Red Velvet's Irene and Seulgi drop sultry 'Monster' video, fans come up with 'lesbian vampire fiction' theory
Red Velvet's Irene and Seulgi have debuted as part of the group's first sub-unit with their mini-album 'Monster', which is accompanied by a sensual, sultry music video for the title track that has fans theorizing whether the duo is depicting a lesbian romance inspired by the 1872 gothic novella, 'Carmilla'.
Even before the video dropped, Red Velvet's fandom ReVeluv was tweeting up a storm based on teaser images that indicated the newly-formed sub-unit would be embracing a darker and more mature concept, much closer to the band's work on tracks like 'Bad Boy'. Following the official release of 'Monster', it appears these predictions were spot on, and fans are thrilled at how stunning the two members look in the cinematic music video.
Irene has long been known as the visual of Red Velvet. So it's not surprising that she's being hailed for her looks in this video as well. One fan tweeted, "Irene is the hottest, finest woman alive yes or yes?" while another declared, "THIS GIRL CAN'T BE REAL." But the idol's singing and dancing are also getting some well-deserved recognition this time around. "Irene's VOICE in this... WAAAAAAAAA," shared one fan, while another tweet read, "When we say Red Velvet is a group of vocalists, this is what we mean. Finally people realized Irene is a singer and not just a visual." Seulgi is widely known as one of the best dancers among K-pop girl groups, and in 'Monster' she shines as a dancer while also serving fans a big helping of some of her best looks to date. "KANG SEULGI U DROVE ME CRAZY ARGHHHH," tweeted one fan.
Overall, fans cannot stop marveling at how good both Irene and Seulgi look. One fan shared, "UHM EXCUSE ME MA'AM! YOU GUYS ARE TOO HOT AND IT'S VERY DISRESPECTFUL... HOLY S**T." Another said, "Visually attacked." Fans also praised the song's choreography, tweeting, "The choreography's formation reminds me of DBSK's 'Catch Me' hulk dance, it truly captures the essence of the song. The performance was really (fire) Can't wait to the full choreography," with some fans predicting, "If the performance video is uploaded it is OVER for us."
The mini-album overall is also getting praise from all corners. Apart from the gritty 'Monster', the mini-album also features the jazzy track 'Diamond', the sensual track 'Feel Good', and the far more playful 'Jelly'. A special vocal track, 'Uncover', also features on the record as a Seulgi solo.
As one fan shared, "This whole mini-album is so spicy I’m in love." But the track 'Naughty' is the one that has caught the fandom's attention the most, and it's the one track fans appear to be the most excited about following 'Monster'. 'Naughty' is the B-side track that will only be released digitally after the duo begins promotions for this comeback. One fan tweeted, "Okay if 'Naughty' by Red Velvet - Irene & Seulgi sounds like 'Greedy' by Ariana Grande then all hell is breaking loose cuz I can’t handle it anymore," while another eagle-eyed fan noted, "THOSE MV SCENES PPL TOOK PICS OF THEM FILMING WEREN'T IN THE MONSTER MV THEY HAVE TO BE FOR THE NAUGHTY MV AAAAAAHHH."
Predictions aside, fans are also heavily getting into the theory behind the 'Monster' video. In response to questions asking why the video seems to have such overt lesbian themes, one fan shared, "Monster's thematic inspiration draws heavily from the gothic novel Carmilla, widely known as the first works of vampire fiction, and yes, first lesbian vampire fiction." 'Carmilla', by Irish author Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, is widely regarded as one of the earliest works of vampire fiction, predating Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' by 26 years. The fan continued, "Irene's the vampire/monster wanting to steal Seulgi's heart by entering her dream." The fan adds that Seulgi's character meets the demon trying to devour her, Irene, in the dreamscape where the two engage in a fierce battle of chasing one another. "Does Seulgi escape the vampire's grasp?" asks the fan, concluding, "I'll leave it up to you to decide hehe."
In addition to the visual cues, the song's choreography and the styling of both Irene and Seulgi also match the themes of 'Carmilla', leaning heavily into Victorian looks and gothic architecture. Additionally, skull and candle motifs run throughout the video.
Some weren't fans of the theory, stating, "Y’all making this so deep I just be like: gay," while others loved the breakdown, tweeting, "This just gets more and more gay doesn't it DHUWEJNKEHGGFIWO WHAT AN AMAZING THEORY THOUGH IT RLLY DOES MAKE SENSE CHWJKF OMG VAMPIRE LESBIANS I KNEW IT I CALLED IT." Some, however, continued to shoot down the theory with statements like, "Or maybe...... its just lesbianism," but others loved the take on 'Carmilla' featuring two strong women, stating, "Empowered women we love to see it."