their musical identity. The EP also attained commercial success, becoming Red Velvet's first chart-topper on the Gaon Album Chart in South Korea and number two on the Billboard World Albums Chart for the first time, while peaking at number twenty-four on Billboard's Heatseekers Albums chart. It has since sold a cumulative sales of over 94,000 copies.
Following the end of "Be Natural" promotion in late October 2014, it was announced that Red Velvet would return with an extended play, marking their first proper release since the group's debut in last August. In February 2015, Red Velvet was spotted filming in a desert just outside of Palmdale, California with then SM Rookies-member Yeri, with the then-rumored song title to be "Blonde Girl", when they were actually filming the music video for "Ice Cream Cake". Yeri was then introduced by S.M. Entertainment as the fifth member of Red Velvet through two videos uploaded on the label's YouTube channel on March 11 and March 12, which contained audio previews of then-unknown album track "Somethin Kinda Crazy". [4] On the same day, they revealed the title of the group's first album, Ice Cream Cake. [5] On March 14, the music video for "Automatic" was released days prior to the EP's release, with title track "Ice Cream Cake" followed suit on March 16. [6] SM Entertainment confirmed that the group would be promoting both "Ice Cream Cake" and "Automatic". [7] The mini-album was released in two versions, Ice Cream Cake and Automatic. While there are no changes in the track list, the Automatic version has an alternative cover which features the original artwork in black and white, along with the design of the physical disc and the photo book inside is different from the other version.
Not only does the group's name "Red Velvet" represent their two different images, it also represents the duality sonic concept that the group was focusing on since their debut in 2014. [7] [8] While the "Red" concept shows the group's "sweet, bubblegum side", the "Velvet" concept highlights the group as "sultry sirens" with "slow-burning, Janet Jackson-esque R&B jam". [9] Ice Cream Cake marks the first release from Red Velvet to contain both "Red" and "Velvet" compositions, which was eventually followed by two different releases that focused solely on a single sonic concept: The Red in September 2015 and The Velvet in March 2016.
The extended play starts with the same-name track "Ice Cream Cake", a "punchy, sugary pop confection" that consists elements from dance-rock, bubblegum-pop and drum and bass. Produced by Hayley Aitken and producing team Trinity Music, the song original title was "Ice Cream Truck" before the lyrics was rewritten in Korean by songwriter Jo Yoon-kyung and Kim Dong-hyun. In addition, it also features "haunted" harmony which can be heard during the intro of the song, while being accompanied by the sound of a music box. The lyrics tell the excitement of a girl being attracted to her boyfriend, using "ice cream cake" as a metaphor to the girl's feelings. Along with the electro-pop "Stupid Cupid" and the bright, poppy "Take It Slow", the three tracks represent the "Red" concept, with "Stupid Cupid" offers a different "aura" through the electric riffs, and "Take It Slow" highlights the group's harmonization and soft vocals that recalls "the perfection" from fellow labelmate Girls' Generation-TTS. [10]
In contrast, the second track "Automatic" is "a surely implemented R&B track" with influence from neo soul, thus represents the "Velvet" sonic concept. Produced by Daniel "Obi" Klein and British singer-songwriter Charli Taft, the song was the first work from the duo with Red Velvet (who would later participate in the group's upcoming releases). Lyrically, the song tells how "natural" and "automatic" the senses and feelings of a girl come just by the touch of her lover, with the opening monologue "How do you like this beat?/Natural and automatic for you." Charli Taft also co-produced the third track "Something Kinda Crazy", a modern-R&B track with synth-pop influence that sings about the starstruck feelings of a girl when she falls in a relationship. The lyrics was written by songwriter Kenzie, with American producer Teddy Riley joined in the production. The closing track "Candy" is a "smoothing, popping" R&B track that sings about the wishes of a long-lasting relationship. These three tracks eventually represent the group's "Velvet" concept, portraying the group's "sultry" images and music.
SM Entertainment announced a program where the group would promote their new EP, called Ice Cream TV. The group performed the songs live on the show, which was streamed through Naver Music and was hosted by Shinee's Minho. Besides their live performances, the group also talked about the new album and their 'comeback'. [12]
The group started promoting their singles "Automatic" and "Ice Cream Cake" on music shows on March 19. They first performed the songs on Mnet's M Countdown , [13] followed by performances on KBS' Music Bank on March 20 [14] and SBS' Inkigayo on March 22. [15] They returned to Music Bank a week later and won their first music show trophy since their official debut. [16] They had their first overseas performance of "Ice Cream Cake" and their first as a 5-member group in an SM Town concert held in Taiwan. [17] The group has also promoted and performed songs from the album in the Philippines for the Best of the Best K-pop Concert on April 12, a concert which also featured labelmates Super Junior and Girls' Generation as well as Cube boy band BTOB. The group also had its first promotions in the United States at KCON on August 2 at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles. The group participated in a fan engagement session at the Los Angeles Convention Center and performed songs "Ice Cream Cake", "Somethin' Kinda Crazy", and "Happiness" during the concert.
