Red Velvet is a weird group. I mean that in the best way possible. Usually, when K-pop groups find a "winning formula," they milk it until the wheels fall off. Not them. In 2016, right when they were hitting a massive stride with "Dumb Dumb," they decided to drop One of These Nights, a song so slow and mournful it felt like a total 180. Honestly, people were confused. The "Velvet" side of their brand—the smooth, R&B, moody half—was always there, but this was something else entirely. It wasn't just a ballad; it was a statement.
Most fans today look back at it as a legendary era, but at the time? It was a gamble. SM Entertainment delayed the music video release by a day to "improve the quality," which in the K-pop world is basically code for "we’re panicking." But when that video finally landed, it didn't just showcase five girls singing. It felt like a fever dream. It felt heavy.
The Velvet Side That No One Expected
The song itself, "7wol 7il" (July 7th) in Korean, refers to the Chilseok festival. This is the one day a year when the lovers Jiknyeo and Gyeonwu are allowed to meet across the Milky Way. It's a bittersweet story. But for Red Velvet, One of These Nights became something much larger than a folk tale. It was the moment they stopped being just "idols" and started being "artists" in the eyes of many critics.
Wendy’s opening lines are haunting. There’s no heavy drum beat. No flashy synth. Just a piano and a lot of empty space. In a genre that usually fights for your attention every millisecond, this song asks you to sit still. It’s uncomfortable for some. It’s also brilliant.
What's really fascinating is how the song functions as a bridge. Before this, "Be Natural" and "Automatic" had established the R&B vibe, but they were cool and detached. One of These Nights is warm, wet, and sad. It’s the difference between a sleek lounge and a rainy windowpane.
Why the Sewol Ferry Theories Won't Go Away
You can't talk about this song without talking about the Sewol Ferry tragedy. SM Entertainment never officially confirmed it. They likely never will. But the imagery in the music video is so specific that fans and researchers have spent years dissecting it.
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Think about it. You have Yeri—the youngest—sitting in a room that slowly fills with water. You have Seulgi looking through a keyhole and seeing Wendy in a hallway drenched in blue light. There’s the paper boat. There’s the imagery of the girls being trapped while the water rises.
- Joy is often seen as the survivor in these theories, the one wearing yellow (the color of the Sewol remembrance ribbons).
- The date "July 7th" is also interpreted through the lunar calendar, adding layers to the "waiting to meet again" theme.
Whether it was an intentional tribute or a subconscious reflection of a nation’s collective trauma, it gave the song a weight that few K-pop tracks ever achieve. It turned a comeback into a memorial.
Musically, It’s a Total Flex
Let's get nerdy for a second. Most K-pop songs follow a very strict verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus structure. One of These Nights plays with that. The chord progressions are complex. They use jazz-influenced harmonies that most groups wouldn't touch because they're incredibly hard to sing live.
I remember watching the live stages during that era. The girls looked exhausted. Not just because of the schedule, but because the emotional labor of that song is high. You can’t just "perform" it; you have to feel it.
Irene’s rap—or rather, her spoken-word rhythmic section—is often criticized in their dance tracks, but here? It works perfectly. It’s soft. It’s a whisper. It’s the sound of someone talking to themselves in the dark.
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The Reception: A "Flop" That Became a Classic
Was it a hit? Well, compared to "Red Flavor," no. It didn't top every chart for months. It didn't become a viral dance challenge. How could it? You can’t exactly do a TikTok dance to a song about soul-crushing longing.
But it did something better. It solidified the "Velvet" concept as something intellectual. It told the industry that Red Velvet wasn't just there to give you earworms. They were there to give you moods.
Interestingly, the The Velvet EP (the mini-album this song came from) features three different remixes of the title track. Usually, remixes are filler. Here, they feel like alternate dimensions. The "De-Capo Version" is stripped back, while the "Joe Millionaire Post-Modern Mix" is... well, it’s a trip. It shows that the producers knew they had a melody that could survive any genre.
Why We Are Still Talking About It in 2026
K-pop moves fast. A song from 2016 should be ancient history. But One of These Nights has this timeless quality. It doesn't use the trendy EDM drops of its era, so it hasn't aged a day. If it dropped tomorrow, it would still sound fresh.
It also represents a lost art form in the idol world: the mid-tempo ballad that actually means something. These days, groups often stick to "vibe" music or high-octane performance tracks. We don't get many "One of These Nights" anymore.
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When you listen to it now, you hear the precursors to songs like "Psycho" or "Feel My Rhythm." It gave the group the confidence to be "weird." It allowed them to explore classical influences and darker themes without losing their identity.
Digging Into the Visual Narrative
The director of the music video, Shin Hee-won, is a genius. Period. The way the camera moves through the different rooms—which feel like different compartments of a ship or a house—is claustrophobic.
One of the most striking shots is Seulgi trying to open a door while the others are on the "outside" in the clouds. It’s a visual representation of grief. You’re in the same world as everyone else, but you’re behind a glass wall. You can see them, but you can’t touch them.
The color palette is also insane. Deep blues, muted purples, and that sudden flash of emergency-flare red. It’s cinematic.
Actionable Takeaways for the Casual Listener
If you’ve only ever heard "Bad Boy" or "Peek-A-Boo," you’re missing half of the story. Here is how to actually experience this era properly:
- Watch the "Piano Version" live performances. You can find these on YouTube from their various music show appearances. It strips away the backing track and proves that Red Velvet is one of the most vocally competent groups in the history of the genre.
- Listen to the full EP. Don't just stop at the title track. Songs like "Cool Hot Sweet Love" are arguably some of the best B-sides in K-pop history. They blend that smooth R&B with a slightly more upbeat rhythm that bridges the gap between "Red" and "Velvet."
- Read the lyrics. Don't just rely on the vibe. The lyrics are about the pain of waiting for a reunion that might never happen. It changes how you hear the melody.
- Look for the hidden details. Watch the music video on a big screen. Notice the placement of the candles. Notice who is looking at the camera and who isn't. It’s a puzzle.
Red Velvet's One of These Nights isn't a song you put on at a party. It’s a song you put on when it’s 2:00 AM, it’s raining, and you’re feeling a little bit philosophical. It’s a reminder that even in the high-gloss world of pop music, there is room for soul, for sadness, and for a little bit of mystery. It remains, arguably, the bravest thing they’ve ever done.
Next time you’re scrolling through a "Best K-pop Songs" list and you see it ranked lower than their more upbeat hits, just know that those people aren't listening closely enough. Some songs are meant to be danced to, but others are meant to be lived in. This is definitely the latter.