Hello everyone and welcome back to THR! Today's review is on Red Velvet's smash hit of Dec 2019 known as Psycho (off the album The ReVe Festival: Finale). While this song was released in 2019 it continues to dominate not only on music shows but also in domestic and international charts alike. This song has also firmly cemented Red Velvet's popularity in the Kpop market and will likely lead to further growth in 2020 after member Wendy has fully recovered from her accident during an award show late last year. Sadly due to this incident promotions for this song were not as long and as complete as first envisioned by the group nevertheless the song continues to have an impact within the Kpop scene nearly 3 months after it's initial release. Now let's take a look at why this song has such great staying power.
This review will be in the same format I have used in previous articles where I score the title track out of 5 main categories (Music video, Song, Concept, Style, and Dance) out of a total of 10 points. An overall score will then be tallied and given at the end with my final thoughts.
First off I want to get my criticisms of the music video out of the way so we can then focus on what I like about it. My initial impression of the music video for Psycho, almost 3 months ago now, is pretty much the same as the impression I get from the video today. I have one major criticism of the music video but it has nothing to do with group itself but the fact the video is only available to watch in 1080p on Youtube. I feel like in a time where we are getting 6k performance videos new release music videos should be held to a higher standard. I am happy to report though that this isn't a reflection of the group in anyway but the management and production behind the video. It would have been nice to see the members and the hard work they put into their music video in higher resolution for the sake of clarity and pure entertainment, hopefully they improve on this with future releases. As for everything else about the music video I am pleased to say that this may indeed be one of my favourite videos from Red Velvet. The music video itself uses a muted colour palette and certain filmic filters to achieve an almost glum and melancholic vibe which contrasts the song beautifully. The same can be said for the members styling in the video. Particular emphasis has been given to the use of different textures and finishes of fabric on the members which really aid in setting each of them apart, thus making them more recognisable to fans and non fans alike. No one member is sticking to a particular formula of outfit or are the members matching. Overall this disjointed style works well to separate the different vibes the members portray as well as help tie in with the video's narrative; so for that reason I praise it. The high fashion vibe of the style also works well with the overall aesthetic of the music video and I almost get the impression certain outfits were used to mirror the lyrics which I found particularly effective and interesting.
The members that really stood out for me in this video were Seulgi, Joy and Wendy. While I think each member did well to capture the feeling and tone of the song within the video I felt like it was these three members that really encapsulated the nature of the song and video. I think I would be correct in saying that this comeback employs their "Velvet" concept style and each member has done well to push the envelope on what I think is a continuously transforming interpretation of how they portray their "Velvet" personas to the audience. I must also praise the attention to detail in the effects used within the video, overall I feel like a lot of time and care went into making the sets and props for this comeback which is why I feel like it's a shame we can only view the video in HD resolution. All in all I'm very happy with the music video for Psycho and think both the video and members did a superb job of capturing the vibe they wanted to portray through the visual aspects of this comeback. Now let's take a look at the song itself shall we.
To begin my discussion on Psycho I would like to preface that while I enjoy most of Red Velvet's title tracks I have found myself leaning more so to the "Velvet" songs throughout the years. I must also say that while Psycho is firmly situated in the "Velvet" concept that this is not my favourite song they have done using this style. That being said I do find elements of the song to be unique and experimental in a good way and appreciate the groups willingness to think outside the box when it comes to Kpop music. A lot of my praise for the song goes to the vocals, which is arguably the most important part of a comeback given that Red Velvet, and every other Kpop group, are first and foremost singers. It comes as no surprise to me that Psycho is yet another song from Red Velvet that highlights the talent on offer from the group, particularly from the vocally strong members Wendy, Seulgi, and Joy. While I can appreciate Yeri's and Irene's contrasting vocal styles and rapping I find myself drawn into the song more so by the vocals of the lead singers in the song Psycho. My infatuation with the vocals begins immediately as the track jumps headfirst into a wonderful little falsetto ad lib from Seulgi. I believe this small note was all it took to get me interested in this song as I thought it was a great indication that we weren't getting a "Red" concept but one that followed their softer, more poetic and arguably more nuanced "Velvet" style. The chorus of Psycho is the primary section of this song where I feel like it's at its best and most complete. The comparatively simple lyrics during the chorus "You've got me feeling like a psycho psycho. People keep telling us, as we fight like it's our last but then we get along. They don't get it, it's so funny" really encapsulate the vibe and meaning of the song. I think that Red Velvet have done well to capture the struggle and angst felt in the lyrics of the song and the imagery of the music video with their vocals. Soaring high notes and coos from Wendy, Seulgi, and Joy to softer yet more textured vocals from Yeri and Irene work well here to create a complete listening experience; the vocal layering is also well done and really adds to the haunting element within the song/video. I must also praise the use of neutral pronouns as I feel it adds an extra dimension to how the song could be interpreted by the song's audience. It's the attention to detail on offer throughout the lyrics that really make this comeback special in my opinion. I believe it's the highly relatable lyrics and fantastic vocals that have given this song such great staying power even 3 months on from it's release.
