RBB (Really Bad Boy)
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"RBB (Really Bad Boy)" is a song recorded by South Korean
girl group A girl group is a music act featuring two or more women in music, female singers who generally vocal harmony, harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female p ...
Red Velvet for their fifth Korean (eighth overall)
extended play An extended play (EP) is a Sound recording and reproduction, musical recording that contains more tracks than a Single (music), single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 1 ...
'' RBB'' (2018). Written by SM Entertainment songwriter Kenzie and
Sara Forsberg Sara Maria Forsberg (; born 2 May 1994), formerly known professionally as SAARA, Smo, Smoukahontas, or Smokahontas, is a Finnish singer, songwriter, YouTube personality, and television presenter. As a singer, Forsberg was signed to Capitol Reco ...
with production by Timothy 'Bos' Bullock and MZMC, "RBB (Really Bad Boy)" is primarily an "addictive" R&B and
dance-pop Dance-pop is a Music genre, genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit ra ...
song with influence from
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
and
hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
, with the lyrics expressing the charm of a "bad boy". /sup> It was released as the
lead single A lead single (or first single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. A similar term, "debut ...
from its eponymous extended play on November 30, 2018, by SM Entertainment and
Iriver Inc Dreamus is an electronics and entertainment company founded in 1999 originally as ReignCom. Currently headquartered in South Korea (and formerly in the United States), it is the parent company of South Korean-based iRiver, Astell & Kern and FL ...
as the distributor, along with an accompanying horror-themed
music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...
. Upon its release, "RBB" received mixed to positive reviews from music critics who deemed it "controversial" and "unfamiliar" to the public. The song however, gained compliments for its "unapologetic" boldness thanks to the group's experimental path. Domestically, it achieved moderate success in its native country, becoming their eleventh top-ten entry on
Gaon Digital Chart The Circle Digital Chart, previously known as the Gaon Digital Chart, is the music industry standard record chart ranking the 200 most popular singles in South Korea. It provides rankings on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis, which is based on ...
, while being a bigger success outside of their native country, peaking at number one on '' Billboard's'' World Digital Song Sales.


Background and release

Three months after the release of their second summer special release '' Summer Magic'',
SM Entertainment SM Entertainment Co., Ltd. () is a South Korean multinational entertainment agency established in 1995 by Lee Soo-man. It is one of South Korea's largest entertainment companies and has been responsible for fostering and popularizing the car ...
confirmed that Red Velvet would return in November with a new extended play, titled "RBB" on November 30, 2018, and its eponymous lead single title. During a ''
V Live V Live (stylized as VLIVE), sometimes referred to as V App, was a South Korean live video streaming service that allowed celebrities based in the country to broadcast live videos such as live chat sessions with fans, performances, reality show ...
'' broadcast, member
Yeri Yeri may refer to: * Yeri, Cyprus * Yeri, Tajikistan *Yeri (singer) (born Kim Ye-rim, 1999), South Korean singer, member of Red Velvet. *Yery Yeru or Eru (Ы ы; italics: ''Ы'' ''ы''), usually called Y in modern Russian language, ...
stated that the preparation for the album was longer than their other releases, while member
Seulgi Kang Seul-gi (; born February 10, 1994), known mononymously as Seulgi, is a South Korean singer and dancer. She is a member of the South Korean girl group Red Velvet (group), Red Velvet, its sub-unit Red Velvet – Irene & Seulgi, and the super ...
noted that the song would be "very different". Following a music video teaser uploaded one day prior, the song's music video was released on November 30, 2018, to coincide with the parental extended play's digital release.


