SM Entertainment Garners Flak For 'Forcing' Red Velvet Wendy to Sing Ballads

With word going around that Red Velvet member Wendy will be making her first solo comeback in 2024, SM Entertainment is garnering flak for "forcing" the idol to sing ballads. Keep on reading for all the details.

Is SM Entertainment Forcing Red Velvet To Sing Ballads?

Since the start of this year, Red Velvet member Wendy has been teasing fans about her upcoming solo comeback. With many highly anticipating Wendy returning to the K-pop scene as a soloist, many are under the impression that her company, SM Entertainment, is forcing her to stick to ballads.

According to ReVeluvs, Wendy has been vocal about wanting to try different genres.

For her solo debut, Wendy released "Like Water," an acoustic pop ballad and modern rock sock. The song showed off Wendy's vocal prowess. With her debut, Wendy followed in the footsteps of other powerhouse main vocalists who debut soloists: she released a ballad for her first song.

The song was well-loved upon release, with people praising the song as an ethereal acoustic ballad. Wendy, in particular, earned praise for her vocals. Despite the positive reception, it appears Wendy wants to go in a different musical direction.

During a fan sign call with Wendy, the Red Velvet member voiced out her desire to try R&B for her new album. However, she hinted that the genre of her upcoming solo comeback was already determined, despite the fact that she hasn't started working on it yet.

Despite that, she stated she would give it some more thought and try to fight for it.

Another fan claimed that on top of wanting to try R&B, she also wants to try a bright concept for her comeback. However, she said that it was hard to get these ideas into her album. This led many to believe she did not have much of a say in the creative direction of her music.

Red Velvet Wendy Sparks Concern After Confessing She is 'Stressed'

Many also believed Wendy herself hinted at SM Entertainment forcing ballads on her. On January 9, messages Wendy sent to Bubble went viral. In her messages, she expresses that she has been stressed lately. She confessed that she has been working hard on the things she is working on, but she can't seem to do anything.

With hints left and right, many are slamming SM Entertainment for preventing Wendy from exploring different genres. People believe Wendy should have a say in what goes on her album. Others stated that, as ten-year-long idols, all Red Velvet members deserve to have their voices heard.

Some comments read,

• "I don't care what genre she sings because I know Wendy can pull any of it off. What I do care about is her being able to decide on what she wants to do for her OWN album."
• "I wouldn't be mad if her next song is a ballad because Wendy's voice is stunning, but I am upset that she is upset about not releasing the kind of music she wants."
• "The thing that hurts the most is that even if she has no say on the matter, she will still give her 110%."

What do you think of the situation? Tell us in the comments below!

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Written by Alexa Lopez