Russian Roulette (Red Velvet song)
"Russian Roulette" | ||||
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"Russian Roulette" on YouTube |
"Russian Roulette" (Korean: 러시안 룰렛; RR: Reosian rullet) is a song by South Korean girl group Red Velvet for their third extended play of the same name. Written by Jo Yoon-kyung and produced by Albi Albertsson, Belle Humble and Markus Lindell, it is primarily an 8-bit influenced synth-pop and dance-pop song which lyrically compares the process of winning someone's heart to a game of Russian roulette. The song was released as the lead single on September 7, 2016, by SM Entertainment along with an accompanying cartoon-themed music video which saw the group mimicking cartoon tricks to pull a prank and harm each other as the video progressed.
"Russian Roulette" received generally favorable reviews from critics upon its release, both domestically and internationally for its brightness and being "devilishly satisfying". The music video also received attention for its semi-inspiration by
The song also attained commercial success, peaking at number two on both
Background and release
After the release of the group's second extended play
Following the song's release, the group revealed that they had heard the song when they were still trainees (which indicated the song was written long before their debut), unaware that they will one day record and release it.[6] It was later revealed that "Russian Roulette", the 2017 single "Rookie" and the 2019 single "Zimzalabim" were potential lead single choices at the time for the girl group, but eventually it was chosen to be released first by the label.[7][8]
Composition
"Russian Roulette" was composed and produced by Albi Albertsson, Belle Humble and Markus Lindell, with Korean lyrics adaptation by songwriter Jo Yoon-kyung. Bradley Stern of
Originally recorded in Korean for the group's third extended play in September 2016, Red Velvet also recorded the song in Japanese for the group's debut Japanese release on July 4, 2018, with Japanese lyrics adaptation from songwriter Kami Kaoru.[9]
Promotion and music video
Promotion
An hour before the single's release, Red Velvet held a special countdown through the
Music video
A music video of the song directed by
With its bright, sports-themed and colorful setting, the music video gained attention for its violent content hidden beneath a fun and playful song. While dressed in cute outfits, the members sing about a romantic relationship that they compare to a game of
During their Naver V Live broadcast on September 6, the group revealed that some members broke large parts of the set which the staff had to rebuild as they were filming it, partly due to the nature of the scenes they shot. Member Joy also expressed her concerns about its rating due to the violent theme of some of the scenes.[19][20]
The song won Best Music Video at the 2016 Melon Music Awards.[21] On January 27, 2018, the music video for "Russian Roulette" hit 100 million views on YouTube, which makes Red Velvet the seventh K-pop girl group to reach 100 million views, as well as the third girl group from SM Entertainment to reach this milestone.[22]
Critical reception
Upon its release, "Russian Roulette" received generally positive reviews from music critics. Writing for
However, Chester Chin of the Malaysian news site The Star felt that the single and the album was somewhat a disappointment after the "brilliant experimental vibes" of their last EP The Velvet, which was released in the same year. He commented that the song was "a fun and glossy dance-pop number" with "infectious hooks and bubbly rhythms" but claimed that the album's tracks "lacked the edge and quirks" of their other singles such as "Ice Cream Cake" and "Dumb Dumb".[26]
Commercial performance
The song achieved both domestic and international success. On the week of September 10, 2016, the song made its appearance at number three on the
"Russian Roulette" also achieved success in the United States as it reached a peak of number two on
Usage in media
As part of their "Red Velvet" night during the 2017 Baker's Dozen concert series, American band Phish played the song as walk-out music after the show at Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY.[36]
