MANILA — The year 2023 was a fruitful one for Red Velvet, which saw the popular K-pop girl group headline a concert tour and release its first full-length album in six years, all while the members pursued individual projects.

“This year has been a year where all of our members have been doing a lot to challenge themselves individually,” member Seulgi said through an interpreter at a recent press conference, hours before she performed at a New Year’s Eve celebration in Taguig with bandmates Irene and Wendy.

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“For example, Wendy, in 2023, started performing in musicals,” she said, referring to Wendy’s theatrical debut through the musical “Rebecca.” “The other members have [also] been doing their personal challenges and journeys on their own.”

For Irene, who leads the five-piece act that also includes Joy and Yeri, her “memorable achievement this year is releasing our third full album [after] six years,” referring to the “Chill Kill” album that dropped in November.

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Another 2023 highlight, Irene said, was “doing a full concert” through the group’s “R to V” tour that made stops across Europe and Asia, including in the Philippines.

“My special memory was during the last concert in Manila. I went to an amusement park. Another thing that was memorable was the sunset in the Philippines and how beautiful it was,” Irene said.

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2024 goals

For 2024, the girls behind hit singles such as “Red Flavor,” “Bad Boy” and “Psycho” hope to release an album in celebration of their 10th anniversary and meet more of their fans.

“[The year 2024] is actually the 10th anniversary of Red Velvet’s debut so there might be an upcoming album. However, there’s nothing firmly scheduled, so we cannot really disclose about it,” Irene said.

“We’d like to release a meaningful album and see more fans,” she added.

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Irene said she also wants to continue challenging herself by taking “more opportunities to learn new things and try new hobbies.”

Wendy’s top priority in 2024, on the other hand, is to stay “happy and healthy,” but she also wants to meet new people whom she can learn from.

“I’d like to meet up with new people because I usually stay home and I would like to learn things from them… how they live their lives and stuff like that,” she said.

Meanwhile, Seulgi aspires to “become a better adult” as she turns 30 in February.

“As an adult, I want to become wiser and have more opportunities to learn new things and become a better adult in general,” she said.

Additionally, the “28 Reasons” singer hopes to be free from worries in her work, believing it will help her have a longer career.

“I’d like to have a more chill, happier life without anxieties in terms of doing work. I think it’ll help give this work more longevity if I do it with more happiness and without anxiety while doing it,” Seulgi said.

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