A promotional teaser for Irene’s first full-length album, “Biggest Fan” / Courtesy of SM Entertainment
Irene of the girl group Red Velvet released her first full-length album, “Biggest Fan,” Monday.
The 10-track album is set for release at 6 p.m. across major streaming platforms, alongside a music video for the title track on SM Entertainment’s official YouTube channel, SMTOWN.
A special live broadcast marking the release is also being held on Irene’s YouTube channel and Red Velvet’s TikTok account, starting at 5 p.m.
The album arrives roughly 16 months after Irene’s solo debut mini-album, “Like A Flower.”
Irene said the album is about learning to believe in yourself.
“I wanted to convey the message that your own biggest fan is yourself,” she said in a press release.
“I felt that we become stronger when we trust and support ourselves — it’s something I wanted to say to my fans and to myself.”
She added she focused heavily on the album’s overall narrative, ensuring the tracks form a cohesive sequence from start to finish.
Among the 10 tracks, Irene singled out “Don’t Wanna Get Up” and “Million Miles Away” as personal favorites, describing them as pop songs with contrasting styles. She also pointed to “Love Can Make A Way” as an autobiographical track.
“It’s a song that carries a message from my past self to who I am now — one that holds both a sense of remorse and gratitude for everything I’ve been through,” she said.
On the title track’s choreography, Irene said the performance was crafted to fully convey the song’s mood and message.
“Rather than focusing on any one move, I hope people take in the performance as a whole,” she said, adding that she worked closely with her dancers during rehearsals to ensure their expressions and gestures are in sync.
Irene is also scheduled to embark on her first solo concert tour, though no dates or venues have been announced.
“I’m really looking forward to reconnecting with fans in different ways after such a long time,” she said, adding, “I hope to create many meaningful memories together in each city.”
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.