RBB (EP)
RBB is the official fifth Korean extended play by South Korean girl group Red Velvet. The six-track EP was released on November 30, 2018 by SM Entertainment with iriver serving as the South Korean distributor. With SM founder Lee Soo-man serving as the release's executive producer, RBB enlisted numerous songwriters and producers, such as Kenzie, Timothy 'Bos' Bullock, Sara Forsberg, MZMC, Harvey Mason Jr., Patrick 'J. Que' Smith, Dewain Whitmore Jr., Britt Burton, Yoo Young-jin, production duo LDN Noise, Deez, Ellen Berg Tollbom, rapper-songwriter Penomeco, Dem Jointz, Moonshine, and others for the makings of the extended play. Musically, the EP consists of five new original tracks which varied in different genres, mostly R&B, hip-hop and dance-pop, which became the group's third major release to focus on their "Velvet" sonic concept, following their second studio album Perfect Velvet and its repackage The Perfect Red Velvet.
Upon its release, RBB received positive reviews from international music critics for its sonic cohesiveness, how all of the songs in the album are equally "strong" and hailed as the group's most "sassiest offering". Its title track, however, received mixed reactions from the group's native critics and public, whom deemed it "controversial" and "unfamiliar" to the public. The extended play was a commercial success in South Korea, becoming the group's tenth top-three title on the Gaon Album Chart with just one tracking day, and became the forty-nine best selling album of 2018 in South Korea by the end of the year. It was a bigger international success for Red Velvet, becoming the group's third number-two entry on the Billboard World Albums Chart and their first debuting atop the Top Heatseekers Album chart, earning the group's their best sales week, and to date, their best-selling release in the United States. In continuation to the success of their previous release, RBB was the group's second release to enter the component digital album chart in France and the United Kingdom.
To promote the extended play, its eponymous lead single was released on the same physical release date. Though the song received mixed reviews from domestic critics, it was a moderate success on the Gaon Digital Chart, becoming the group's eleventh top-ten hit with just one tracking day. The single, however, attained bigger success both commercially and critically overseas, becoming the group's first number one title on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales.
Background and release
Following the group's promotion with their second "special summer" release Summer Magic in August 2018, news about Red Velvet's upcoming comeback circulated in October 2018, which was later confirmed by SM Entertainment. On November 9, 2018, SM Entertainment revealed the details of the extended play, its eponymous lead single, titled "RBB ", and the release date to be November 30. During a V Live broadcast, member Yeri stated that the preparation for the album was longer than their other title tracks. In contrast to their previous release schedule, the album was released on Friday, November 30 rather than the usual Monday release for most K-pop acts. The release was a singular version only, containing a CD, a photo booklet, a lyric book and collectibles.Composition
The lead single "RBB " was characterized as an R&B pop dance track with a catchy melody. The song was written and composed by SM Entertainment songwriter Kenzie and co-composed by Timothy 'Bos' Bullock, Sara Forsberg, MZMC with arrangement by Bullock. Lyrically, it expresses the charms of a "bad boy".The second song "Butterflies" was described as a punk-pop track, its lyrics comparing the sensation of falling in love to a butterfly dancing. "So Good" was characterized as a future bass track with an R&B base that features a piano melody and rhythmical drums in the instrumental. "Sassy Me" is an urban pop dance track that ranges from low to high notes that allow the group to show off their vocal ability. "Taste" is an old-school dance-pop song with lyrics that talk about the choices a person makes and not listening to others' opinions, following their heart instead. It features a narration written by member Wendy.
Promotions
To promote the album, Red Velvet held a V Live broadcast on November 29, the night before its release. The group had their "comeback stage" for RBB on the music program Music Bank, performing both the title track "RBB " and "Butterflies" live for the first time and an hour before the album's official release. This was followed by performances on Show! Music Core and Inkigayo.An accompanying music video for "RBB " with choreography by Choi Sun Hee, Kaycee Rice and Janelle Ginestra was released on the day of the album's release. The Halloween-themed video, which had a "Howliwood" sign in the background featured the titular "bad boy" in the song in the form of a werewolf who chases after the girls throughout the video, moving from various retro-inspired sets such as a pink room with a checker-patterned floor, a pumpkin patch with the sign behind it, and the girls stuck inside picture frames. The music video also references the 1980 film The Shining in a scene where members Irene and Yeri are dressed up as the Grady twins. Forbes called the music video "B-movie schlock retrofitted to K-pop perfectionism".