Composition

"RBB (Really Bad Boy)" was composed and produced by SM Entertainment songwriter Kenzie, producer Timothy 'Bos' Bullock, singer-songwriter Sara Forsberg (known professionally as SAARA) and MZMC. In an interview with ''Balloon Days'', Bullock revealed that "RBB" was the last song to be composed during his 2-week writing camp at
Seoul, South Korea Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...
, without knowing "who the songs were going to end up going to". The demo version was originally guided by Bullock himself and co-composer Forsberg, with additional Korean lyrics written by Kenzie after. Originally recorded in Korean, an additional English version was also recorded and included as the sixth track of the extended play, marking the group's second song to be recorded in English following their earlier release "Bad Boy". Described "RBB" as the sequel to their previous single " Bad Boy", "RBB (Really Bad Boy) is an "addictive" R&B and dance-pop track with "
funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...
y beat and brassy
horn Horn may refer to: Common uses * Horn (acoustic), a tapered sound guide ** Horn antenna ** Horn loudspeaker ** Vehicle horn ** Train horn *Horn (anatomy), a pointed, bony projection on the head of various animals * Horn (instrument), a family ...
s", which draws influence from hip-hop and
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
music. It was their sixth single to follow the "Velvet" sonic concept. With a
tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for 'time'; plural 'tempos', or from the Italian plural), measured in beats per minute, is the speed or pace of a given musical composition, composition, and is often also an indication of the composition ...
of 150 beats-per-minute, "RBB" is a fast verse-chorus form song in the key of
D major D major is a major scale based on D (musical note), D, consisting of the pitches D, E (musical note), E, F♯ (musical note), F, G (musical note), G, A (musical note), A, B (musical note), B, and C♯ (musical note), C. Its key signature has two S ...
. According to producer Bullock, he "wanted to create something with lots of fun energy" which made the listeners "want to move", thus using 808's for the
bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...
of the song. The main melody was played by a
trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz musical ensemble, ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest Register (music), register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitche ...
and a
trombone The trombone (, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the Brass instrument, brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's lips vibrate inside a mouthpiece, causing the Standing wave, air c ...
, being one of the first songs produced by Bullock to use such elements. In addition, the bridge was said to take a heavy influence on R&B and jazz music, which "would be a good contrast and add dynamics to the song", said the producer. Lyrically, the song expresses the charm of a "bad boy" that attracts the girls' attention, no matter how all the other friends say. The group's vocals span from the low note B3 to the head voice note of D6 (D7 in exclamation, being the whistle/scream note by member Irene). Furthermore, the song is heavily ornamented with
melisma Melisma (, , ; from , plural: ''melismata''), informally known as a vocal run and sometimes interchanged with the term roulade, is the singing of a single syllable of text while moving between several different notes in succession. Music sung in ...
and vocal
harmonization In music, harmonization is the chordal accompaniment to a line or melody: "Using chords and melodies together, making harmony by stacking scale tones as triads". A harmonized scale can be created by using each note of a musical scale as a r ...
, all of which appeared throughout the song - from the intro to the last head run by member Wendy.


