Ice Cream Cake (EP)

Ice Cream Cake is the debut extended play by South Korean girl group Red Velvet. It was released digitally on March 17, 2015, and physically on March 18 by SM Entertainment and distributed by KT Music, marking the group's first proper release since their initial debut in August 2014 and their first release as a quintet since the addition of the group's fifth member Yeri. The extended play was released in two physical versions, named after the two singles and contained six tracks which introduced both the group's "Red" and "Velvet" sonic concept. The duality was further demonstrated by its two singles (marketed as double title tracks), "Automatic" and "Ice Cream Cake", with the latter becoming the group's breakthrough commercial success. S.M. founder Lee Soo-man served as the EP's executive producer, with Hayley Aitken, Trinity Music, Daniel "Obi" Klein, Charli Taft, Jam Factory, Kenzie, Teddy Riley, Cha Cha Malone, MonoTree and others contributed lyrics and production.

This article is about the Red Velvet EP. For the dessert, see Ice cream cake.
Ice Cream Cake
Digital and Ice Cream Cake version cover
EP by
Red Velvet
ReleasedMarch 17, 2015[1]
Recorded2014–2015
StudioS.M. Studio, Seoul, South Korea
Genre
Length21:28
LanguageKorean
Label
Producer
Red Velvet chronology
Ice Cream Cake
(2015)		 The Red
(2015)
Singles from Ice Cream Cake
  1. "Automatic"
    Released: March 14, 2015
  2. "Ice Cream Cake"
    Released: March 16, 2015

Upon its release, Ice Cream Cake received positive reviews from music critics for its "impressive effort" of establishing the two sides of their musical identity. The EP also attained commercial success, becoming Red Velvet's first chart-topper on the Gaon Album Chart in South Korea and number two on the Billboard World Albums Chart for the first time, while peaking at number twenty-four on Billboard's Heatseekers Albums chart. It has since sold a cumulative sales of over 94,000 copies.

Background and release

Following the end of "Be Natural" promotion in late October 2014, it was announced that Red Velvet would return with an extended play, marking their first proper release since the group's debut in last August. In February 2015, Red Velvet was spotted filming in a desert just outside of Palmdale, California with then SM Rookies-member Yeri, with the then-rumored song title to be "Blonde Girl", when they were actually filming the music video for "Ice Cream Cake". Yeri was then introduced by S.M. Entertainment as the fifth member of Red Velvet through two videos uploaded on the label's YouTube channel on March 11 and March 12, which contained audio previews of then-unknown album track "Somethin Kinda Crazy".[2] On the same day, they revealed the title of the group's first album, Ice Cream Cake.[3] On March 14, the music video for "Automatic" was released days prior to the EP's release, with title track "Ice Cream Cake" followed suit on March 16.[4] SM Entertainment confirmed that the group would be promoting both "Ice Cream Cake" and "Automatic".[5] The mini-album was released in two versions, Ice Cream Cake and Automatic. While there are no changes in the track list, the Automatic version has an alternative cover which features the original artwork in black and white, along with the design of the physical disc and the photo book inside is different from the other version.

Composition

Concept

Not only does the group's name "Red Velvet" represent their two different images, it also represents the duality sonic concept that the group was focusing on since their debut in 2014.[5][6] While the "Red" concept shows the group's "sweet, bubblegum side", the "Velvet" concept highlights the group as "sultry sirens" with "slow-burning, Janet Jackson-esque R&B jam".[7] Ice Cream Cake marks the first release from Red Velvet to contain both "Red" and "Velvet" composition, which was eventually followed by two different releases that focused solely on a single sonic concept: The Red in September 2015 and The Velvet in March 2016.

