Red Velvet's(레드벨벳) Irene & Seulgi - Monster Mini Album Review

Red Velvet’s Irene & Seulgi are taking on the K-pop world as a duo, and fans have been wondering if these two girls have enough singing power to carry a whole album. Although it’s not a full album, the girls have released their new Mini Album, “Monster”. We will dive into each song and determine if the mini-album is amazing or a dud. This is Irene & Seulgi’s, Monster Mini Album Review.

Irene & Seulgi’s Mini Album, “Monster” was released on July 6th under music label SM entertainment, and contains 4 tracks plus a bonus track.

The two girls are part of a girl group Red Velvet. I guess you could think of this as a subgroup, like Girls Generation TTS. Honestly, I haven’t been up to date with Red Velvet, but I do know they released a full album back in January called “Psycho”.

“Psycho” and “Monster”? One can only wonder if there’s an underlying message in these title names?

But you aren’t reading this article for Red Velvet. You’re here for Irene & Seulgi. And I gotta say the Mini Album is damn good!

Table of Contents

The Listening Experience

Track 1: Monster

The main track for the album is “Monster“, and it instantly grabs your attention with the intro starting with the solo piano and some ominous vocal effects. Then we get into some heavy bass and leads into Irene singing.

The transitions between each section of the song offer its own uniqueness, which continued to keep my attention. Normally, changing the sound of a song too much can be chaotic, but this song manages to mix pop, hip-hop, and elements of dubstep while keeping the core foundation of the song. Without a doubt when listening to this song, it truly does give off a horror element.

Track 2: Diamond

The next track on the mini-album is “Diamond“, and you’ll instantly realize it’s significantly more laid back compared to “Monster”. If anything, the rhythm, baseline, and use of snare give off an R&B vibe, specifically 90’s R&B.

During the halfway point of the song, we get a little mixture of pop and R&B styles. This song is an excellent transition from “Monster” and I found myself listening to this song more than I expected just for the chill vibes.

Track 3: Feeling Good

The 3rd track “Feeling Good” is…special. Ironically, the name of this song is “Feeling Good”, but that’s the last emotion I get from this song. If you can’t tell, this is my least favorite song on the Mini Album. The vocals are decent, but everything else feels mediocre.

The instruments consist of your generic “1 and 2 and 3” bass and snare. And the worst part is you can see this coming a mile away just by hearing the lackluster pre-chorus. You hear a standard speed up drum roll, then the most drops and goes into the main chorus.

There isn’t much left to say about this song. I know I’m being a little harsh, and can’t expect for every song to be a masterpiece, but since this is a Mini Album, with fewer songs to be produced, I expect the songs to be more consistent in quality. Of course, this isn’t Irene & Seulgi’s fault. This is more of a complaint toward music producers.

Track 4: Jelly

The 4th track “Jelly“, is a fresh of breath air compared to “Feeling Good”. It’s a moderate-paced song, with an upbeat tone. I usually don’t comment on the lyrics for Korean, due to my low Korean skills and I’m unsure of the English translations I found online are accurate, but I get the feeling the lyrics are hinting at some sexual undertones in the song.

Down till the unknown secrets
The moment one tastes it Oh why so tasty?
The more one contains it, the more one wants to have it
One can’t hide it, Baby you’re so jelly…

Regardless, it’s a good way to end the album…however, there is one more song we need to talk about…

Bonus Track: Uncover

The bonus song “Uncover”! This song, was initially, heard during the La Rouge concert back in November 2019, and wasn’t released until now.

I know there are decent amount people out there who say Red Velvet’s vocals aren’t good, but listening to Seulgi’s singing I wholeheartedly disagree. While her voice isn’t a powerhouse, it has a very pure and clean tone.

However, I don’t think she is ready for a solo debut yet. She doesn’t bring anything to the stage that sets her apart from hundreds of singers out there. As of now, she is an average singer. Fortunately, if she continues to practice, it’s only natural that she’ll improve. I believe she has the potential to become a solo artist if she can bring some uniqueness to her vocals.

The Verdict

I give it 3.5 out of 5. “Monster” and “Diamond” are my favorite tracks on the Mini Album, with “Jelly” being a close 3rd. In my opinion, “Feeling good”, is a terrible song, and shouldn’t have been on the mini-album. Although the bonus song “Uncover” is adequate, Seulgi’s vocals weren’t able to keep me engaged.

What is your favorite song in the Mini Album and why? Who do you think would be a better solo artist? Irene or Seulgi? Let’s discuss this in the comment section! And remember to be kind.
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