Promotion and music video

To promote "RBB", a video teaser containing excerpts of the song was released on November 28, 2018, 2 days before the actual release date. A day after, Red Velvet held a special ''V Live'' broadcast in which they introduced the preview of all the songs before performing a small part of the
choreography Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which Motion (physics), motion or Visual appearance, form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A chor ...
for "RBB". The group then performed the song live for the first time on the music program ''
Music Bank ''Music Bank'' () is a South Korean music program which airs every Friday at 17:15 KST on KBS2. the show is also broadcast in more than a hundred countries through KBS World. Episodes are filmed at the KBS New Wing Open Hall in Yeouido-dong, Ye ...
'', an hour before the official release time. It was then followed by performances on other music programs and year-end music awards, such as ''
Show! Music Core ''Show! Music Core'' (), or simply ''Music Core'' is a South Korean music television program broadcast by MBC. It airs live every Saturday at 15:30 (KST). The show features some of the latest and most popular artists who perform live on stage. I ...
'', ''
Inkigayo ''Inkigayo'' (; English title: ''The Music Trend'', previously ''Popular Song'') is a South Korean music program broadcast by SBS. It airs live every Sunday. The show features some of the latest and most popular artists who perform on stage. ...
,'' and ''The Fact Music Awards''. The music video for "RBB" was choreographed by Janelle Ginestra, Kaycee Rice and Choi Sun-hee, while being directed by director Oui Kim of GDW production team. whom had previously worked with labelmate NCT on several of their releases. The "whimsical, move-infused" video features a
Halloween Halloween, or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve), is a celebration geography of Halloween, observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christianity, Western Christian f ...
-theme consists of a werewolf as the main protagonist - "bad boy" of the video chasing and haunting the girls while they are looking to find out the werewolf as well. Choreography scenes are incorporated throughout the video between different retro-inspired and horror-theme sets, with one of them referring to the 1980 film '' The Shining'' as members
Irene Irene is a name derived from εἰρήνη (eirēnē), Greek for "peace". Irene, and related names, may refer to: * Irene (given name) Places * Irene, Gauteng, South Africa * Irene, South Dakota, United States * Irene, Texas, United States ...
and Yeri reprised the Grady twins image. In several scenes, a Howliwood (a wordplay on the verb "
howl Howl most often refers to: * Howling, an animal vocalization in many canine species * "Howl" (poem), a 1956 poem by Allen Ginsberg Howl or The Howl may also refer to: Film * '' The Howl'', a 1970 Italian film * ''Howl'' (2010 film), a 2010 Am ...
" and the famous
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...
billboard) sign can be seen up close in the background as well. Upon its release, the video received positive reacts from magazines and blogs such as ''Billboard'', ''
Idolator An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry. Idolator or Idolater may also refer to: * Idolator (website), an American music blog * ''Idolator'' (album), a 2005 album by Blood Stain Child * ''Idolator'', a 1986 album by Ole Evenrud * "Idolater", a ...
'' and ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
''. The "fun, creepy ascetic" video was regarded as a "
B-movie A B movie, or B film, is a type of cheap, low-budget commercial motion picture. Originally, during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood, this term specifically referred to films meant to be shown as the lesser-known second ...
schlock retrofitted to K-pop perfectionism", according to ''Forbes'' contributor Caitlin Kelley.


Critical reception

Following its release, "RBB (Really Bad Boy)" received generally mixed to positive reviews from international critics. Writer Mike Nied of ''
Idolator An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry. Idolator or Idolater may also refer to: * Idolator (website), an American music blog * ''Idolator'' (album), a 2005 album by Blood Stain Child * ''Idolator'', a 1986 album by Ole Evenrud * "Idolater", a ...
'' described the song as "the banger" that boasts "a fiercely danceable production" with a "sing-along chorus", while Chase McMullen of ''The 405'' chose the song as the "Track of the Day", praising it for upping "the ante on boisterous, feminist fun" from "Bad Boy", while still staying "in true Red Velvet fashion". In the same article for the video, Caitlin Kelley of ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
'' remarked that "As a whole, "RBB" is like if cocktail music became anthemic pop and then soundtracked a horror movie. The harmonies are complex, and vocal ad libs fill every nook and cranny of empty space". Crystal Bell of
MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
commented that while "RBB (Really Bad Boy)" is a song that really shouldn't work. It's a cacophony of sounds, rhythms, shrill ad-libs, complex harmonies, and a whole lot of brass" on the first listen, it was "unapologetically bold and loud" for a lead single that makes it "so unabashedly Red Velvet". She then concluded that with the group's "distinct vocal charms and tight harmonies, no two Red Velvet songs sound the same — and while "RBB" may be a divisive entry in the group's discography, you can't say it isn't 100 percent them". Writer Lo of ''Seoulbeats'' described the song as a track "bursting with hook", while applauding its "lighter harmonies". The song also received mixed reviews, however. In an EP review of writer Kelley Burridge on ''United K-Pop'', "RBB" was said to recall the group's previous hit " Dumb Dumb" with a "small let down of the chorus", though she later clarified that it wasn't "to say that the song is bad". In South Korea, writer Kim Sang-hwa of ''OhmyStar'' said the song received mixed reactions from the public but claimed that for those who follow the group and their music, this is normal for a Red Velvet release, that unpredictability is common for their title tracks and "RBB (Really Bad Boy)" is no exception. They added further that they're "controversial" because they're "unfamiliar", stating that they're welcome to those who are seeking something new.


