Red Velvet's Joy: "I started my career with a smile, but gradually became weary and lost myself"

Red Velvet’s Seulgi, Joy, and Wendy Reflect on Their 10th Anniversary

On the YouTube channel Shin Dong Yup’s ‘Jjanhyung,’ a video titled “Red Velvet Shares Idol Stories for the First Time in 10 Years” was released on the 1st.

Celebrating their 10th anniversary this year, Red Velvet shared their thoughts and experiences. Joy expressed her disbelief about reaching this milestone, saying, “The fact that it’s our 10th anniversary doesn’t feel real.” Yeri added, “We were not very outgoing,” and Joy recalled, “As trainees, we were often told, ‘How are you going to become celebrities?’ When Mr. Lee Soo-man spoke, we were supposed to respond loudly with ‘Yes!’ but we would answer in timid voices.”

Joy also discussed the rule about using honorifics, saying, “I was used to speaking informally with my younger sibling, but at the agency, we had to be very polite. Seulgi and Wendy, who were the youngest in their families, found it awkward to act as older sisters and often said, ‘I’ll do it’ in an overly formal way. When Yeri joined later, she found it strange and suggested that we could speak informally among ourselves, which improved the team atmosphere.”

Yeri talked about the strict rules for SM trainees, including curfews and no cell phones. She said, “The weirdest thing was that after debuting, we lost the cell phones we had as trainees. I wondered why that was necessary.” Shin Dong-yup humorously remarked, “You should blame the senior idols for that.”

Yeri also mentioned that the younger generation of SM trainees no longer faces such restrictions, stating, “We were the last ones to experience that. There’s an 8-year age gap between Irene and me. When I was younger, it felt significant, but now we get along the best.” Seulgi added, “Watching Yeri brought a lot of changes in perspective.”

Joy shared her experience of being placed in the debut group immediately after passing her audition, living with three other members, and eventually debuting as four. She explained that Yeri was initially set to debut in the next girl group, which had a completely different culture from theirs.

Yeri confessed, “When I was told I would join Red Velvet, I felt more loyalty to my friends. I didn’t want to debut if it meant leaving them behind. It wasn’t that I disliked the older members, but it felt like betraying my friends.”

Seulgi reflected on their hit song ‘Red Flavor,’ saying, “It became a popular hit, but we didn’t win many first places. It was during the rainy season, and despite its success, I couldn’t fully feel it. But wherever we went, ‘Red Flavor’ was played.”

Joy talked about her early days, saying, “I was always smiling at the beginning, but I became exhausted over time. The song ‘Zimzalabim’ is meant to bring happiness, so I decided to smile as genuinely as possible to convey that feeling, and it made me happier. At that time, I didn’t focus on chart performance but on the meaning of the song, thinking it might be Red Velvet’s last stage. Fans seemed to resonate with our sincerity.”

Yeri mentioned the challenging times during ‘Red Flavor’ and ‘Peek-A-Boo,’ saying, “Those were physically and mentally tough periods for us. It’s not easy for a girl group to reach a 10th anniversary, and we’re thinking about how to celebrate it joyfully.”

Yeri also shared her realistic concerns, saying, “As time goes by, I worry about what I will do in the future. Being a celebrity isn’t the most stable job.” Shin Dong-yup advised, “You need to have a grateful heart to avoid feeling empty and to make sound decisions.”

Joy concluded by sharing her journey of self-discovery, saying, “It was very difficult to find out who I was while doing this job. Before I even understood myself, people had their perceptions of me, thinking I was always bright and clear. I tried to match those expectations, but as I got older, it became harder. I realized I wasn’t talking to myself, and from that moment, I began focusing on understanding myself better.”