Accidentally On Purpose: SEULGI’s Pop Princess Era
It’s been over two years since Red Velvet’s SEULGI stunned the masses with her first solo release, 28 Reasons. Since then, we’ve waited not-so-patiently for her return, wondering if she’d be able to live up to the hype she created for herself. And the verdict is in: SEULGI has done it again, this time with Accidentally On Purpose - The 2nd Mini Album.
While 28 Reasons conceptually aligned with some of Red Velvet’s spookier releases and felt like a natural progression for the singer, Accidentally On Purpose is a swift departure, ushering in a new era for SEULGI as a soloist. In a press release from SM Entertainment prior to the album drop, the singer stated the “character [she portrays] in this album is a mischievous troublemaker who engages in all sorts of eccentric antics." And nothing shows this better than her new title track “Baby, Not Baby.”
Upon first listen, you’ll immediately be reminded of the early 2000s pop scene. Amidst heavy beats, funky bass lines, sparkling effects, and even an “Oops!...I Did It Again” name drop, SEULGI gives Britney Spears a run for her money. While classic pop at the core, the gritty instrumental tiptoes into edgy territory; it’s the kind of song that heavily relies on a strong personality to pull it off, and SEULGI does so flawlessly, asserting that she is indeed a force to be reckoned with.
The music video plays this up to the max, with SEULGI starring as the villain. She prances about the city, using her innocent charm and cherubic face to wreak as much havoc as possible. The cinematography is superb, perfectly setting the dark and dangerous atmosphere. Each look of SEULGI’s is more jaw-dropping than the next, dressed in every pop princess outfit you could imagine, but she of course looks best as she dances.
All in all, it’s a perfect music video. If “28 Reasons” was the threat, “Baby, Not Baby” is SEULGI going in for the kill. If you haven’t watched it yet, strap yourselves in and take a deep breath before pressing play.
The Album
Accidentally On Purpose opens with “Baby, Not Baby,” but the clear fan-favorite thus far is the second track on the album “Better Dayz.” It’s a song that amps up the grittiness from the title track tenfold, with a bass line so thick it almost feels like you could cut through it. This is wonderfully offset by the surprising acoustic guitar that backs the pre-chorus as her vocals swell before cutting back into soft, flirty spoken vocals in the chorus. The bridge unexpectedly explodes into sound, frenetic and unpredictable as SEULGI sings, “Good things must come to an end.” And with a song as crazy good as “Better Dayz,” that’s certainly a shame.
“Rollin’ (With My Homies)” is cute, playful, and lighthearted, especially compared to the previous tracks. The instrumental stays on the safer side, sounding like something typically found in the K-Pop landscape, so this track might be more palatable for those with less experimental tastes (though if you’re already listening to SM artists, you’re probably pretty comfortable with experimentation at this point). “Whatever” dips back down where “Better Dayz” left off, with SEULGI leaning more into the R&B side of things. It’s got a relaxed mid-tempo beat (think S.E.S.’s“Be Natural” and Red Velvet’s cover of it) and flowing vocals that let SEULGI’s honey-like voice shine.
“Praying” takes this one step further, sounding like something that could slot right into Red Velvet’s R&B catalogue, but all the sweeter in SEULGI’s husky lower range and dreamlike falsettos. The harmonies build as the song progresses, backed by heavenly adlibs. It’s a captivatingly beautiful vocal arrangement, best listened to with headphones to appreciate all the details, and easily another standout on the album.
The conclusion comes in the silky, coquettish form of “Weakness,” ending the overall daring album on a softer note—one of the strengths of Accidentally On Purpose as a whole, as it ebbs and flows its way naturally through the dynamic tracklist. That’s when you know an album is good.
“Baby, Not Baby” is great by itself. It’s fun and it shows SEULGI at her best. But Accidentally On Purpose shines even stronger as a whole, and it’s easily a contender for one of the best releases of 2025, proving that SEULGI isn’t just a pop princess, but a downright queen.
“Baby, Not Baby” Title Score: 9/10
“Baby, Not Baby” Music Video Score: 10/10
Accidentally On Purpose Album Score: 10/10
Overall Score: 9.7/10
Edited by Joi Berry