Hello
EP
ArtistJoy
CoverHello Joy.jpg
ReleasedMay 31, 2021
Recorded2021
StudioSM Studio Center (Seoul)
Length22:45
LanguageKorean
LabelSM · Dreamus
Producer
  • Kenzie
  • Hwang Seong-je (ButterFly)
  • Hwang-hyun (MonoTree)
  • MinGtion
  • Baek Mun-chi
  • Lundi Blues
Next year2025

Hello (RR: Annyeong) is the debut extended play by South Korean singer Joy. It was released on May 31, 2021, through SM Entertainment, marketed as a special release. The EP consists of six new remakes of songs from the 1990s and 2000s, including the title song "Hello" and pre-released single "Je T'aime". In addition, a number of top musicians participated in the album such as Kenzie, Hwang Seong-jae, Hwang Hyeon, MinGtion, Park Moon-chi, and Lundi Blues.

Background and release

South Korean news outlet Star News reported on May 12, that Joy would be releasing her first solo album later in May.[1] SM Entertainment later confirmed to Newsen that the singer was preparing the project, but did not specify a release date at the time.[2] On May 17, it was announced that Hello will be released on May 31, consisting of six remake songs released from the 1990 to 2000s.[3] On May 26, "Je T'aime" was pre-released, the song is a remake of the same name song by Hey released in 2001.[4] The extended play was released digitally on May 31, alongside the music video for the title track, "Hello".[5]

Composition and lyrics

"I really like the retro sentiment to the extent that I think I want to be born in that era, a lot of films and works from those times have this modest but clean feel, and I wanted to put that into my album. My No. 1 goal was to not damage the sentiment of the original songs. I didn't want the (remade version) to sound like completely different songs. At the same time, I thought hard about how I could use my voice for a unique edge.

— Joy on the album's sound.[6]

The album contains six covers of classic songs from the 1990s and 2000s.[7] The title track is a modern rock remake of singer Park Hye-kyung's "Hello" released in 2003.[8] The song features Joy's "cool" vocals in harmony, "cheerful" brass, and a "speedy" arrangement.[8] Its lyrics share a "hopeful" message to forget the past and welcome a new day.[8] "Je T'aime" is a cover of the song released by Hey in 2001.[9] The song was reinterpreted from the track's original "fresh and jazzy vibes" into a "colorful and classical arrangement".[10] The track includes a dance-like piano performance and has an "elegant string melody" that maximizes the "fantastic atmosphere" of it.[11] The lyrics are noted for "Joy's lovely confession with a sweet tone".[12] "Day By Day" is a remake of the song of the same name released in 1999 by the female duo As One.[13] The song is a medium-tempo R&B ballad song with a "groovy" bass rhythm and lyrical sound that "stimulates emotions".[13]

"If Only" featuring Paul Kim, is a remake of a song by singer Sung Si-kyung released in 2002.[14] It creates a "poignant and romantic atmosphere" with a band arrangement and soft flute performance. "Happy Birthday to You" is a medium tempo ballad remake of a song released by Kwon Jin Won in 1999.[15] with an acoustic sound-based arrangement, Joy's vocals "vividly express the happiness and excitement you feel on the way to celebrate your loved one's birthday".[15] "Be There for You" is a solo version of Toy's song released in 1996.[16] The track was reinterpreted into a retro synth-pop using a variety of keyboard instruments such as piano, synths, and melodies.[16]

Charts

Joy's special album "Hello" reached number one on the iTunes Album charts of 26 countries and entered the Top 5 of the US iTunes Album Chart.[17] Joy's title track "Hello" reached the Top 10 of the Gaon Digital Chart, with all 6 tracks from her special album debuting on the chart.[18] Joy's title track "Hello" also reached the Top 10 of Billboard's K-Pop Hot 100, with 5 tracks in total from her album also entering the chart.[19]

Chart performance for Hello
Chart (2021)Peak
position		Sales
South Korean Albums (Gaon)[20]4KOR: 148,874[21]
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[22]31JPN: 2363 (Phy.)[23]

Release history

Release history for Hello
RegionDateFormatLabel
VariousMay 31, 2021Digital download · streamingSM · Dreamus
South KoreaJune 3, 2021CD · cassette
August 30, 2021Vinyl LP

