“Only 2 Albums After 10 Years”: Furious Red Velvet Fans Send Another Wave Of Trucks To SM Entertainment
In a show of unity and palpable frustration, fans of popular K-Pop quintet Red Velvet have once again dispatched a fleet of protest trucks to the offices of SM Entertainment. The bold move follows a series of grievances that fans, known as Reveluvs, have long held against the company’s management of the group.
“Only 2 studio albums 10 years after debuting?” was one of the messages emblazoned across the LED-lit trucks, signifying the fans’ exasperation over the scarce discography despite the group’s longevity. Red Velvet, which debuted in 2014, has only released two studio albums, lagging behind other groups in the company (including their juniors) who have already released their third and fourth albums.
— DC 레드벨벳의레벨업 갤러리 (@red_velvet_gall) July 17, 2023
Another truck highlighted the demand for better utilization of social media platforms with the message, “Stop missing out on everything.” Fans believe the company should be doing more to promote the group and their individual activities, as well as inform fans about upcoming schedules and rally support for voting events on their official accounts.
RED VELVET Deserve Better
💗💛💙💚💜#레드벨벳도_삼쩜영_맛좀봅시다#LetUsTasteRedVelvet3_0 pic.twitter.com/gbJlZyk99v— RV THAILAND (@REDVELVET_TH) July 17, 2023
A surprising addition to the complaints was the group’s official lightstick. Fans have raised concerns over its durability and power, pointing out that it once broke in Seulgi’s hands during a concert. The fans have thus declared on the protest trucks, “The renewal of the lightstick is urgent.”
SEULGI ???? LMFAOOOO 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/dkJyJ3JP01
— ! (@ksgseola) April 21, 2023
The protestors also called for better management of album releases. ReVeluvs are frustrated with the consistent issue of albums going out of stock before their official release date.
Stop out-of-stock pre-orders. Stop delaying the release of the album in the first week. Secure enough albums.
— Written on a protest truck
ReVeluvs have been used to @RVsmtown's albums being Out of stock after preorder period. SM took it up a notch w/ Birthday being OOS DURING preorder period.
Despite this, RV managed to become million sellers#레드벨벳도_삼쩜영_맛좀봅시다 #LetUsTasteRedVelvet3_0@RVsmtown pic.twitter.com/bg8uzbkjTq
— RVElites | R to V (@rvelites) July 17, 2023
Calls for more self-made content, improved fan club services, and enhanced promotional activities during the group’s comebacks were also prominent among the fan’s demands. Fans expressed discontent with ticket pre-sales that Red Velvet fans can’t join and argued for the necessity of an official Japanese fan club to ensure fairness in ticketing.
During their presentations for SM 3.0 they said that they will make sure that contents won't be concentrated on certain artists and yet that's exactly what is happening now and we even have to beg for them to do it @RVsmtown#레드벨벳도_삼쩜영_맛좀봅시다 #LetUsTasteRedVelvet3_0 pic.twitter.com/oaOEL1Goca
— Ivy | °9 Years with Red Velvet° (@girinnation) July 17, 2023
Another significant grievance was the handling of Red Velvet’s overseas tours, including concerns about the size of venues, insufficient ticketing times, limited merch items, and a dearth of tour dates. Fans believe their past tours do not match up to the group’s substantial international popularity.
Who remembers the disaster that was this tour…
Tickets sold 2 weeks before the first european show, and overpriced tickets put on sale at a regular price two days prior the show.@RVsmtown #레드벨벳도_삼점영_맛좀봅시다#LetUsTasteRedVelvet3_0 https://t.co/DWqFSEReVQ— RED VELVET France (slow) (@RedVelvet_FR) July 17, 2023
The final message was a simple yet powerful plea: “Protect your artists.” This underscores the fans’ desire for better treatment and consideration of the group by their managing company.
The growing amount of protests through LED trucks highlights the ever-growing tension between K-Pop fans and entertainment companies over the perceived mishandling of popular acts. It remains to be seen how SM Entertainment will respond to these demands, but what’s clear is that ReVeluvs are determined to make their voices heard for the betterment of Red Velvet.