Songs

The extended play starts with the same-name track "Ice Cream Cake", a "punchy, sugary pop confection" that consists elements from bubblegum-pop and drum and bass. Produced by Hayley Aitken and producing team Trinity Music, the song original title was "Ice Cream Truck" before the lyrics was rewritten in Korean by songwriter Jo Yoon-kyung and Kim Dong-hyun. In addition, it also features "haunted" harmony which can be heard during the intro of the song, while being accompanied by the sound of a music box. The lyrics tell the excitement of a girl being attracted to her boyfriend, using "ice cream cake" as a metaphor to the girl's feelings. Along with the electro-pop "Stupid Cupid" and the bright, poppy "Take It Slow", the three tracks represent the "Red" concept, with "Stupid Cupid" offers a different "aura" through the electric riffs, and "Take It Slow" highlights the group's harmonization and soft vocals that recalls "the perfection" from fellow labelmate Girls' Generation-TTS.[8]

In contrast, the second track "Automatic" is "a surely implemented R&B track" with influence from neo soul, thus represents the "Velvet" sonic concept. Produced by Daniel "Obi" Klein and British singer-songwriter Charli Taft, the song was the first work from the duo with Red Velvet (whom would later participate in the group's upcoming releases). Lyrically, the song tells how "natural" and "automatic" the senses and feelings of a girl come just by the touch of her lover, with the opening monologue "How do you like this beat?/Natural and automatic for you." Charli Taft also co-produced the third track "Something Kinda Crazy", a modern-R&B track with synth-pop influence that sings about the starstruck feelings of a girl when she falls in a relationship. The lyrics was written by songwriter Kenzie, with American producer Teddy Riley joined in the production. The closing track "Candy" is a "smoothing, popping" R&B track that sings about the wishes of a long-lasting relationship. These three tracks eventually represent the group's "Velvet" concept, portraying the group's "sultry" images and music.

Promotion

SM Entertainment announced a program where in the group will be promoting their new album, called Ice Cream TV. The group performed the songs live in the show, which was streamed through Naver Music and was hosted by Shinee's Minho. Besides their live performances, the group also talked about the new album and their 'comeback'.[10]

The group started promoting their singles "Automatic" and "Ice Cream Cake" on music shows on March 19. They first performed the songs on Mnet's M Countdown,[11] followed by performances on KBS' Music Bank on March 20[12] and SBS' Inkigayo on March 22.[13] They returned to Music Bank a week later and won their first music show trophy since their official debut.[14] They had their first overseas performance of "Ice Cream Cake" and their first as a 5-member group in an SM Town concert held in Taiwan.[15] The group has also promoted and performed songs from the album in the Philippines for the Best of the Best K-pop Concert on April 12, a concert which also featured labelmates Super Junior and Girls' Generation as well as Cube boy band BTOB. The group also had its first promotions in the United States at KCON on August 2 at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles. The group participated in a fan engagement session at the Los Angeles Convention Center and performed songs "Ice Cream Cake", "Somethin' Kinda Crazy", and "Happiness" during the concert.

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
IZM[16]
Seoulbeats[17]

Upon its initial release, Ice Cream Cake received positive reviews from most music critics for showcasing the duality sonic concept of the group. Jakob Dorof of pop music magazine Spin described the track "Ice Cream Cake" as "a treat as unexpected as it is unpredictable [...] packs a punch, but goes down smooth over time" and deemed it "the SM label's specialty: bubblegum pop that deeply rewards repeat rotations."[18] Billboard's Jeff Benjamin called the album "an impressive effort for such a young group" and praised its ability to personify the group's dual-sided musical identity through the singles "Ice Cream Cake" and "Automatic." He explained: "The former track is a punchy, sugary pop confection that [...] seems to represent the outfit's sweet bubblegum side; their "Red" side if you will. While the latter is a slow-burning, Janet Jackson-esque R&B jam that [...] positions them as sultry sirens; their "Velvet" side."[7] In a positive review for the EP, writer Kim Do-hyun of IZM complemented the strong R&B influence in the release, while noting that the release is "an independent statement" for the group, choosing the two singles, "Something Kinda Crazy" and "Take It Slow" to be the highlights of the EP.[8] Another review from Seoulbeats described the EP as "an earnestly sweet album that shows the wide range of talent the ladies of Red Velvet possess."[19] The two singles would later appear in the top 25 Red Velvet songs by Billboard, with "Automatic" at number nine and "Ice Cream Cake" at number eighteen.[20]