References

  1. ^ Chin, Carmen (May 17, 2021). "Red Velvet's Joy unveils details of upcoming solo album, 'Hello'". NME. Archived May 25, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
  2. ^ Lee, Min-ji (May 12, 2021). "SM 측 "레드벨벳 조이 리메이크 앨범 준비 중"(공식입장)" (in Korean). Newsen. Archived May 26, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  3. ^ Kim, Ye-na (May 17, 2021). "레드벨벳 조이, 31일 스페셜 앨범 발매…데뷔 첫 솔로 [공식입장]" (in Korean). X-sports News. Archived May 17, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  4. ^ Lee, Min-ji (May 26, 2021). "레드벨벳 조이, 더 사랑스러워진 소녀의 '쥬뗌므'[들어보고서]" (in Korean). Newsen. Archived May 26, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  5. ^ "[종합] 레드벨벳 조이, 솔로 데뷔 "리메이크 앨범, 밝은 에너지 전하고파"" (in Korean). Sports Donga. May 31, 2021. Archived June 2, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  6. ^ "Red Velvet's Joy goes retro in debut solo album". The Korea Herald. June 1, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  7. ^ Yeo, Gladys (June 1, 2021). "Red Velvet's Joy on the old-school sound of 'Hello': "I really like that retro vibe"". NME. Archived June 9, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  8. ^ Kwak, Hyun-soo (May 31, 2021). "레드벨벳 조이 '안녕' 들고 솔로 데뷔 (공식)" (in Korean). YTN. Archived May 25, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  9. ^ Kang, Da-yoon (May 21, 2021). "ko:'솔로 데뷔' 레드벨벳 조이, 수록곡 '쥬뗌므' 26일 선공개" ['Solo Debut' of Red Velvet's Joy, 'Je T'aime' will be Pre-released on the 26th] (in Korean). MyDaily. Archived June 5, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  10. ^ Hwang, Chae-hyun (May 21, 2021). "ko:조이, 스페셜 앨범 수록곡 '쥬뗌므' 26일 음원 선공개" [Joy's Special Album Song 'Je T'aime' will be Pre-released on the 26th] (in Korean). Sports Kyunghyang. Archived June 7, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  11. ^ Park, Seo-yeon (May 21, 2021). "ko:레드벨벳 조이, 26일 스페셜 앨범 수록곡 'Je T'aime' 음원 선공개" [Red Velvet's Joy Pre-released Song 'Je T'aime' from Her Special Album on the 26th] (in Korean). Herald POP. Archived June 7, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  12. ^ Park, Kyung-hee (May 21, 2021). "ko:레드벨벳 조이, 26일 'Je T'aime' 음원 선공개...러블리 티저 눈길" [Red Velvet's Joy, Pre-release of 'Je T'aime' on the 26th, Lovely Teaser Preview] (in Korean). Single List. Archived June 7, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  13. ^ Hwang, Ji-young (May 23, 2021). "조이가 부르는 '데이 바이 데이'" (in Korean). Isplus. Archived May 25, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  14. ^ "Joy - Hello" (in Korean). Melon. May 31, 2021. Archived May 26, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  15. ^ Park, Dong-jae (May 25, 2021). "레드벨벳 조이, 'Happy Birthday To You' 리메이크..상큼 비타민 보이스" (in Korean). BreakNews. Archived May 25, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  16. ^ Sun, Mi-kyung (May 22, 2021). "레드벨벳 조이, 토이 '그럴때마다' 리메이크..따뜻한 울림 선사" (in Korean). Osen. Archived May 25, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  17. ^ 김, 예나. "레드벨벳 조이, 31일 스페셜 앨범 발매…데뷔 첫 솔로 [공식입장]" (in Korean). entertain.naver.com. Retrieved 2021-09-10.
  18. ^ "국내 대표 음악 차트 가온차트!". Gaon Chart. Retrieved 2021-09-10.
  19. ^ "빌보드코리아(Billboard Korea)" (in Korean). billboard.co.kr. Archived from the original on March 29, 2022. Retrieved 2021-09-10.
  20. ^ "Gaon Album Chart – Week 23, 2021" (in Korean). Gaon Chart. Archived June 10, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  21. ^ "국내 대표 음악 차트 가온차트!". Gaon Chart. Retrieved 2021-09-10. * "Circle Album Chart – Week 33, 2022". Circle Chart. Korea Music Content Association. Retrieved August 18, 2022. * "Circle Album Chart – Week 35, 2022". Circle Chart. Korea Music Content Association. Retrieved August 31, 2022. * "Circle Album Chart – Week 39, 2022". Circle Chart. Korea Music Content Association. Retrieved September 22, 2022. * "Circle Album Chart - October 6, 2022". Circle Chart. Korea Music Content Association. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
  22. ^ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2021-06-21" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived June 16, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  23. ^ "2021년 상반기 일본에서 가장 많이 팔린 한국어앨범 순위.txt" (in Korean). 네이트판. Retrieved 2021-09-10.