I must also praise the sound production of the song. While Red Velvet have been known to experiment quite heavily with their sound by incorporating many genres and styles into their material I think Psycho was one of their more successful attempts at creating a unique sound that works for the group. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what genre Psycho belongs too but I think when it comes to music it's not always necessary to pigeon hole where a particular song belongs. With elements of R&B and Future Bass (a growing trend in Kpop) filtered through a Kpop lens the instrumental for Psycho is a true pleasure to listen to. I find it incredible how Psycho is able to balance the intensity of a Future Bass backing track within their "Velvet" concept which is typically known to highlight the smooth and sultry vibes of the group. Overall I think Psycho is one of my favourite productions out of Red Velvet's entire discography and praise must be given to the producers here for creating such an entrancing and delicate song that still has punch and power. I found the choreography for Psycho to mimic these elements too so let's take a look.
While it is unfortuante that we didn't nearly get as many live stages of Psycho as we would have liked I think what they were able to show as a full group was spectacular. My favourite performance was at Gayo Daejeon where each member looked totally flawless in presentation and where the choreography got the best chance to shine. While the choreography was featured in the music video in small performance sections, a very common thing in Kpop, we really only saw a focus on the key dance moves used during the powerful chorus. In the music video I felt like it was hard to pass up Seulgi's dominance in these sections as she truly was able to capture the vibe of the song in her expressions and body movements. Member Irene also did a good job in the music video of capturing the meaning of the song in her visuals and expressions but, I felt like on stage we sadly didn't get to see quite the same level of detail. This could very well likely be down to camera angles and as such I cannot criticise too harshly. As for the members that stood out for me during the live stages in regards to expression and dance Joy and Wendy did a wonderful job. These two girls are masters of the stage and they each do such a great job of keeping a stage enticing and interesting to watch. As for the choreography itself I actually appreciate it's simplicity, particularly during the chorus. While I do think powerful and elaborate dances are amazing to watch, I think praise needs to be given to groups where a dance is able to perfectly match the speed and impact of a song where the beat is softer and more delicate. Red Velvet's choreo for Psycho is not only beautiful but full of attention to detail which echo and mirror the song in such a way they create a complete and fulfilling performance. I must also praise the simplicity because Kpop fans often enjoy being able to dance along to a group's performance and a simple choreo allows more people to join in which is never a bad thing.
It is for this reason I think Red Velvet are able to position themselves as a top tier girl group for 2020 and I'm interested to see where the success of Psycho takes them this year and beyond.
My rating
Music Video: 8
Song: 8.5
Concept: 9
Style: 8.5
Dance: 9
Overall rating: 43/50
In conclusion I think Psycho is Red Velvet's strongest song they released in 2019 and is a reminder to Kpop fans, and non fans, just why Red Velvet deserves to be called a top tier girl group. An intricate and interesting instrumental which contrasts so beautifully with the members sweet honey-like vocals really make Psycho feel like a labour of love for Red Velvet and it's for this reason I think the song continues to impress on charts and even snag music show wins outside its promotion period. While I am happy to say that I really enjoy Psycho we must not forget the circumstances in which member Wendy is now having to cope with. Without going too much into the situation I think I speak for everyone when I say that we never want to see a careless accident happen like this again and we all wish the speediest of recoveries for member Wendy. To end, I think that if Psycho is anything to go by we should see Red Velvet continue down a "Velvet" path this year in order to ride the wave of success caused by the song. I would definitely appreciate more "Velvet" comebacks from the group and look forward to their new releases in 2020.
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