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Red Velvet pushes ahead with new plans amid contractual changes
The official poster for Red Velvet's subunit Irene & Seulgi's upcoming Asia tour in June / Courtesy of SM Entertainment
By Pyo Kyung-min
Subunit Irene & Seulgi to drop new music in May, Asia tour slated for June
Despite some members of K-pop girl group Red Velvet parting ways with SM Entertainment, the group — especially through the subunit Irene & Seulgi — is pressing ahead with fresh activities amid the changes.
SM said Monday that Red Velvet's duo unit, Irene & Seulgi, will release a new mini-album in May.
The duo will also embark on an Asia tour, "2025 IRENE & SEULGI Concert Tour [BALANCE] in ASIA," visiting seven cities.
The tour kicks off with a two-day show at Olympic Hall in Seoul's Olympic Park, Songpa District, on June 14 and 15. From there it continues across Asia, with stops in Singapore, Macau and Bangkok in July, Taipei in August and Kuala Lumpur and Tokyo in September.
Launched in July 2020, Irene & Seulgi is a subunit featuring Red Velvet's leader, Irene, and main dancer, Seulgi. The pair debuted with their first mini-album "Monster," promoting both the title track and the tutting-infused B-side, "Naughty."
From left are K-pop girl group Red Velvet members Wendy, Seulgi, Irene, Joy and Yeri. Courtesy of SM Entertainment
Meanwhile, SM confirmed on April 4 that it ended exclusive contracts with members Wendy and Yeri.
"We will always cherish the memories we've built together and sincerely support Wendy and Yeri as they embark on their new journeys," the agency said in a statement.
This made the June 2024 release "Cosmic" the final track by all five Red Velvet members — Irene, Seulgi, Joy, Wendy and Yeri — under SM.
Seulgi was the first to renew her contract back in 2023, followed by Irene in February 2024. Joy became the third member to re-sign in January, sparking hopes the entire group would stay with the label. However, Wendy and Yeri ultimately chose to explore new opportunities.
While the label confirmed that Red Velvet will not disband and continues its group promotions under the label, both members, who have already been active as solo artists, are expected to broaden their individual careers outside of SM.
As the group's main vocalist, Wendy has showcased her singing talents on various music programs, appearing as a judge on Mnet's survival audition show "Build Up: Vocal Boy Group Survival" and KBS 2TV's audition program "THE DDANDDARA."
Yeri began her acting career in 2021 with the tvN Drama Stage "Mint Condition" and has since starred in the series "Blue Birthday" and "BITCH X RICH." She has also been cast in the leading role of the horror film "Next," which has yet to announce its release date.