Zimzalabim Explained

Zimzalabim
Type:single
Artist:Red Velvet
Language:Korean
Released:June 19, 2019
Recorded:2019
Studio:SM Studio Center, Seoul, South Korea
Genre:
Length:3:10
Label:
Lyricist:Lee Seu-ran
Prev Title:Close To Me (Remix)
Prev Year:2019
Next Title:Umpah Umpah
Next Year:2019

"Zimzalabim" is a song recorded by South Korean girl group Red Velvet for their sixth Korean extended play , which acts as the first installment of the group's The ReVe Festival trilogy. Primarily an EDM-influenced electropop track that resembles a "colorful parade" and showcases an extravagant soundscape, the song was composed by production duo Caesar & Loui, Ollipop and Hayley Aitken with Korean lyrics written by lyricist Lee Seu-ran, which tells the listeners to "unfold a dream" that is "held deeply" in their heart. Accompanied by an amusement park-themed music video, it was released on June 19, 2019 by SM Entertainment as the lead single for Day 1, and subsequently the first single from The ReVe Festival trilogy.[1]

Upon its release, "Zimzalabim" polarized music critics 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, peaking at number eleven, while earning Red Velvet their fourteenth consecutive top-ten entry on Billboards World Digital Songs chart. The song also marked the group's first chart appearance in Oceania, peaking at number thirty-nine on New Zealand Hot Singles Chart.

Background and release

Following the release of their second Japanese extended play Sappy on May, SM Entertainment shared the first preview of The ReVe Festival through social media accounts on June 4, 2019[2] The word "Zimzalabim" was revealed on June 8 to 9 through the videos posted on Red Velvet's official social media accounts.[3] The group released a trailer video on June 10 which announced the full-scale start of The ReVe Festival through their YouTube and V Live channels.[4] It was revealed that SM Entertainment chief producer Lee Soo-man 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 Hayley Aitken.[5] In an email interview with The Korea Herald, Daniel Caesar and Ludwig Lindell under the name of Caesar & Loui revealed that the song was inspired by Girls' Generation's "I Got a Boy".[6]

Musically, Tamar Herman of Billboard characterized "Zimzalabim" as an electropop song with "funky percussive melodies, tinny hip-hop chants, EDM dance breaks, and chill, groovy moments". It is composed in the key of F major, with a tempo of 128 beat-per-minute.[7] Choi Young-joo of No Cut News noted the "rhythmic drumming and cool melodies".[8] In addition, Lee Jung-ho of Star News noted the song's unconventional style and frequent changes in genre.[9] Lyrically, "Zimzalabim" talks about "breaking convention, reaching for your dreams, and letting a little bit of magic back into your life".[10]

Music video

On June 10, 2019, the trailer video titled "Special Competition: RVF D-10", was uploaded through the Red Velvet's official YouTube channel.[11] On June 17, 2019, a 17-second video teaser for "Zimzalabim" was uploaded on the official SM Town 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.[12] 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, Music Bank and Inkigayo.[13] 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.[14] On June 25, 2019, a flash mob performance video, titled "ZIP.CODE : SEOUL" was uploaded to the SM Town official YouTube channel.[15] About 500 people, including famous YouTube creators Na Ha-eun and Go Toe-kyung were part of the performance.[16]

Critical reception

Following its initial release, "Zimzalabim" was met with mixed reviews from music critics. Tamar Herman of Billboard 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 described the track as "neither a meaningful experiment nor a significant point in Red Velvet's career".[17] The music video was placed atop BuzzFeeds 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."[18]

Commercial performance

"Zimzalabim" debuted at number 14 on the Gaon Digital Chart and peaked at number 11 the following week.[19] The song debuted at number 8 on the Billboard K-pop Hot 100 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 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 and the 9th Gaon Chart Music Awards.[20] The song managed to receive five music program wins.[21] The song also achieved two consecutive Melon Weekly Popularity Awards.

Year! scope="col"
Organization AwardResult
2019Mnet Asian Music AwardsBest Dance Performance (Female Group)
Song of the Yearalign="center"
2020Gaon Chart Music AwardsSong of the Year – June[22]
Music program awards
ProgramDateclass=unsortable
Show ChampionJune 26, 2019[23]
M Countdown June 27, 2019[24]
Music Bank June 28, 2019[25]
Show! Music Core June 29, 2019[26]
Inkigayo June 30, 2019[27]
Melon Popularity Award! Award! Date!
Weekly Popularity AwardJuly 1, 2019[28]
July 8, 2019

Usage in media

On January 15, 2020, Trolls World Tour used "Zimzalabim" in a trailer that was released by Thailand film distributor Major Group marking the appearance of Red Velvet in the film.[29] On April 8, 2020 the film also used the song in the trailer released by South Korean Universal Pictures.[30] [31]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of The ReVe Festival: Day 1.[32]

Studio

Personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance
Chart (2019)Peak
position
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[33] 39
Singapore Regional (RIAS)[34] 18
South Korea (Gaon)[35] 11
South Korea (K-pop Hot 100)[36] 4
US World Digital Songs (Billboard)[37] 10