Commercial performance

The song performed moderately at its home country. With only one day counted for charting, "RBB" debuted at number 26 on the
Gaon Digital Chart The Circle Digital Chart, previously known as the Gaon Digital Chart, is the music industry standard record chart ranking the 200 most popular singles in South Korea. It provides rankings on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis, which is based on ...
for the 48th week chart issue before moving up to number 10 where it peaked the following week, thus giving the group their eleventh top-ten entry on the chart. In addition, the song debuted at number 22 and eventually reached its peak position at number seven on ''Billboard'' Kpop Hot 100, marking their fifth top-ten entry on the chart.  "RBB" fared better on the US ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' World Digital Song Sales nonetheless, as the song became their first to atop the chart thanks to a total sell of 2,000 downloads in the US in the week ending December 6. Elsewhere, "RBB" peaked at number ninety-three on the
Japan Hot 100 The ''Billboard Japan'' Hot 100 is a record chart in Japan for songs. It has been compiled by ''Billboard Japan'' and Hanshin Contents Link since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at Billboard-japan.com ( JST) and every Thursday ...
chart.


Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''RBB''. Studio * Recorded at SM Blue Cup Studio * Recorded and engineered for mix at SM LYVIN Studio * Edited at doobdoob Studio * Mixed at SM Yellow Tail Studio Personnel * Red Velvet (
Irene Irene is a name derived from εἰρήνη (eirēnē), Greek for "peace". Irene, and related names, may refer to: * Irene (given name) Places * Irene, Gauteng, South Africa * Irene, South Dakota, United States * Irene, Texas, United States ...
,
Seulgi Kang Seul-gi (; born February 10, 1994), known mononymously as Seulgi, is a South Korean singer and dancer. She is a member of the South Korean girl group Red Velvet (group), Red Velvet, its sub-unit Red Velvet – Irene & Seulgi, and the super ...
,
Wendy Wendy is a given name generally given to girls in English-speaking countries. In Britain during the English Civil War in the mid-1600s, a male Captain Wendy Oxford was identified by the Leveller John Lilburne as a spy reporting on his activit ...
,
Joy Joy is the state of being that allows one to experience feelings of intense, long-lasting happiness and contentment of life. It is closely related to, and often evoked by, well-being, success, or good fortune. Happiness, pleasure, and gratitu ...
,
Yeri Yeri may refer to: * Yeri, Cyprus * Yeri, Tajikistan *Yeri (singer) (born Kim Ye-rim, 1999), South Korean singer, member of Red Velvet. *Yery Yeru or Eru (Ы ы; italics: ''Ы'' ''ы''), usually called Y in modern Russian language, ...
) – vocals, background vocals * Kenzie – original writer, Korean songwriter, composition *
Sara Forsberg Sara Maria Forsberg (; born 2 May 1994), formerly known professionally as SAARA, Smo, Smoukahontas, or Smokahontas, is a Finnish singer, songwriter, YouTube personality, and television presenter. As a singer, Forsberg was signed to Capitol Reco ...
– original writer, English songwriter, composition, background vocals * Timothy 'Bos' Bullock – original writer, composition, arrangement * MZMC – original writer, composition * Jeong Eui-seok – recording * Lee Ji-hong – recording, mixing engineer * Jang Woo-young – digital editing * Koo Jong-pil – mixing


Charts


Weekly charts


Release history


References

{{Red Velvet songs 2018 singles 2018 songs Songs in Korean Red Velvet (group) songs SM Entertainment singles Songs written by Kenzie (songwriter)