When it’s the five-year anniversary of one of K-Pop’s most versatile groups, how should they celebrate it? Do they choose to throw a party honoring their achievements, make a video thanking their fans, or lead a wonderful festival that leaves the music industry wanting more? This is the question Red Velvet took no time answering, as their three-part festival has hit day two with the high-energy track “Umpah Umpah” and several B-sides right behind it. If you thought the festival was over, it’s only just beginning!

The Single

Inhale, exhale, and repeat. That’s how this track starts, with the title being repeated in sets of two until a deeper voice takes it to the instrumental, giving the members the chance to breathe normally. “Umpah Umpah” is a phrase used as people learn to hold their breath underwater, with the “um” being said as they inhale and the “pah” leading the exhale. With that being said, there’s no surprise to the “suffocating” and the semantic field of water being very present within the song. As for the verses and pre-chorus though, it’s really fitting of their fifth anniversary as a group that every member gets time to shine before the chorus kicks in! Not many groups have a line distribution that lets every member take a turn, but Red Velvet’s synergy allows them to do just that—from Wendy’s powerful vocals to Yeri’s bubbly attitude, no member goes without attention.

The chorus is what you’d expect from a typical summer track: high-energy vocals accompanied by a loud instrumental that almost begs for a rave. The inclusion of more than one word or line to their chorus is a refreshing change from their previous title track “Zimzalabim,” and is definitely welcomed as the industry-wide phase of dance break choruses comes to a close. Speaking of previous tracks, the second verse is brimming with references to their other title tracks, with “Happiness,” “Dumb Dumb,” and “Red Flavor” being three of quite a few that we managed to spot. It’s a smart yet personal touch to this track that really acknowledges how far 2014’s “Rookie of the Year” has come.

The Music Video

As for the music video, it’s a special kind of uniqueness that reminds us of “Happiness,” if it were to be on a beach as opposed to a psychedelic jungle inhabited by a single gummy bear. There’s a distinct plotline separate to the lyrics of the song—Red Velvet arrives at a vacation house excited to spend the summer relaxing at the beach only for it to rain outside, leaving them stuck in their holiday home. Refusing to give up, they end up playing board games and watching TV… until the signal is lost and it starts to rain indoors too. As expected, a game of rock, paper, scissors is played to determine who fixes the antenna, with Seulgi being the one to lose. Considering that their last title track left every fan wondering what exactly is going on, “Umpah Umpah” feels a lot more optimistic with bright colors, clothing that doesn’t look like a frilly bag, and shots of the members all enjoying themselves on their well-earned vacation.

Red Velvet has seen many things in its time as a girl group, from the many awards they’ve received to the addition of Yeri a year after they debuted, yet they’ll continue to see a lot more as the K-Pop industry continues to evolve. Now, we can’t tell the future at The Kraze; however, we can tell you that Red Velvet’s festival isn’t over yet!