Asian Junkie Asian pop. Without discretion.
Red Velvet have returned with their first studio album since Perfect Velvet all the way back in 2017, and it’s actually also been a while since their last single with “Birthday“, which was almost a year ago. Now they’re back with new single “Chill Kill” and an album of the same name, and it’s a welcome return to the darker side of things for the group.
Given the creepy tones at the outset of the track, which features heavy bass, scattered synths, and a jingling bell rhythm, I had hoped for something like a return to Perfect Velvet‘s title track “Peek-A-Boo” (sorta like they did with “Knock Knock“ a track later). But eventually it picks up the tempo for the pre-chorus, and transitions into a brighter mood for the chorus. None of this is a problem in itself, as it matches the lyrical theme, but it doesn’t come together for a strong melody at any point. It’s also rather sedated compared to the promise of the pre-chorus, like it’s being dragged down or something, and my ear has yet to find much memorable to take away from it. Still, the members do their very best to salvage things, including absolutely killing a standout bridge. However, when it transitions back to the final chorus, it’s only made clearer how lackluster it is.
