"Zimzalabim" () is a song recorded by South Korean girl group Red Velvet for their sixth Korean extended play '' The ReVe Festival: Day 1'', which acts as the first installment of the group's ''The ReVe Festival'' trilogy. Primarily an

EDM EDM or E-DM may refer to: Music * Electronic dance music * Early Day Miners, American band Science and technology * Electric dipole moment * Electrical discharge machining * Electronic distance measurement *Entry, Descent, and landing demonstrat ...

-influenced

electropop Electropop is a hybrid music genre combining elements of electronic and pop genres. Writer Hollin Jones has described it as a variant of synth-pop with heavy emphasis on its electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a re ...

track that resembles a "colorful

parade A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, float (parade), floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually ce ...

" and showcases an extravagant soundscape, the song was composed by production duo Caesar & Loui, Ollipop and

Hayley Aitken Hayley Michelle Aitken (born 11 April 1986) is an Australian pop singer-songwriter and record producer who also performs mononymously as Hayley. She had a top 40 hit on the ARIA Singles Chart with her second single, "Kiss Me Quick" (July ...

with Korean lyrics written by

lyricist A lyricist is a songwriter who writes lyrics (the spoken words), as opposed to a composer, who writes the song's music which may include but not limited to the melody, harmony, arrangement and accompaniment. Royalties A lyricist's income ...

Lee Seu-ran, which tells the listeners to "unfold a dream" that is "held deeply" in their heart. Accompanied by an

amusement park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...

-themed music video, it was released on June 19, 2019 by

SM Entertainment SM Entertainment Co., Ltd. () is a South Korean multinational entertainment agency. It is one of South Korea's largest entertainment companies where it was established in 1995 by record executive and record producer Lee Soo-man. The company ha ...

as the lead single for ''Day 1'', and subsequently the first single from '' The ReVe Festival'' trilogy. Upon its release, "Zimzalabim" polarized

music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...

over its "genre-hopping" composition. While some felt the song was a "downhill" from the group's previous experimenting tunes, others saw the song as a sonic roller coaster ride and praised its "energetic, anthemic" sound. It also attained moderate success, becoming their first lead single to miss the top ten 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 o ...

, peaking at number eleven, while earning Red Velvet their fourteenth consecutive top-ten entry on ''

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 advertise ...

World Digital Songs The World Digital Song Sales chart (formerly World Digital Songs) is a weekly record chart compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published by '' Billboard'' magazine. Established in 2010—with the issue dated January 23—as one of 21 genre-specific ...

chart. The song also marked the group's first chart appearance in

Oceania Oceania (, , ) is a region, geographical region that includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Spanning the Eastern Hemisphere, Eastern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres, Oceania is estimated to have a land area of ...

, peaking at number thirty-nine on ''New Zealand'' Hot Singles Chart.

Background and release

Following the release of their second Japanese extended play ''

Sappy "Sappy" is a song by the American rock band, Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist, Kurt Cobain. It was first released as a hidden track on the AIDS-benefit compilation album, ''No Alternative'', in October 1993. The song was released unde ...

'' on May, SM Entertainment shared the first preview of ''The ReVe Festival'' through social media accounts on June 4, 2019 The word "Zimzalabim" was revealed on June 8 to 9 through the videos posted on Red Velvet's official social media accounts. The group released a trailer video on June 10 which announced the full-scale start of ''The ReVe Festival'' through their

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

and

V Live V Live (stylized as VLIVE), sometimes referred to as V App, is a South Korean live video streaming service that allows celebrities based in the country to broadcast live videos such as live chat sessions with fans, performances, reality shows ...

channels. It was revealed that SM Entertainment chief producer

Lee Soo-man Lee Soo-man (, born 18 June 1952) is a South Korean business executive and record producer who is best known for being the founder of SM Entertainment, a multinational South Korean entertainment company based in Seoul. He has also been referred ...

has been holding the song for a while, but strongly suggested that the group was ready to pull the track off as a title song. The song had its official digital release on June 19, 2019, along with ''The ReVe Festival: Day 1''.

Composition

"Zimzalabim" was composed by Olof Lindskog, Daniel Caesar, Ludwig Lindell and

. In an email interview with ''

The Korea Herald ''The Korea Herald'' is a leading English-language daily newspaper founded in 1953 and published in Seoul, South Korea. The editorial staff is composed of Korean and international writers and editors, with additional news coverage drawn from int ...

