Song Review: Red Velvet – Surfin’ Boy

Once a K-pop group reaches a certain stature, comebacks feel like big events because they just don’t happen frequently anymore. The last time Red Velvet released new music as a full group was all the way back in 2024 with their very good Cosmic. This time, they’re back with a bossa nova sound and summer theme. They’ve also returned on the twelth anniversary of their debut music video (the classic Happiness). A few weeks ago, I was almost certain we were in for a summer of big seasonal bangers. With the likes of Red Velvet, fromis_9, Hyolyn, Sunmi and BBGirls making summery comebacks, how could we not be? But much to my chagrin, the output turned out to be more subdued than summer bangers of years past. Surfin’ Boy fits within this pattern as well. Of course, “subdued” doesn’t automatically mean “bad,” but coupled with K-pop’s current struggle to find memorable melodies, it tends to be a pretty uninspiring recipe. Surfin’ Boy opts for a languid, mid-tempo groove that offers a nice playground for Red Velvet’s always impeccable harmonies. Their vocal performance is one of the song’s highlights, imbuing a so-so chorus with a welcome sense of drama and atmosphere. This continues into th...