Commercial performance

On the week of March 15, 2015, Ice Cream Cake debuted and spent one week at number one on the weekly Gaon Album Chart,[21][22] giving the group their first chart-topping title. All six songs from the album eventually charted in the same week on Gaon Singles Chart.[23] The album went on to become the best selling album by a girl group in South Korea on the Hanteo Chart for the first half of 2015.[24] With a total of 48,815 copies sold in 2015, the extended play was the 50th best-selling release on the 2015's Gaon Year-End Album Chart, and later achieved a cumulative sales of over 88,000 copies as of September 2018.[25] It also debuted at number two on Billboard's World Albums Chart, becoming their first charting entry.[26] The album also peaked at 25 on Billboard's Top Heatseekers on April 4, 2015.[27] The album is also the group's first appearance on the Japan's Oricon Albums Chart, peaking at number 76 for one week.

Track listing

Credits adapted from Naver

Ice Cream Cake
No.TitleLyricsMusicArrangementLength
1."Ice Cream Cake"
  • Hayley Aitken
  • Sebastian Lundberg (Trinity Music)
  • Fredrik Häggstam (Trinity Music)
  • Johan Gustafsson (Trinity Music)
3:11
2."Automatic"
3:30
3."Somethin Kinda Crazy"
3:19
4."Stupid Cupid"
  • Seong Hyun-bin (Doppio (Devine Channel))
3:29
5."Take It Slow"
  • G-High (MonoTree)
  • Lee Joo-hyoung (MonoTree)
  • G-High (MonoTree)
  • Lee Joo-hyoung (MonoTree)
  • MonoTree
3:31
6."Candy" (Korean: 사탕; RR: Satang)
  • Hong Ji-yoo
  • Claire Rodrigues Lee (Hookline & Singer Music)
  • Kevin Charge (TG Publishing)
  • Score
4:22
Total length:21:28

Personnel

Credits are from the album liner notes.[28]

Charts

Sales
Chart Amount
Gaon physical sales[32] 88,271+
Oricon physical sales 2,796+
Billboard physical sales[33] 3,000+

Release history
Region Date Format Label
Various[1] March 17, 2015 Digital download SM Entertainment
South Korea
South Korea March 18, 2015 CD SM Entertainment, KT Music