'', Daniel Caesar and Ludwig Lindell under the name of Caesar & Loui revealed that the song was inspired by

Girls' Generation Girls' Generation (), also known as SNSD, is a South Korean girl group formed by SM Entertainment. The group is composed of eight members: Taeyeon, Sunny, Tiffany, Hyoyeon, Yuri, Sooyoung, Yoona, and Seohyun. Originally a nine-piece ensembl ...

's "

I Got a Boy ''I Got a Boy'' (stylized in all caps) is the fourth Korean studio album (sixth overall) by South Korean girl group Girls' Generation. It was released for digital download on January 1, 2013, by S.M. Entertainment, and was made available for p ...

". Musically, Tamar Herman of ''Billboard'' characterized "Zimzalabim" as an

song with "funky percussive melodies, tinny hip-hop chants, EDM dance breaks, and chill, groovy moments". It is composed in the

key Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...

F major F major (or the key of F) is a major scale based on F, with the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature has one flat. Its relative minor is D minor and its parallel minor is F minor F minor is a minor scale based on F, consis ...

, with a

tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...

of 128 beat-per-minute. Choi Young-joo of ''

No Cut News ''NoCut News'' is a daily newspaper run by South Korea's Christian Broadcasting System (기독교방송). Since November 2003, they have had a partnership with Central and Local News Media Networks(Over 30) for sharing of articles and photo conten ...

'' noted the "rhythmic drumming and cool melodies". In addition, Lee Jung-ho of ''Star News'' noted the song's unconventional style and frequent changes in genre. Lyrically, "Zimzalabim" talks about "breaking convention, reaching for your dreams, and letting a little bit of ''magic'' back into your life".

Music video

On June 10, 2019, the trailer video titled "Special Competition: RVF D-10", was uploaded through the Red Velvet's official

channel. On June 17, 2019, a 17-second video teaser for "Zimzalabim" was uploaded on the official

SM Town SM Town (stylized as SMTOWN) is a musical collective for the recording artists under South Korean entertainment company SM Entertainment. SM Town artists have performed at the annual SM Town Live world tours since the SM Town Live '08 Asia tour ...

channel. A final 19-second video teaser was uploaded the next day, and the music video for "Zimzalabim" was released on June 19, 2019. The music video is set in a fantastical amusement park, where they ride roller coasters through the skies, throw a tea party in a spinning teacup and perform the song alongside sentient instruments. Following the music video's release, writer Tamar Herman of ''Billboard'' described it as "a bright music video", further praising the video for "the song's mesmerizing choreography". Writer Puah Ziwei of ''NME'' noted the "energetic" music video. Emlyn Travis of Buzzfeed noted the video as "magical" referring to its "carnival rides, floating instruments, tea cups, and a hefty dose of fantasy".

Live performances

Red Velvet promoted the song on several music programs in South Korea including ''

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. ...

'', ''

Music Bank Music Bank may refer to: * ''Music Bank'' (TV program), a South Korean music program by KBS **''Music Bank World Tour The ''Music Bank'' World Tour is a worldwide live concert tour of South Korean music show ''Music Bank'' by the Korean Broad ...

'' and ''

Inkigayo ''Inkigayo'' ( ko, 인기가요; 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 p ...

''. The group received five music show trophies for the song. On June 22, 2019, Red Velvet has released methods of applying for the global dance cover campaign, "Zimzalabim In Public" through various official SNS accounts, as well as a focus cam by members with the highlight choreography of the new song, and the group dance shooting site. On June 25, 2019, a flash mob performance video, titled "ZIP.CODE : SEOUL" was uploaded to the SM Town official YouTube channel. About 500 people, including famous YouTube creators Na Ha-eun and Go Toe-kyung were part of the performance.

Critical reception

Following its initial release, "Zimzalabim" was met with mixed reviews from

. Tamar Herman of ''

'' magazine viewed the track as an "extravagant soundscape", adding it as a "genre-hopping song, which incorporates an addicting chorus". Writer Kim Do-hyun of ''

IZM ''IZM'' () is a South Korean online magazine that publishes pop music Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ...

'' described the track as "neither a meaningful experiment nor a significant point in Red Velvet's career". The music video was placed atop ''

BuzzFeed BuzzFeed, Inc. is an American Internet media, news and entertainment company with a focus on digital media. Based in New York City, BuzzFeed was founded in 2006 by Jonah Peretti and John S. Johnson III to focus on tracking viral content. Ken ...

