If there’s one thing Red Velvet has mastered in their eight years of K-Pop, it’s the spooky concept. As the main dancer and their spearhead of performance, it’s no surprise that SEULGI has been essential to nabbing the group’s crown as the reigning queens of K-Pop horror. With her incredible charisma and outstanding vocal prowess to match, a SEULGI solo has been a long time coming, and it only makes sense for it to be delivered in the wonderfully haunting Halloween gift of 28 Reasons.

Good, Evil, and “28 Reasons”

“28 Reasons” is about as femme fatale as a song could possibly be—a perfect fit for SEULGI’s commanding presence. The track is surprisingly understated for a modern-day SM Entertainment release, with the only real instrumentation in the chorus as synthetic violins and an eerie repetitive whistle that gives “28 Reasons” its deceptive innocence. The rest of the song puts SEULGI’s slinky vocals first, as she sings about the fine line between good and evil over a pulsating bass. “28 Reasons” also allows her to use her full range as a vocalist, hitting the highest highs and growling out the lowest of lows, especially in the final chorus when the backtrack suddenly cuts away, leaving only SEULGI’s raw vocals. This moment, and the song as a whole, reminds the listener that SEULGI is in charge of the outcome of this haunting fairytale and that we’re just along for the wild ride of her first solo venture.

The music video for “28 Reasons” is full of psychological horror elements—fitting for a song where SEULGI plays both the victim and perpetrator in a dangerous love. Switching between shots of her in an innocent white dress and black leather with chains and heavy makeup, SEULGI embodies the message of duality in the song. Amidst shots of choreography in hues of red, both sides of her come together at the end of the video—quite literally in the acapella last chorus when she begins dancing with herself. Just like the song, the video plays it simple, letting SEULGI’s magnetism speak for itself.

The Rest of the Album

“28 Reasons” transitions into the first B-side of the album, “Dead Man Runnin,’” a song that is another first for the new solo artist as it’s the first time SEULGI has been credited as a lyricist. Inspired by the Joker movie, SEULGI said in an interview with Rolling Stone that the song is from the perspective of a villain. The singer’s vocals really shine here, as she leans more into the belting side of things to give the chorus its punch. “Bad Boy, Sad Girl” could not be more opposite from its predecessors which adds to the dichotomy of good and evil in the album; the song has an easy innocence to it, made all the better with the sweet addition of rapper BE’O. 

“Anywhere But Home,” my personal favorite track on the album, pulls inspiration from city pop in both sound and lyrics as she sings about escaping into the city at night. It also offers a seamless transition back into the darker sides of the album, leading into the eerie whimsical ode to “Los Angeles.” The final song on the album, “Crown,” feels like a continuation of “28 Reasons” and stands as the only appropriate way the album could’ve ended, with SEULGI crowning herself the queen (something we knew from the opening notes of the album, to be honest).

28 Reasons is exactly what a solo debut should be. The album and its title track show SEULGI at her finest, capitalizing on every single one of her astounding talents while offering just enough experimentation for her to push her boundaries as an artist. The production quality is top-notch, and some of the best work that’s come from SM Entertainment in recent years. 28 Reasons is the SEULGI we’ve known and loved since 2014, but tantalizingly, dangerously, better no matter which side she sits on of the war between good and evil.

Edited by Vivian N.