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
IZM [18] | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Seoulbeats [19] | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Upon its initial release, Ice Cream Cake received positive reviews from most music critics for showcasing the duality sonic concept of the group. Jakob Dorof of pop music magazine Spin described the track "Ice Cream Cake" as "a treat as unexpected as it is unpredictable [...] packs a punch, but goes down smooth over time" and deemed it "the SM label's specialty: bubblegum pop that deeply rewards repeat rotations." [20] Billboard's Jeff Benjamin called the album "an impressive effort for such a young group" and praised its ability to personify the group's dual-sided musical identity through the singles "Ice Cream Cake" and "Automatic." He explained: "The former track is a punchy, sugary pop confection that [...] seems to represent the outfit's sweet bubblegum side; their "Red" side if you will. While the latter is a slow-burning, Janet Jackson-esque R&B jam that [...] positions them as sultry sirens; their "Velvet" side." [9] In a positive review for the EP, writer Kim Do-hyun of IZM complemented the strong R&B influence in the release, while noting that the release is "an independent statement" for the group, choosing the two singles, "Something Kinda Crazy" and "Take It Slow" to be the highlights of the EP. [10] Another review from Seoulbeats described the EP as "an earnestly sweet album that shows the wide range of talent the ladies of Red Velvet possess." [21] The two singles would later appear in the top 25 Red Velvet songs by Billboard, with "Automatic" at number nine and "Ice Cream Cake" at number eighteen. [22]
On the week of March 15, 2015, Ice Cream Cake debuted and spent one week at number one on the weekly Gaon Album Chart, [23] [24] giving the group their first chart-topping title. All six songs from the album eventually charted in the same week on Gaon Singles Chart. [25] The album went on to become the best selling album by a girl group in South Korea on the Hanteo Chart for the first half of 2015. [26] With a total of 48,815 copies sold in 2015, the extended play was the 50th best-selling release on the 2015's Gaon Year-End Album Chart, and later achieved a cumulative sales of over 88,000 copies as of September 2018. [27] It also debuted at number two on Billboard's World Albums Chart, becoming their first charting entry. [28] The album also peaked at 25 on Billboard's Top Heatseekers on April 4, 2015. [29] The album is also the group's first appearance on the Japan's Oricon Albums Chart, peaking at number 76 for one week.
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Arrangement | Length |
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1. | "Ice Cream Cake" |
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| 3:11 | |
2. | "Automatic" | 3:30 | |||
3. | "Somethin Kinda Crazy" |
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| 3:19 | |
4. | "Stupid Cupid" |
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| 3:29 |
5. | "Take It Slow" |
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| 3:31 |
6. | "Candy" (사탕;Satang) |
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| 4:22 |
Total length: | 21:28 |
Credits are from the album liner notes. [30]
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Weekly charts
| Monthly charts
Year-End charts
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Chart | Amount |
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Gaon physical sales [34] | 88,271+ |
Oricon physical sales | 2,796+ |
Billboard physical sales [35] | 3,000+ |
Region | Date | Format | Label |
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Various [1] | March 17, 2015 | Digital download | SM Entertainment |
South Korea | |||
South Korea | March 18, 2015 | CD | SM Entertainment, KT Music |
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.
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.
The Velvet is the second Korean extended play by South Korean girl group Red Velvet. Released on March 17, 2016, by SM Entertainment and distributed by Dreamus, the extended play is the spiritual successor of their first full-length album The Red, which was released in September 2015. In contrast to their vivid and bright "red" image on The Red, The Velvet finds the group embracing their smooth and softer "velvet" image, incorporating mainly the R&B genre. S.M. founder Lee Soo-man continued to act as the executive producer of the extended play, with Andreas Öberg, Daniel "Obi" Klein, Charli Taft, Deez, Maria Marcus, Kenzie, as well as others contributed both lyrics and production.
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.