''s list of "Best K-pop Music Videos of 2019", where it claimed that the video showcased everything "from dancing crystalline animals to boots that march on their own", labelling it as "a perfect example of how Red Velvet boldly pushes creative boundaries with grace, style, and a sprinkle of magic."

Commercial performance

"Zimzalabim" debuted at number 14 on the

and peaked at number 11 the following week. The song debuted at number 8 on the ''

K-pop Hot 100 The K-pop Hot 100 is a music singles chart in South Korea, launched by ''Billboard'' in conjunction with ''Billboard'' Korea () on August 25, 2011. It is the second Asian ''Billboard'' chart after the Japan Hot 100. The chart used the same multime ...

before reaching number 4 in its second week. It was later ranked at number 169 on the year-end Gaon Digital Chart for 2019. It became the group's fourteenth consecutive top-ten single on the

World Digital Song Sales The World Digital Song Sales chart (formerly World Digital Songs) is a weekly record chart compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published by '' Billboard'' magazine. Established in 2010—with the issue dated January 23—as one of 21 genre-specific s ...

chart, reaching number 10 three weeks after its release. Moreover, "Zimzalabim" reached the weekly chart in New Zealand, becoming their first entry on the latter chart.

Accolades

"Zimzalabim" received nominations for the

2019 Mnet Asian Music Awards The 2019 Mnet Asian Music Awards ceremony, organized by CJ E&M through its music channel Mnet, took place on December 5 at Nagoya Dome, Japan. It was the 21st ceremony and the one of the largest in the show's history, with more than 40,000 peopl ...

and the 9th

Gaon Chart Music Awards The Circle Chart Music Awards (), formerly known as the Gaon Chart Music Awards, are a major music awards ceremony that is presented annually in South Korea by the Korea Music Content Association primarily based on the commercial performance of t ...

. The song managed to receive five music program wins. The song also achieved two consecutive Melon Weekly Popularity Awards.

Usage in media

On January 15, 2020, ''

Trolls World Tour ''Trolls World Tour'' (often named as ''Trolls 2: World Tour'') is a 2020 American computer-animated musical comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Universal Pictures, based on the Good Luck Trolls dolls created by ...

'' used "Zimzalabim" in a trailer that was released by Thailand film distributor Major Group marking the appearance of Red Velvet in the film. On April 8, 2020 the film also used the song in the trailer released by South Korean

Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''The ReVe Festival: Day 1''. Studio * Recorded at SM Blue Cup Studio * Digital edited and engineered for mix at SM LYVIN Studio * Mixed at SM Blue Ocean Studio Personnel * Red Velvet (

Irene Irene is a name derived from εἰρήνη (eirēnē), the 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 Stat ...

Seulgi Seul-ki, also spelled Seul-gi or Sul-ki, is a Korean unisex given name, predominantly feminine. It was the 8th-most popular name for baby girls born in South Korea in 1990. Unlike most Korean names, it does not have any Sino-Korean vocabulary, Sin ...

Wendy Wendy is a given name now generally given to girls in English-speaking countries. In Britain, Wendy appeared as a masculine name in a parish record in 1615. It was also used as a surname in Britain from at least the 17th century. Its popularity ...

Joy The word joy refers to the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune, and is typically associated with feelings of intense, long lasting happiness. Dictionary definitions Dictionary definitions of joy typically include a sense of ...

Yeri Yeri may refer to: * Yeri, Cyprus * Yeri, Tajikistan *Yeri (singer) (born Kim Ye-rim, 1999), South Korean female singer, member of Red Velvet. *Yery Yeru or Eru (Ы ы; italics: ), usually called Y in modern Russian or Yery or Ery historic ...

) – vocals, background vocals * Lee Seu-ran – Korean lyrics * Olof Lindskog – original writer, composition, arrangement * Daniel Caesar – original writer, composition, arrangement * Ludwig Lindell – original writer, composition, arrangement *

– original writer, composition, background vocals * Kenzie – vocal director * Jeong Eui-seok – recording * Lee Ji-hong – digital editing, mixing engineer * Kim Chul-soon – mixing

Charts

Weekly charts

Monthly charts

Year-end charts

Release history

References

{{Red Velvet 2019 singles 2019 songs Songs in Korean Red Velvet (group) songs SM Entertainment singles Songs written by Hayley Aitken