[OSENWORLD] Red Velvet’s Joy is making her long-awaited solo debut with the release of her first mini album From JOY, with Love on August 18.
Led by the title track Love Splash!, the project captures what Joy describes as the “fresh, heart-fluttering emotions of falling in love for the first time.” The six-track collection — dropping at 6 p.m. KST across all major platforms — explores different stories of love, with Joy taking part in songwriting to express her personal voice. The music video for Love Splash! will also premiere simultaneously on SMTOWN’s YouTube channel, showcasing a colorful, vintage-inspired concept.
“Putting together an album that truly reflects my heart always felt vague and difficult, but thanks to so many people who supported me, I was able to bring it out into the world,” Joy shared. “Since I’ve prepared this album with all my effort, I hope many people will listen to it and show their love.”
Joy said the biggest challenge was expressing love as a profound theme while keeping it light and relatable. “I focused on the question: What do I want to say? Through overcoming difficult moments, I wanted to capture the greatness and preciousness of love. At the same time, I paid close attention to expressing my individuality not only in the music but also in the visuals.”
Joy chose Love Splash! as the lead single because it was “the easiest to visualize on stage and in a music video.” She added, “More than anything, I felt confident that I could bring out its lovely melody with my own voice.”
Among the other tracks, Joy highlights Unwritten Page as especially meaningful, since she wrote lyrics offering comfort to her younger self and to today’s struggling youth. She also penned Get Up And Dance entirely on her own, channeling the tension of passionate, destined love.
The album’s four jacket concepts also reflect different sides of love, with the “Friendship Love” version standing out most to Joy: “If you ask me what Friendship Love means, I’d say Red Velvet and ReVeluv. I even had a uniform specially made to remind people of Red Velvet, which made filming feel nostalgic.”
Looking ahead, Joy hopes her solo debut reaches as many listeners as possible. “I always want my activities to carry sincerity and honesty. For now, I’ll be devoting everything to this album. My biggest goal is simply for many people to hear it.”
To fans, she shared a heartfelt message: “ReVeluv, my very first mini album is finally here! It’s only possible because you’ve been waiting, supporting, and loving me so much. I promise to repay your love with even greater love. Thank you always — I love you all.”
/k_inside@osen.co.kr