The Red Summer is the first special extended play and the fifth overall by South Korean girl group Red Velvet. Marketed as the group's first "special summer" release, the five-track EP was released digitally on July 9, 2017, and physically the following day by SM Entertainment. Primarily a dance-pop and EDM record, it is the second major release from Red Velvet to focus solely on their "red" concept, following their debut studio album The Red (2015). It was later proceeded by Summer Magic as both the second "special summer" extended play and the third major "red" release.
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.
"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.
"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.
"One of These Nights" is a song recorded by South Korean girl group Red Velvet. Composed by Hwang Chan-hee, Andreas Öberg, Maria Marcus and penned by Seo Ji-eum of Jam Factory, it was released as the lead single from their second extended play, The Velvet, which is also the group's first major release to focus on the 'Velvet' half of their unique dual concept, as a follow-up to their last album, The Red. "One of These Nights" is an R&B mid-tempo song with lyrics inspired by the story of Jingnyeo and Gyeonu, a folk tale conceived from the Korean festival Chilseok which originates from the Chinese Qixi Festival which falls on the seventh day of the seventh month on the lunisolar calendar. Originally intended to be released a day earlier, SM Entertainment delayed the song and album's release to March 17, 2016, to ensure its quality.
"Rookie" is a song recorded by South Korean girl group Red Velvet for their fourth extended play of the same name. The song was released on February 1, 2017, as the lead single from the EP by SM Entertainment, and contains contributions from multiple songwriters. A pop-funk dance track, its lyrical content compares a girl's lover to a rookie.
Summer Magic is the second special extended play and the seventh overall by South Korean girl group Red Velvet, marketed as their special "summer" EP following The Red Summer, which was released in July 2017. The EP is also the group's third major release to focus on their "Red" concept, following The Red Summer and the group's debut studio album The Red (2015). Released on August 6, 2018, the EP contains seven tracks, including the lead single "Power Up" and the English version of "Bad Boy" as a bonus track, making it their first song to be released in English.
RBB is the fifth Korean extended play and the eighth overall by South Korean girl group Red Velvet. The six-track EP was released on November 30, 2018, by SM Entertainment with iriver and Dreamus as the domestic distributor. Musically, the EP consists of five new original tracks which varied in different genres, mostly R&B and dance-pop, which became the group's third major release to focus on their "Velvet" sonic concept, following their second EP The Velvet (2016), their second studio album Perfect Velvet (2017) and its repackage The Perfect Red Velvet (2018).
The ReVe Festival: Day 1 is the third special extended play and the tenth overall by South Korean girl group Red Velvet. Released on June 19, 2019, through SM Entertainment, the extended play served as the first installation of the group's The ReVe Festival trilogy, which was later followed by Day 2 and Finale. An electro-pop and dance-pop record, the EP contains six tracks that sees the group exploring new genres. Its production was handled by various songwriters and production teams, including Caesar & Loui, Ollipop, Moonshine, Trinity Music, Ylva Dimberg, Cazzi Opeia, Ryan S. Jhun, amongst others.
"Umpah Umpah" is a song recorded by South Korean girl group Red Velvet for their seventh Korean extended play (EP) The ReVe Festival: Day 2, which serves as the second installment of the group's The ReVe Festival album trilogy. The song, alongside its vacation-themed music video, was released on August 20, 2019, as the lead single from Day 2. Written by Jeon Gan-di and composed by Christoffer Lauridsen, Andreas Öberg and Allison Kaplan, "Umpah Umpah" is described as "an uptempo dance song with disco house rhythms", with the group's "lovely and cool vocals doubling the freshness". The songwriting, which includes swimming motifs, portrays somebody falling in love with the eyes and charms of the girls, using the phrase "umpah umpah" as if their love interest was learning how to control their breathing while swimming.
"Pose" is a song recorded by South Korean girl group Red Velvet for their sixth Korean extended play (EP), Queendom. It was released as part of the EP on August 16, 2021, by SM Entertainment. The up-tempo dance-pop song is written by Lee Seu-ran and composed by Fabian Torsson, Harry Sommerdahl, Ylva Dimberg, and Moa "Cazzi Opeia" Carlebecker.
The ReVe Festival 2022 – Feel My Rhythm is the fifth special extended play and thirteenth overall by South Korean girl group Red Velvet, released by SM Entertainment on March 21, 2022, to commemorate the birthday of German Baroque music composer J.S. Bach. It consists of six tracks, including the lead single "Feel My Rhythm", in three physical versions, two "ReVe" versions with different covers and the "Orgel" version.
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