28 Reasons

SEULGI’s debut solo EP, released after eight years with the massively popular K-pop girl group Red Velvet, is unlike anything the five-piece has ever done. It opens with the title track—a spooky whisper-seduction not unlike Selena Gomez’s biggest singles. (When she belts later in the track, Destiny’s Child’s balladic moments might be a more direct comparison.) Then: strings, a crashing crescendo around the bass-blasting “Dead Man Runnin’.” The retro R&B of “Bad Boy, Sad Girl” partners SEULGI’s breathiness with the album’s sole feature, rapper BE’O. “Los Angeles” is yet another detour—smoke machine techno. Where Red Velvet excels at all things bright and ebullient, *28 Reasons* showcases an edgier side of one of the group’s most distinct talents.

Red Velvet's Seulgi makes her solo debut with '28 Reasons', unveiling exhilarating new elements of her artistry – read the NME review