Along with the 2019 single "Zimzalabim", the song made its appearance during the dance-off scene in the 2020 Trolls World Tour, in which the members were also part of the cast, portraying the "K-Pop gang".[37]
Credits
Credits adapted from Russian Roulette liner notes[14]
- S.M. EntertainmentCo., Ltd. – executive producer
- Lee Soo-man – producer
- Lee Joo-hyung – vocal director, recording engineer
- Jang Woo-young – digital editing
- Nam Koong-jin – mixing engineer
- Red Velvet – vocals
- Yoo Shin-hye – background vocals
- Jo Yoon-kyung – lyricist
- Albi Albertsson – composer, arrangement
- Belle Humble – composer, arrangement, background vocals
- Markus Lindell – composer, arrangement
- Tom Coyne – mastering engineer
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Monthly chart
Chart (2016) | Peak position |
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South Korea (Gaon Digital Chart)[39] | 3 |
Accolades
Year-end awards
Year | Organization | Award | Result |
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2016 | Melon Music Awards | Best Music Video | Won |
Dance Award (Female) | Nominated | ||
Mnet Asian Music Awards
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Best Dance Performance Female Group | Nominated | |
Song of the Year | Nominated | ||
2017 | Gaon Chart Music Awards
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Song of the Month (September) | Nominated |
Korean Music Awards | Best Pop Song | Nominated | |
Golden Disc Awards | Digital Single Division Main Award | Nominated |
Music program awards
Program | Date |
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SBS MTV )
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September 13, 2016 |
September 20, 2016 | |
M Countdown (Mnet) | September 15, 2016 |
September 22, 2016 | |
MBC Music )
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September 21, 2016 |
Inkigayo (SBS) | September 25, 2016 |
Sales
Chart | Sales |
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South Korea[40] | 2,500,000+ |
United States[35] | 24,000+ |
Release history
Region | Date | Format | Label |
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South Korea | September 7, 2016 | Digital download, streaming | KT Music
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Worldwide | S.M. Entertainment |
See also
References
- ^ a b c Stern, Bradley (September 6, 2016). "Red Velvet's 'Russian Roulette' Video Makes Murder Look Positively Adorable". PopCrush. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
- ^ Hwang, Hye-jin (May 26, 2016). "SM 측 "레드벨벳 컴백 준비중, 일정 확정되면 발표"". Newsen (in Korean). Retrieved December 4, 2017.
- ^ Park, Young-woong (August 19, 2016). "[단독] SM, 엑소 다음은 레드벨벳! 9월 새 앨범 컴백". Naver (in Korean). Sports Chosun. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
- ^ Leeteuk (September 9, 2016). Super Junior Kiss The Radio (in Korean). Seoul. KBS. KBS Cool FM.
- ^ a b Omega, Jan (September 7, 2016). "Red Velvet Comeback: Music Video For 'Russian Roulette' Shows They Play Risky Love After Week Of Teasers Enticing K-Pop Fans". Inquisitr. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
- ^ Kim, Soo-hyung (September 13, 2016). "'최파타' 레드벨벳 "러시아 룰렛 데뷔 전부터 꽂혀…애착多"". The Korea Herald (in Korean). Retrieved December 4, 2017.
- ^ "Behind The Song: Red Velvet's "Zimzalabim" w/ Caesar & Loui". Retrieved 2020-05-01.
- ^ "Meet songwriting duo behind Red Velvet's 'Zimzalabim'". kpopherald.koreaherald.com. Retrieved 2020-05-01.
- ^ "#Cookie Jar". www.melon.com (in Korean). Retrieved 2020-05-01.
- ^ Min, Susan (September 6, 2016). "[Video] Red Velvet Drops Teaser Video for 'Russian Roulette'". enewsWorld. Archived from the original on February 12, 2017. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
- ^ Min, Susan (September 8, 2016). "Red Velvet to Perform 'Russian Roulette' for First Time on 'M COUNTDOWN'". enewsWorld. Archived from the original on October 17, 2017. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
- ^ Ahn, Eun Kyung (September 11, 2016). "[예능리뷰] '인기가요' 레드벨벳, 청량함 가득한 '러시안 룰렛 (Russian Roulette)' 무대". Top Star News (in Korean). Retrieved March 26, 2020.
