K-pop artists choose more restrained sounds for summer releases
Several K-pop artists are releasing summer songs this year with calmer, more atmospheric sounds instead of traditional energetic dance tracks. These releases use elements of bossa nova, reggae and jazz-pop, replacing pronounced drops with relaxed rhythms, Korea Herald reports.
Red Velvet's new approach
One example cited by the publication is Red Velvet's mini album “Velvet Summer” — the group's first seasonal release in eight years. Unlike the previous summer hits “Red Flavor” and “Power Up,” the lead track “Surfin’ Boy” combines bossa nova-style guitar, reggae rhythms and a restrained house groove.
In a Q&A session released by SM Entertainment before the EP's launch, Wendy explained that the group wanted to show a more mature and relaxed side of summer. Seulgi also noted that bossa nova immediately seemed to her like a genre that suited the voices of Red Velvet's members.
Bossa nova and soft guitars
Hearts2Hearts chose a similar direction in “Babysteps,” a track from its second EP, “Lemon Tang.” The song features bossa nova-inspired chord progressions combined with contemporary pop production. According to the publication, the EP's title track has a brighter summer sound.
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NCT Wish experimented with a similar aesthetic in the March track “Sticky,” a mid-tempo hip-hop dance song with bossa nova-style guitar lines. Fans chose the song as a more restrained option for summer listening.
In its summer single “Gimme Dat Love,” I-dle used warm guitar textures and a light groove, differing from the more energetic summer songs “Klaxon” and “Dumdi Dumdi.” In “Less than a Lover,” which Jennie said she wrote while thinking about summer, she combined lo-fi guitar and vintage electric keyboards that recreate the romance of a summer night.
Music critic Lim Hee-yun believes that the common feature of these releases is restraint: soft guitar timbres, relaxed rhythms, jazz harmonies and unobtrusive production. According to him, listeners are drawn to music that conveys not only the energy of summer but also its slower, atmospheric moments.