References
  1. "The 1st Mini Album 'Ice Cream Cake' - EP by Red Velvet on iTunes". iTunes Store. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
  2. Hong, Grace Danbi (March 11, 2015). "[Video] Red Velvet Welcomes New Member Yeri in Time for Comeback". enewsWorld. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  3. "레드벨벳, 새 멤버 '예리' 합류 5인조 변신…18일 컴백". MK News (in Korean). March 11, 2015. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  4. Yoon Sang-geun (March 15, 2015). "컴백 레드벨벳, 더블 타이틀곡 활동…뮤비 기습 공개". Nate (in Korean). Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  5. Lee Jong-hyun (March 15, 2015). "'컴백' 레드벨벳, 반전 매력 선사! 'Automatic' MV 기습 공개". Hankooki (in Korean). Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  6. "SM Entertainment's New Girl Group "Red Velvet" Finally Unveiled". KpopStarz. 2014-07-29. Retrieved 2020-04-29.
  7. Benjamin, Jeff. "Red Velvet Send Delicious 'Ice Cream' EP to World, Heatseeker Albums Charts". Billboard. Billboard. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  8. "Neo Music Communication IZM". izm.co.kr. Retrieved 2020-04-29.
  9. Kim, Do-hyun. "Ice Cream Cake - 2015 - Red Velvet". izm.co.kr. IZM. Retrieved 2020-04-29.
  10. Hong, Grace Danbi (March 13, 2015). "Red Velvet to Pre-release ′Ice Cream Cake′ Online A Day Ahead of Album Release". enewsWorld. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  11. Jeon, Ah Ram (March 22, 2015). "[Interview] Red Velvet Talks Rumors Surrounding Member Change, Goals for 'Ice Cream Cake' and More". Newsen. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved March 23, 2015.
  12. "Super Junior D&E's "Growing Pains" Wins on Music Bank". Soompi. March 20, 2015. Retrieved March 23, 2015.
  13. Hwang Seong-un (March 22, 2015). "'인기가요' 레드벨벳, 전혀 다른 두 가지 매력 '아이스크림 케이크'와 '오토매틱'". 10asia (in Korean). Retrieved March 23, 2015.
  14. Kim Mi-hwa (March 27, 2015). "'뮤뱅' 레드벨벳, 데뷔 7개월만 가요프로 첫 1위..눈물 펑펑". Korea Daily (in Korean). Retrieved March 30, 2015.
  15. Hwang Seong-un (March 22, 2015). "SMTOWN, 대만 홀렸다…SMTOWN LIVE 대만 공연 성공리에 마무리". 10asia (in Korean). Retrieved March 23, 2015.
  16. Kim Do-hyun. "Ice Cream Cake". IZM (in Korean). IZM. Retrieved 2020-04-29.
  17. Chelsea. "Ice Cream Cake". Seoulbeats. Seoulbeats. Retrieved 2020-04-29.
  18. Dorof, Jakob (2015-06-11). "SPIN K-Pop Report: Ga-In Subverts Adam & Eve, Lim Kim Pops Smoky Bubblegum". Spin. SpinMedia. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  19. "Sweet Love in Red Velvet's "Ice Cream Cake"". Seoulbeats. 2015-03-28. Retrieved 2020-04-29.
  20. "Red Velvet's 25 Best Songs". Billboard. 2019-07-31. Retrieved 2020-04-29.
  21. "레드벨벳, 가온 주간 앨범차트도 1위 '정상 행진'". Nate (in Korean). March 26, 2015. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  22. "Gaon Weekly Album Chart - Week 13, 2015". gaonchart.co.kr. Retrieved 2020-04-29.
  23. South Korea's Gaon Singles Chart from March 15–21, 2015 (in Korean) Originally from Gaon Music Chart (March 2015). Archived March 26, 2015. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  24. Gil Hye-seong (June 21, 2015). "상반기 음반판매, 엑소 1~3위 석권..레드벨벳, 女유일 톱20". Korea Daily (in Korean). Retrieved August 5, 2015.
  25. "2015's Gaon Year-End Album Chart". gaonchart.co.kr. Retrieved 2020-04-29.
  26. Yoon Seong-yeol (March 27, 2015). "레드벨벳, 美빌보드 월드앨범 2위 진입..MFBTY 8위". Star News (in Korean). Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  27. "Heatseekers Albums: Up and Coming Musicians Chart".
  28. Ice Cream Cake (booklet) (in Korean). Red Velvet. S.M. Entertainment. 2015.CS1 maint: others (link)
  29. South Korea's Gaon chart's weekly album sales from March 15-21, 2015 (in Korean) Originally from Gaon Music Chart (March 2015). Archived March 26, 2015. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  30. South Korea's Monthly Gaon Albums Chart (in Korean) Originally from Gaon Music Chart (March 2015). Archived April 9, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
  31. South Korea's 2015 Gaon Year-End Album Chart (in Korean) Originally from Gaon Music Chart (January 2016).
  32. Cumulative Sales for Ice Cream Cake:
  33. "Red Velvet Performs in North Korea: 10 Things to Know for the Historic K-Pop Performance". Billboard. 2018-03-30. Retrieved 2020-04-29.
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