5 days ago
119
Wendy’s first comeback after leaving SM Entertainment is drawing attention for reasons she likely didn’t expect. Despite months of anticipation, her newest release has sparked debate due to noticeably lower sales.
Wendy |ASND LabelBack in 2021, Wendy made history as the first Red Velvet member to go solo with Like Water, which sold over 68,000 copies on its first day.
Three years later, she followed with Wish You Hell in 2024, maintaining almost the exact same performance at just over 68,600. Both projects kept her on solid ground as a soloist under SM.
Things have shifted since April 2025, when Wendy and fellow member Yeri decided not to renew their individual contracts with SM Entertainment. The two clarified that while they were stepping away from the company for solo activities, they would continue promoting as part of Red Velvet.
Red Velvet’s Wendy And Yeri Officially Leave SM Entertainment
Netizens Shocked At Red Velvet Wendy’s Unexpected Contract With A Start-Up Label
Soon after, Wendy signed with ASND Label — home to fromis_9 — officially beginning a new chapter in her career. Her latest album Cerulean Verge marks the start of this journey, but its performance has raised eyebrows.
On release day, it recorded just over 30,200 sales — less than half of her previous solo records.
#WENDY's (@WENDY_offcl) first day sales on Hanteo:
Wish You Hell — 68,640
Like Water — 68,225
Cerulean Verge — 30,233 pic.twitter.com/3XebN85hcp
— Red Velvet Charts (@ChartsRV) September 10, 2025
The numbers look even worse compared to other members, including Irene’s 250,000 sales with Like A Flower or Seulgi’s 134,000 with 28 Reasons.
[HT] #RedVelvet (@RVsmtown) Solos 1st Day Sales #IRENE Like A Flower ㅡ 250,063#SEULGI 28 REASONS ㅡ 134,682#SEULGI Accidentally On Purpose ㅡ 83,667 #WENDY Wish You Hell ㅡ 68,640 #WENDY Like Water ㅡ 68,225#JOY Hello ㅡ 57,435#JOY From JOY, with Love ㅡ 38,140#WENDY…
— KOREAN SALES (@koreansales_twt) September 10, 2025
The steep drop has become one of the most discussed topics online, with fans and non-fans alike weighing in on what it means for her future outside of SM.
A whole month of promo and Twitter hype, and nugu Wendy still can't crack 50k sales 😭 Red Velvet doesn’t need her, it's Irene carrying the group. Give it a year and ASND will drop her. She’ll be outside SM begging for a RV comeback to stay relevant.#redvelvet https://t.co/7c9cYPuLwC
— TripleSSS (@Yohan_090) September 11, 2025
antis are making fun of wendy’s sales and streams but she’s actually doing well considering she just left a big4 company. wendy is one of the few idols that able to have solo careers after leaving their agency instead of going to acting route lmao
— Cerulean Verge 🩵 (@wanniewifey) September 12, 2025
Some argue the numbers reflect the difficulty of building momentum outside of a powerhouse company, while others point to the competitive nature of K-Pop’s current solo landscape. Either way, Wendy’s results have highlighted the challenges that even established idols can face when stepping into a new environment.
English (US) · 