VIXX member Ravi's latest song, "RED VELVET," is under fire due to references to the girl group Red Velvet and the song's sexual nature.
Keep on reading to learn more.
Did VIXX's Ravi Reference Red Velvet in His New 19+ Song?
On Jun. 1, Ravi released his fourth mini-album, "Roses." One of the songs being criticized is a song titled "RED VELVET," an R&B pop song made in collaboration with Jamie Park.
Initially, the song appears to be referenced the dessert, red velvet cake. However, as the lyrics progress, many fans have noticed references to the SM Entertainment girl group, Red Velvet, resulting in backlash due to the song's sexual nature.
Ravi raps the phrase, "Dumb, dumb, dumb." This references Red Velvet's 2015 release, "Dumb Dumb." The song is often credited as one of the breakthrough tracks in the mainstream market and is still one of the most popular songs to date.
Additionally, Ravi references "Russian Roulette," which is the title of another popular Red Velvet single released in 2016.
Additionally, Ravi makes use of the words "sooyoung-haneun" and "yeri-hagien." While in Korea, these words translate to "swimming" and "sharp," many believe it has a double meaning. People speculate the lyrics to reference two Red Velvet members — Joy (whose birth name is Sooyoung) and Yeri.
Many lines have caused backlash due to the sexual nature and the reference to the idol group.
The song lyrically talks about taking a bite of a cake and makes use of lines such as "Turn around and show me your back, babe," and "You and I shouldn't be in the same room by ourselves."
The backlash became bigger when Ravi had an interview to promote his latest album. When speaking about the song, he chose to reference "Dumb Dumb" and "Russian Roulette" due to how the cake itself reminds people of the girl group. He allegedly added the references to make the song more fun.
However, in the interview, he states that he does not know the Red Velvet members and has no connection with them.
However, Red Velvet member Yeri has collaborated with Ravi in the past. On Jul. 24, she and Ravi collaborated with AB6IX's Jeon Woong for the "NCSOFT Fever 2020 Cool Summer Project" and released a remake of "Woman on the Beach" by Cool.
Later that year, in Aug. 2020, she collaborated with Ravi again alongside Kim Wooseok and released a song titled "Sorrow."
ALSO READ: Red Velvet Yeri Attracts Attention for Unique Outfit in Instagram Post
In the music video, the two were seen acting as brother and sister. The two appeared close in the behind-the-scenes videos, and Ravi had followed Yeri on Instagram following the collaboration. He has unfollowed Yeri on Instagram since the backlash.
Additionally, both Ravi and Red Velvet member Joy appeared on the program "Get It Beauty" together.
ALSO READ: Red Velvet Joy Cries While Eating Watermelon During Debut Countdown Live Stream
Neither Ravi nor SM Entertainment has released a statement on the matter.
For more K-Pop news and updates, always keep your tabs open here on KpopStarz.
KpopStarz owns this article.
Written by Alexa Lewis