Year-end charts

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Zimzalabim"!Region!Date!Format!Label!
VariousJune 19, 2019[40]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Herman. Tamar. June 19, 2019. Red Velvet Take a Magical Ride in 'Zimzalabim' Video: Watch. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200227175220/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/international/8516669/red-velvet-zimzalabim-video. February 27, 2020. December 2, 2019. Billboard.
  2. Web site: June 4, 2019. Red Velvet Comeback! 'The ReVe Festival' will be held in 2019!. July 11, 2020. SM Entertainment.
  3. Web site: Red Velvet, a new mini-album title song 'Zimzalabim' intense addictive notice!. 2021-02-28. www.smentertainment.com.
  4. News: 레드벨벳, '짐살라빔 (Zimzalabim)'으로 컴백.
  5. Web site: Yim. Hyun-su. June 20, 2019. Red Velvet is back with new electropop single "Zimzalabim". live. https://web.archive.org/web/20190620171413/http://kpopherald.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=201906201439077282337_2. June 20, 2019. January 6, 2020. K-Pop Herald. The Korea Herald.
  6. Web site: Yim. Hyun-su. July 16, 2019. Meet songwriting duo behind Red Velvet's 'Zimzalabim'. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20190716225255/http://kpopherald.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=201907161522181448660_2. July 16, 2019. December 2, 2019. K-Pop Herald. The Korea Herald.
  7. Web site: BPM and Key for Zimzalabim by Red Velvet Tempo for Zimzalabim songbpm.com. 2021-02-27. songbpm.com.
  8. News: Choi. Young-joo. June 19, 2019. ko:레드벨벳, 중독성 강한 '짐살라빔'으로 '써머 퀸' 노린다. ko. Red Velvet is Aiming for 'Summer Queen' with its Addictive 'Zimzalabim'. No Cut News. https://www.nocutnews.co.kr/news/5169599. live. February 27, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20190620130939/https://www.nocutnews.co.kr/news/5169599. June 20, 2019.
  9. News: Lee. Jung-ho. June 19, 2019. ko:레드벨벳, 중독성 甲 '짐살라빔'으로 서머퀸 노린다. ko. Red Velvet Aims for Summer Queen with Addictive 'Zimzalabim'. Star News. https://star.mt.co.kr/stview.php?no=2019061913132633916. live. February 27, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210227091759/https://star.mt.co.kr/stview.php?no=2019061913132633916. February 27, 2021.
  10. Web site: Travis. Emlyn. June 20, 2019. K-Pop Queens Red Velvet Just Put Out The Song Of The Summer And I Think I'm In Love. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20190621120504/https://www.buzzfeed.com/emlyntravis/red-velvet-zimzalabim-kpop. June 21, 2019. February 14, 2021. BuzzFeed.
  11. News: 레드벨벳, 중독성 가득 '짐살라빔' 19일 공개.
  12. Web site: 2019-06-19. Watch the dizzying video for Red Velvet's new single 'Zimzalabim'. 2021-02-14. NME Music, Film, TV, Gaming & Pop Culture News. en-GB.
  13. News: Kim. Joo-won. June 25, 2019. ko:레드벨벳, '짐살라빔' 주문 통했다..주간 음반 차트 1위. ko. Red Velvet's 'Zimzalabim' Orders are Up Number One on the Weekly Albums Chart. Seoul Economy Daily. live. January 6, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200205061152/https://www.sedaily.com/NewsView/1VKJYGXJ08. February 5, 2020.
  14. News: Woo. Bin. June 25, 2019. ko:레드벨벳, '짐살라빔' 초대형 군무 퍼포먼스 공개. ko. Red Velvet Reveals a Super Large Group Dance Performance for 'Zimzalabim'. TenAsia. https://tenasia.hankyung.com/topic/article/2019062565304. live. March 7, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210307102034/https://tenasia.hankyung.com/topic/article/2019062565304. March 7, 2021.
  15. News: Yoo. Byung-chul. June 26, 2019. ko:레드벨벳, 초대형 '짐살라빔' 군무 퍼포먼스 영상 화제. ko. Red Velvet's Mega-sized 'Zimzalabim' Group Dance Video has Become a Hot Topic. Korea Economic Daily. https://news.wowtv.co.kr/NewsCenter/News/Read?articleId=A201906260284&t=NN. live. March 7, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210307102545/https://news.wowtv.co.kr/NewsCenter/News/Read?articleId=A201906260284&t=NN. March 7, 2021.
  16. News: Park. Bong-kyu. June 25, 2019. ko:레드벨벳 초대형 ‘짐살라빔’ 군무 퍼포먼스 공개. ko. Red Velvet's Super Large 'Zimzalabim' Group Dance Performance Revealed. Kukmin Ilbo. http://news.kmib.co.kr/article/view.asp?arcid=0013427103&code=61181111&cp=nv. live. March 7, 2021. https://archive.today/20210307104120/http://news.kmib.co.kr/article/view.asp?arcid=0013427103&code=61181111&cp=nv. March 7, 2021.
