Song Review:: Irene (Red Velvet): Like A Flower {Debut}

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  • Release date: 2024 November 26
  • Album tracklist: Like A Flower, Summer Rain, Calling Me Back, Strawberry Silhouette, Start Line, Winter Wish, Ka-Ching - Special Track, I Feel Pretty - Special Track
  • Album runtime: 24 minutes

 I forgot that Irene was debuting as a soloist when I decided to do Wendy's song from last March, which reminded me, so thankfully I needed to do a non-pressing review to reset my brain a little. I'm actually looking forward to this as Red Velvet is one of the groups I look forward to. The list is long and distinguished, but lighter on the girl group side. Did I get into Red Velvet because of MAMAMOO? Yes. But I'm glad about it, and am genuinely looking forward to see what Irene is up to. But this also makes at least three SM releases within a couple of weeks of each other, two within two days.

The instrumentals are incredibly steady with not a lot of variation in either beat or instrument. There's one post-chorus where it changes up a little, and I was hoping for more energy after that, but it was simply a return to the same pastel instrumentals shot through with veins of more of the same, but more saturated, tint. It's a very pleasant sound that follows well with what's popular at the moment. The harp-esque instrument at the very end is one I really like the inclusion of which. I took a look at how the song is officially described, and got caught on the "Afro rhythms" part. I've seen it or other descriptors like it come up several times with other songs, and obviously, this is where my inexperience shows, so I decided to do some research, as one should when one doesn't know something. I got a lot of names I don't recognize, artists and songs both so that part was entirely unhelpful, but listening to examples of it, I think I actually identified a song I covered earlier as afrobeats even though I had no idea any of the characteristics of afrobeats, because I picked up on one of the defining characteristics, the 2-3 rhythm. I think I may have been misidentifying some songs. Huh. Good to know for the future. 

Out of curiosity, I decided to take a quick listen to some of the rest of the album. She definitely can maintain a stronger tone, as I figured she could, which means the wafery tone Irene is using was producer choice. There are at least two songs on the album that have strong vocals, one that has her rapping as well which was a lovely surprise, and instead the producers have her using a very pleasant voice with the song. What carries the song is her skill at empowering even these dreamy, breathy notes with enough of a core strength that the song doesn't feel as though it's about to blow away, something that from a lesser artist would be wholly unconvincing. 

That is some vintage technology that I haven't seen in a while, that combined with the filter would make me think that this music video is a lot older than it is. Her hair and hairband, the silhouettes and colors, and the sleeves of her sweater shirt that's she's wearing also screams mid- to late-1970s. I'm actually reminded a little of Amityville Horror and Friday the 13th, which I recognize is technically from 1980, but it still had a very similar fashion taste. The music video is a little sinister with the storyline going on, but it's actually quite nice. I enjoy it.



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