Say it isn’t so! Fans of Red Velvet are freaking out after the K-pop girl group stirred up disbandment rumors prior to their November 2023 comeback.
Keep reading for everything we know, what SM Entertainment has said and more.
Are Red Velvet Disbanding?
ICYMI, Red Velvet released their third album on Monday, November 13, titled Chill Kill. Prior to the music drop, the girl band changed up their Instagram’s official name to “Happy Ending,” which raised disbandment rumors.
However, the rumors were quickly cleared up by Red Velvet’s music label, SM Entertainment, as they explained that the phrase was part of their upcoming album’s concept. Phew!
For those who don’t know, it’s extremely common for K-pop groups to break up after 7 years, and it’s been coined K-pop’s “7-year curse.” Since all K-pop artists are permitted to sign contracts when they first sign with their respective music companies, most of those contracts usually last seven years. So, it’s very common for groups to either disband around seven years of activity, or for members to leave the group around that time.
Red Velvet has already beaten the “7-year curse” since they first debuted in 2014, and the girls all decided to stay together and resign their contracts with SM in 2021.
Some groups who have sadly *not* survived the seven-year curse include 2NE1, 4-Minute, SISTAR and Miss A. While other bands like EXO and Girls Generation are still active after seven years, they have been victim to members leaving their groups, which is also pretty normal for K-pop.
Who Are Red Velvet?
The SM Entertainment girl group first came onto the K-pop scene with their debut single “Happiness,” in 2014. The band originally debuted as a 4-member act including members Irene, Seulgi, Wendy and Joy. Yeri joined the group with the track “Ice Cream Cake” on March 15, 2015.
Red Velvet is known for their super unique concept, as the band’s musical variety reflects in their name: “Red” is for their fun and dynamic side and “Velvet” is for their sultry, R&B side.
“As we gain more years and experience in our careers, the work has become more natural and familiar compared to when we first debuted,” Irene told Billboard in 2022. “We can grasp each process faster and our teamwork as a group has gotten so much stronger.”
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