R ed Velvet has consistently proven you don’t need to be the biggest, most popular, or most widely known to be great. The group is approaching the tenth anniversary of their debut in August 2014, and have shown no sign of slowing down. As shown by their most recent album and the members’ solo projects, Red Velvet is determined to keep the project not just running, but rising to bigger and better levels of stardom.

The group debuted officially through SM Entertainment in 2014, though the groundwork started way back in 2007 when Seulgi was cast as an SM trainee. Over the next few years, other members joined the agency, and then launched to massive acclaim. Their first single “Happiness” and the follow-ups were successful enough to earn the girl group several Rookie of the Year awards. From that point on, Red Velvet would go on to dominate the Korean musical scene with multiple top-ten hits in their home country and countless fans across the globe.

Part of the reason Red Velvet has been able to stay relevant is their diverse set of genres and sounds they pull from while maintaining a consistent core identity. The group balances between their ‘Red’ concept, which represents their vivid, bold pop and electronic sound, and their ‘Velvet’ side, which leans more into R&B, ballad, and a generally more classy feel. Each of their songs falls into one or both of these concepts despite pulling from pop, rock, electronic, dance, a cappella, hip-hop, and R&B.

Over the past 10 years, the group has received 59 total awards and has been nominated for over 200. They’ve been recognized by the Asia Artist Awards, Genie Music Awards, Golden Disc Awards, Korean Music Awards, Melon Music Awards, Seoul Music Awards, Spotify Awards, and Teen Choice Awards, among many others (not to mention individual accolades). They’ve also been recognized by Forbes, MTV, and were even given a commendation from the South Korean Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism in 2018 in conjunction with their performance in Pyongyang in front of North Korean citizens and Kim Jung Un himself. In addition to their Korean performances, Red Velvet is one of the best-traveled K-pop groups and has played in Singapore, Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, USA, UK, Spain, and more. These women have shown that both K-pop and Red Velvet are truly forces to be reckoned with.

Throughout their decade of existence, Red Velvet have also been conscious about using their platform and popularity to boost social causes and advocate for others. From the get-go, the group made waves for breaking the typical stereotypes for girl groups to be either cute and innocent or sexy and sultry. Since their debut, numerous other girl groups have followed this example and have helped tear down many gender norms in Korean music. Additionally, the group has highlighted social and cultural issues such as stalking, LGBT+ issues, and mental health. Like most celebrities, there have been a few minor scandals and public outcries, but none of these issues have prevented Red Velvet from lifting others and becoming better.

The group has already announced plans to release a mini-album celebrating their anniversary later this year. When talking with fans in the Philippines, they mentioned a desire to take things at their own pace and avoid burning out or causing too much anxiety for themselves over maintaining the breakneck speeds most K-pop groups face. The way entertainers are treated and taken care of is of personal interest for the group, as they had to perform without one of their members for a year after Wendy was injured in a stage accident in 2019. While there are very few groups with the luxury of slowing their own schedules and intensity, hopefully this decision helps other artists push back against the demands they often face.

Throughout these many successes, Red Velvet have been sure to give back to their fans and thank ReVeluv for their support over the years. Fortunately those fans won’t need to worry about this tenth anniversary being their last, because Red Velvet seems poised to continue their dominance in the years to come.