Two months after ‘ReVe Festival Day 1’, Red Velvet is back with the next instalment to their Festival series, ‘Reve Festival Day 2.’
The quintet has been praised as being one of the most musically ambitious and diverse groups in KPOP, never afraid to tackle concepts and very rarely repeat a look or vibe. This has enabled Red Velvet to grasp such a wide and diverse fanbase, as you will find a track that appeals to you and let you into the magic that is the girls’ discography.
ReVe Festival Day 2 has reminded critics and fans alike as to why they have been crowned the Queens of Summer, with the six-song mini-album being filled to the brim with 60s-2000s western pop/funk. Title track Umpah Umpah, who’s funk power-pop chorus just screams the early 2000s creates the most nostalgic summer song. Following with the nostalgic vibes the girls even reference previous singles such as Red Flavour, Dumb Dumb, Ice Cream Cake and debut single Happiness. Red Velvet truly hit the nail on the head with this single.
Carpool contains dance floor pop elements craft the ultimate throwback 80s anthem in the year of 2019 that you can’t help but just groove to as soon as the chorus H I T S. Another truly catchy song from the girls that just yells SUMMER. Continuing with pure dance floor pop comes arguably the best song on the EP, the pop magic that is Jumpin’. Jumpin’ is everything you need in a summer album targeting that festival feel as it is the perfect tour/festival opening song. Packed with high energy, the perfect bridge breakdown and shooting right back into that infectious early 2000s chorus, Jumpin’ is everything you could ask for in a pop track and might just have solidified it as one of the best Red Velvet B-Sides to date.
One of Red Velvet’s strongest points is mid-tempo/slow ballads as this is where their vocals truly dazzle. SM Entertainment is known for having some of the strongest vocalists in the KPOP industry and Red Velvet is five examples of them. Love is The Way can only be described as the Korean ‘Love Me Like You’ by Little Mix. The vibe feels incredibly 60s doo-woppy and retro, allowing the five vocals to blend and create an effortless listen. Eyes Locked, Hands Locked continues this gorgeous streak of slow jams as the song is carried by the girl’s voices on top of the 90s R’n’B instrumental. One word to describe this song is dazzling. It’s just the vibe you feel from it.
While the album is incredibly good, Ladies Night feels like a filler track and not overly memorable. The five-piece sound incredible but it doesn’t hit in the same way all the other tracks do. However as previously stated, this is the beauty of Red Velvet’s diverse discography: you will always find something that caters to your taste.
ReVe Festival Day 2 is the perfect retro throwback album and gathers all the nostalgic elements of each decade since the 60s and embodies them into one six-track EP. While it may falter at times, overall it is a fantastic summer album that shows yet another side to Red Velvet.
Rating: 7/10
Let us know what you thought about ReVe Festival Day 2 by tweeting the CelebMix account. You can stream the EP below.