- ^ Kim, Ye-na (September 25, 2016). "'인기가요' 레드벨벳, '러시안 룰렛'으로 임창정 꺾고 1위… "팬들에 감사"" (in Korean). kyeonggi.com. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
- ^ S.M. Entertainment. 2016.)
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link - ^ Ahn, Eun-kyung (September 9, 2016). "레드벨벳(Red Velvet), 신곡 '러시안 룰렛 (Russian Roulette)' 무대 첫 공개…'눈길'". Top Star Bews (in Korean). Retrieved December 4, 2017.
- ^ Herman, Tamar (September 7, 2016). "Red Velvet & Bobby Kick Off K-Pop's Wave of September Releases". Billboard. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
- ^ a b Tucci, Sherly (September 6, 2016). "Red Velvet's new song 'Russian Roulette' is cute and dangerous". The Daily Dot.
- ^ Benjamin, Jeff (October 12, 2016). "Most Viewed K-Pop Videos in America, Around the World: September 2016". Billboard. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
- ^ "Red Velvet 'Russian Roulette' COMEBACK COUNTDOWN". SMTOWN. September 6, 2016. Naver V Live.
- ^ Leeteuk (September 9, 2016). Kiss the Radio (in Korean). Seoul. KBS. KBS Cool FM.
- ^ Hwang, Ji-young (November 19, 2016). "'2016 MMA' 레드벨벳, TOP10·MV상 "불참한 예리도 감사"". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved December 4, 2017.
- ^ Park Se-yeon (January 27, 2018). "레드벨벳 '러시안룰렛' 유튜브 조회수 1억뷰". Maeil Economic Daily (in Korean). Retrieved May 1, 2021.
- ^ Glasby, Taylor (October 12, 2016). "meet the girl group breaking k-pop's rules". Dazed Digital. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
- ^ Glasby, Taylor (December 14, 2016). "The 20 best K-Pop tracks of the year". Dazed Digital. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
- ^ "The 30 Best K-Pop Songs of 2016". Tone Glow. August 8, 2017. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
- ^ Chin, Chester (September 16, 2016). "Review: Russian Roulette by Red Velvet". Star2. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
- Gaon Music Chart(September 2016). Retrieved on December 4, 2017.
- ^ Gaon Music Chart(September 2016). Retrieved on December 4, 2017.
- ^ "Gaon Weekly Download Chart - Week 37, 2016". gaonchart.co.kr. Retrieved 2020-05-01.
- ^ "Gaon Weekly Streaming Chart - Week 38, 2016". gaonchart.co.kr. Retrieved 2020-05-01.
- ^ "빌보드코리아". billboard.co.kr. Retrieved 2020-05-01.
- Gaon Chart (in Korean). Korea Music Content Industry Association. Archivedfrom the original on September 12, 2018. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
- ^ "GAON′s 관찰노트". gaonchart.co.kr. Retrieved May 6, 2019.
- ^ a b Benjamin, Jeff (September 14, 2016). "Red Velvet Hits New Peak on World Digital Songs, Heatseekers Albums With 'Russian Roulette'". Billboard. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
- ^ a b "Red Velvet's 'Psycho' is K-Pop Act's Second No. 1 on World Digital Song Sales, Join BTS, BLACKPINK in Elite Group". Billboard. 2020-01-03. Retrieved 2020-05-01.
- ^ Phish. "Sun, 2017-7-23 Madison Square Garden". Phish.com. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
- ^ Gong Mi-na (March 13, 2020). "레드벨벳·저스틴 팀버레이크 참여..'트롤' OST 오늘(13일) 공개". MT Star News (in Korean). Retrieved May 1, 2021.
- ^ "2016 Year End Chart" (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart. Archived from the original on August 15, 2017. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
- ^ "Monthly Chart - September" (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
- ^ Cumulative sales for "Russian Roulette" in South Korea:
- "GAON′s 관찰노트". Gaon Music Chart. Retrieved May 6, 2019.