The Rose and the “RED” Comeback
A month after lead singer Woosung’s solo debut with mini-album WOLF, The Rose released their third single album on August 13, 2019. RED was the group’s first release of 2019 and featured two new tracks, the full-English “California” and title track “RED,” as well as an instrumental version of “RED.”
The Music Video
The music video for “RED” matches the themes of the track—freedom and youth. Opening with the members performing on the roof of an abandoned building, the video then shifts to scenes of The Rose gathering different objects from inside the building to create a comfortable hang out area. When they’re not at the abandoned building, the four are seen performing and goofing off on a beach and navigating dark hallways with flashlights up to the top of the building. The music video ends with the members back at the comfortable hang out area they created in the abandoned building, only now its nighttime. Laser pointer lights and lamps supply the lights and when they’re not performing, the four members dance around with sparklers in their hands, enjoying the freedom of their youth.
The Comeback Performance
The Rose had their comeback performance on The Show on August 13, 2019, the same day the single album was released, where they performed “RED.” Wearing suits featured in the music video in front of a star-inspired screen setup that changed from black to red during the chorus, the members brought the youthful charm of the track to life. The best part? Being able to hear the smile in Woosung’s voice as he sang. Rather than having sparklers like the music video, confetti cannons went off above them at the climax of the track, shooting around the stage similarly to the shooting stars mentioned in the pre-chorus.
In October 2019, The Rose performed “RED” and “California” alongside some of their other tracks and “ILYSB” from Woosung’s time on JTBC SuperBand for KBS Concert Culture Warehouse. You can watch their performance of “RED” below.
The Legacy
Sadly, The Rose received no music show wins nor were they nominated for any of the year-end awards shows for this comeback. RED peaked at No. 8 on the Gaon Weekly Albums Chart and No. 34 on the Gaon Monthly Albums Chart, their only single album to appear on either of these charts. “RED” didn’t chart in Korea, but it peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard U.S. World Digital Song Sales Chart, making it their highest charting song and only song to reach the Top 10, with “BABY” and “sorry” both reaching No. 14 and “She’s In The Rain” reaching No. 13.
RED and their Strangers From Hell OST “Strangers” were the group’s only releases in 2019 (both released in August) and were their last releases before their lawsuit against J&Star Company. They wouldn’t release another track until a year later, when the group dropped “Black Rose” in August 2020. The track was uploaded to streaming services but was taken down after only a month. However, the music video is still on their The Rose Sound YouTube channel.