Advertisement
K-pop, Mandopop, other Asian pop
CultureMusic

K-pop star Joy from Red Velvet talks about her name, her image and her friendships in the group

Joy has performed in North Korea, her group Red Velvet has had three number one albums in the US and they’ve just released their first Japanese-language album. She shares her story and talks about her perfectionism

Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
0
Joy from Red Velvet shares her thoughts on image, fame and perfectionism.
SCMP Reporter

Colourful, energetic and elegant, South Korea’s Red Velvet are a K-pop group with a surprising level of artistry in their music.

The “red” in their band name represents their wild, youthful side, while “velvet” symbolises the sophistication that lies behind their fun image.

Joy (left) with Red Velvet.
Joy (left) with Red Velvet.
And it’s partly this duality that has made Joy, Irene, Seulgi, Wendy and Yeri so popular since their debut in 2014. Apart from their landmark show in North Korea in April (they were the first K-pop outfit to perform across the border since boy band Shinhwa in 2003) they are the first Korean girl group to have three No 1 albums in the US on the Billboard World Albums Chart.

Ahead of the release of group’s debut Japanese-language album – Cookie Jar, which launches on July 4, we take a look at Red Velvet’s lead rapper and lead vocalist Joy, and her role in the group.

Joy was born on Jeju Island in South Korea.
Joy was born on Jeju Island in South Korea.

Her early life

Joy, whose real name is Park Soo-young, was born on Jeju Island, South Korea’s “Hawaii”. A lifelong fan of Korean pop classics, the 21-year-old became interested in modern music at a young age, and auditioned to join Red Velvet’s management company, S.M. Entertainment, in 2012. Before her entry into the K-pop industry, Joy planned to be a dog trainer.

Advertisement