Kang Seulgi, The Queen of Collabs
Born in 1992, Kang Seulgi made her debut in the K-Pop world with SM Entertainment’s newest girl group, Red Velvet in 2015. Now over five years into her already illustrious career, Seulgi certainly hasn’t shied away from sharing her talents with the world. Seulgi has already demonstrated just what an asset she is to Red Velvet’s dynamic discography, ranging from the bright and bold Red tracks to the soft, sultry Velvet tracks—all of which would be nothing without this powerhouse performer. Yet Seulgi hasn’t let Red Velvet’s indescribable sound describe her and refuses to hesitate when it comes to collaborating with other artists.
Since her debut, Seulgi has shared the stage with some of the biggest names in K-Pop, including the likes of TWICE, GFRIEND, and MAMAMOO, and has shown no signs of stopping. Even before her debut, Seulgi featured on her first track (Henry’s “Butterfly”), marking what would be the first of many collaborative projects for Seulgi.
Taking a step back from her work with Red Velvet, here are just a few of the best collaborations Seulgi has done to date.
“Wow Thing” - Station Young
“Wow Thing” is far from Seulgi’s first collaboration on SM Station. She would first appear alongside her fellow Red Velvet members with the single “Would U”, followed by “Rebirth” before branching out on her own in a duet with Super Junior’s Yesung, “Darling U” (a fulfilled promise from Yesung to Seulgi that he would write her duet after she debuted). Yet 2018 would see Seulgi at her best within project girl group Station Young alongside GFriend’s SinB, (G) I-DLE’s Soyeon, and former I.O.I member turned soloist, Chungha. “Wow Thing” is an easy-going retro hit that oozes swagger and is one you are surely not going to forget in a hurry. Complete with an addictive hook, powerful choreography, and a stunning backdrop, “Wow Thing” not only showcases the stellar abilities of SM’s in-house artist but also that of their guests, resulting in one of the best girl group collaborations to date.
“Selfish”- Moonbyul ft. Seulgi
Seulgi is no stranger to collaborating with the girls of MAMAMOO. In 2017’s Music Bank in Singapore, she performed alongside maknae Hwasa in an electrifying cover of “Bang Bang”, originally by vocal powerhouses Jessie J, Ariana Grande, and Nicki Minaj. Yet it is her collaboration with main rapper, Moonbyul, that is one of her best to date. “Selfish” marks Moonbyul’s solo debut and is the perfect showcase of her rap flow and sultry vocal ability in this soft summer single. With the addition of Seulgi on the track’s equally cool chorus, “Selfish” is the perfect hit for embracing your childish side and reminiscing over summers long passed.
“Heroine” - Sunmi (ft. Seulgi and Daehwi of WANNA ONE)
At the KBS Song Festival in 2018, Seulgi performed alongside WANNA ONE’s Daehwi and former Wonder Girls member turned soloist, Sunmi, in a collaborative rendition of Sunmi’s “Heroine.” Seulgi and Sunmi act as each other’s mirror image in the stage’s opening, with Seulgi ultimately taking the lead instead of following her senior. However, both women are each other’s equal on this stage, and the addition of Daehwi only ups the energy of this already powerful stage. This performance truly feels like a showcase of each member’s talents and makes “Heroine” feel like it was always meant to be performed by a trio.
“Be Mine” - Seulgi, SinB, ChungHa, Yoojung, Momo
Not only is Seulgi a stellar vocalist—as proven by her collaborations with NCT 127’s Mark, SHINee’s Taemin, and Zion.T—but she is also an incredible dancer. In a special stage for the 2016 KBS Song Festival, Seulgi performed alongside TWICE’s Momo, Weki Meki, and IOI’s Yoojung, Chungha, and SinB in a cover of INFINITE’s “Be Mine.” Each member is the main dancer of their respective groups and did not hesitate in showing us exactly why in a jaw-dropping dance break that truly demonstrates the talents of these five girls. Though Seulgi takes a back seat in this cover, her performative range still shines through and demonstrates just why Seulgi is worthy of being Red Velvet’s main dancer.
“Deep Blue Eyes” - Girls Next Door
In 2017, Seulgi would appear on variety show Idol Drama Operation Team, in which she and six other idols were tasked with writing their own K-Drama before forming a project group to promote the series. The group, consisting of MAMAMOO’s Moonbyul, SONAMOO’s D.ana, Oh My Girl’s YooA, Lovelyz’s Sujeong, former I.O.I member and now soloist Jeon Somi, and Nature’s Sohee, would become known as Girls Next Door and promote with the title track, “Deep Blue Eyes.” The drama, named Let’s Only Walk the Flower Road, would see these idols act as fictionalized versions of themselves, and this electro-pop hit would serve as a beautifully catchy conclusion to their whirlwind story. Seulgi would serve as one of the group’s vocalists and deliver the energetic pre-chorus with charismatic charm, making her a fantastic addition to this extremely talented project group.