Red Velvet’s Irene debuts solo with 1st EP ‘Like A Flower’

Promotion photo for Red Velvet’s Irene 1st solo EP “Like A Flower” | Image: SM Entertainment via The Korea Herald

Irene of Red Velvet makes her official debut as a solo artist with her first solo album, “Like A Flower,” at 6 p.m., Tuesday.

Her solo debut comes 10 years after her debut as a member of the K-pop girl group Red Velvet.

“This album is the result of deeply thinking about what I wanted to express through my music, so I’m eager for it to be released into the world. I do feel like I could have done a better job with it, but I’ve put my best effort into preparing it,” said Irene in a press release.

The EP carries eight tracks of diverse genres, including pop, ballad, and R&B.

“Since it’s my first solo album, I wanted to showcase a variety of musical colors. I hope listeners experience different facets of me through each track. Also, being able to officially release ‘Ka-Ching’ and ‘I Feel Pretty,’ which my fans have waited for, makes this album even more special to me and to ReVeluv (fandom name),” Irene said.

Irene introduced “Ka-Ching,” a pop-dance track featuring a catchy melody, lively bass rhythms, and synth sounds, at her birthday party with fans in 2023.

The pop-acoustic track “I Feel Pretty” was unveiled at Irene’s photo exhibition held in April.

The album’s title track, “Like a Flower,” is a pop-dance number that conveys the message of blooming with courage, like a flower full of life. Its music video portrays Irene’s journey as she encounters a small change in her quiet daily life that unfolds into an adventure.

The clip also seamlessly blends in high-quality performance scenes.

“The performance is a key highlight—watch closely as my dancers and I bring energy to the stage. I focused on syncing with the dancers. They help elevate my performance, and I wanted us to create a unified energy and emotion, like one team supporting each other,” she added.