Reception
Internationally, RBB received generally positive reviews from critics. Natalie Morin of Refinery29 opined that while their last album Summer Magic was "an expression of their bright, fun "red" side, RBB highlights their soft, sultry "velvet" side". She added that the EP acted as "a sequel to their January mega-hit 'Bad Boy'". She also said the group "has a penchant for high drama, and the video for "RBB " plays right into it. Set in a retro "Hollywood" movie set — imagine being so powerful that you bring back Halloween on the cusp of winter". Mike Nied of Idolator described the title track as "a fiercely danceable production" and that "it is built around a sing-along chorus. 'Oh my god, he's a really bad boy'". He then singled out "Sassy Me" as his favourite song from the album, highlighting the track's "horn-heavy stylings". He then talked about "RBB "'s music video and said it "boasted dramatic set pieces and incredible choreography". Brooke Bajgrowicz of Billboard noted that the music video had a "fun, creepy aesthetic" and described all of the album's songs as "harmony-heavy, electropop tracks". Chase McMullen of The 405 talked about the various unique concepts the group has done in the past and stated that "Like it or not, Red Velvet are quite simply the most idiosyncratic and joyous pop group from any country working today". He also praised "RBB ", saying it "ups the ante on boisterous, feminist fun" from "Bad Boy", but "in true Red Velvet fashion, it is surpassed by RBB's deep cuts" such as the strutting "Sassy Me". Caitlin Kelley of Forbes remarked that "As a whole, "RBB" is like if cocktail music became anthemic pop and then soundtracked a horror movie. The harmonies are complex, and vocal ad libs fill every nook and cranny of empty space". She also talked about the rest of the album and stated that "Red Velvet has a reputation for never skimping on their B-sides", asserting that "All of the songs on the six-track RBB EP are strong enough to stand on their own" and called "Sassy Me" the standout track from the album, saying it's a "self-empowerment anthem" that imbues the group's "flair for experimentalism". Crystal Bell of MTV commented that "On first listen, "RBB " is a song that really shouldn't work. It's a cacophony of sounds, rhythms, shrill ad-libs, complex harmonies, and a whole lot of brass". For a lead single, it's unapologetically bold and loud — the kind of song that beats you into submission with a powerful "oh my God" straight to your temporal lobes — but that's what makes it so unabashedly Red Velvet". She then concluded that with the group's "distinct vocal charms and tight harmonies, no two Red Velvet songs sound the same — and while "RBB" may be a divisive entry in the group's discography, you can't say it isn't 100 percent them".However, in South Korea, Kim Sang-hwa of OhmyStar said the song received mixed reactions from the public but claimed that for those who follow the group and their music, this is normal for a Red Velvet release, that unpredictability is common for their title tracks and "RBB " is no exception. They added further that they're "controversial" because they're "unfamiliar", stating that they're welcome to those who are seeking something new.
The album ranked fifth on Idolator's '10 Best K-Pop Albums Of 2018' list.
Commercial performance
Upon its release, RBB quickly topped over seventeen countries' iTunes chart. Comparing to the group's previous release Summer Magic, the extended play was less commercially success in their native country. With only a tracking day due to the album being released on Friday instead, the extended play debuted and peaked at number three on the Gaon Album Chart and finished as the eighth best-selling release on the November 2018 issue of the Gaon Monthly Album Chart, having sold over 84,092 copies. By this, the EP was the group's tenth consecutive top-three entry, but their lowest peak to date on the chart. It eventually placed 49th on the 2018 year-end Gaon Album Chart, having sold a total of 94,367 copies.The extended play, however, achieved bigger success for Red Velvet in the United States, topping both the Billboard Top Heatseekers Album chart and the World Digital Song Sales chart for the first time with the release of "RBB ". According to Nielsen Music's report, RBB sold a total of 5,000 equivalent album units in the week ending December 6, with 3,000 in album sales, earning the group their best sales week in the States. It also charted at number two on the Billboard World Albums Chart, becoming their third top-two entry on the chart. Elsewhere, the album debuted at number fifty-one on the Billboard Japan Hot Albums chart, number ninety-two on the French Download Albums chart, and number sixty on the UK Album Downloads Chart, becoming the group's second entry in the United Kingdom following the release of Summer Magic.