  17. Web site: Kim. Do-heon. June 2019. 'The ReVe Festival' Day 1 Review. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20190628171858/http://izm.co.kr/contentRead.asp?idx=29683&bigcateidx=1&subcateidx=3&view_tp=1. June 28, 2019. February 13, 2021. IZM. ko.
  18. Web site: January 1, 2020. Best K-pop Music Videos of 2019. January 1, 2020. BuzzFeed.
  19. Web site: ko:2019년 25주차 Digital Chart . 2019, Week 25 Digital Chart . February 15, 2021 . . ko.
  20. Web site: 2019 MAMA Nominees. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20191031024633/http://mama.mwave.me/en/nominees. October 31, 2019. February 15, 2021. Mwave.
  21. News: Sun. Mi-kyung. July 7, 2019. ko:'인가' 레드벨벳, 1위 추가로 5관왕 달성..은지원⋅청하⋅(여자)아이들 컴백. ko. Red Velvet has Five Music Program Wins in Addition to Winning the First Place on 'Inkigayo', Eun Ji-won, Chung-ha, and (G)I-DLE Comeback. live. February 15, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210215054536/https://osen.mt.co.kr/article/G1111180812. February 15, 2021.
  22. Web site: November 1, 2019. 9th Gaon Chart Music Awards Song of the Year Nominees. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20191125044559/http://gaonmusicawards.com/sub.php?sub=3&ti=1. November 25, 2019. December 6, 2019. Gaon Chart Music Awards. ko.
  23. News: Lee. So-dam. June 26, 2019. ko:'쇼챔피언' 레드벨벳, '짐살라빔' 컴백 첫 1위.."모든 행운 다 이뤄지길". ko. Red Velvet's 'Zimzalabim' Comeback First Win on Show Champion, "May all the luck come true.". OSEN. live. July 20, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190720090240/http://www.osen.co.kr/article/G1111172673. July 20, 2019.
  24. News: Ha. Su-jeong. June 27, 2019. ko:'엠카' 레드벨벳, 출연없이 1위·2관왕..컴백 청하x(여자)아이들. ko. Red Velvet Wins First Place on 'M Countdown' With Two Wins Without Appearance, Chungha and (G)I-DLE's Comeback. OSEN. live. July 20, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190720090244/http://osen.mt.co.kr/article/G1111173639. July 20, 2019.
  25. News: Kim. Bo-ra. June 28, 2019. ko:'뮤직뱅크' 레드벨벳, 상반기 결산 1위 '3관왕'..청하・(여자)아이들 컴백. ko. Red Velvet Wins First Place on 'Music Bank' for the First Half of the Year with 'Three Wins', Chungha and (G)I-DLE's Comeback. OSEN. live. July 20, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190720090240/http://www.osen.co.kr/article/G1111174503. July 20, 2019.
  26. News: Lee. Ha-na. June 29, 2019. ko:'음악중심' 레드벨벳, 방탄소년단 제치고 1위 등극‥은지원 청하 컴백. ko. Red Velvet Beats BTS for First Place in 'Show! Music Core', Eun Ji-won and Chung-ha's Comeback. Newsen. live. July 20, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190721021632/http://www.newsen.com/news_view.php?uid=201906291551262510. July 21, 2019.
  27. News: Ji. Yeon-joo. July 7, 2019. ko:'인기가요' 레드벨벳 '짐살라빔' 막방에 1위, 청하→은지원 컴백. ko. Red Velvet's 'Zimzalabim' Won First Place on 'Inkigayo', Chungha and Eun Ji-won's Comeback. Newsen. live. July 20, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190720090828/https://www.newsen.com/news_view.php?uid=201907071540461110. July 20, 2019.
  28. Web site: Melon Weekly Popularity Award. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20190712233720/https://www.melon.com/melonaward/weekAward.htm. July 12, 2019. May 16, 2020. Melon. ko.
  29. Herman. Tamar. January 16, 2020. Red Velvet to Help Save the Troll Music World in 'Trolls World Tour'. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200311225213/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/international/8548271/red-velvet-to-help-save-the-troll-music-world-in-trolls-world. March 11, 2020. February 14, 2021. Billboard.
  30. News: Bae. Hyo-joo. April 8, 2020. ko:'트롤:월드투어' 레드벨벳이 왜 거기서 나와? K팝 담긴 예고편. ko. Why is Red Velvet Coming Out of 'Trolls World Tour'? K-Pop Trailer. Newsen. live. February 15, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210215033328/https://www.newsen.com/news_view.php?uid=202004080814326710. February 15, 2021.
  31. News: Kim. Dong-yeok. April 8, 2020. ko:[영상] 트롤: 월드 투어, 'K-POP 트롤' 깜짝 등장에 이목 집중…"세상의 모든 음악이 쏟아진다". ko. [Video] Trolls World Tour, Surprise Appearance of 'K-Pop Trolls', "All the music in the world is pouring in.". Consumer Times. live. February 15, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210215034153/http://www.cstimes.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=409288. February 15, 2021.
  32. The ReVe Festival: Day 1. Red Velvet. SM Entertainment. ko. 2019. booklet.
  33. Web site: 29 June 2019. Hot 40 Singles Chart – The Week of July 1, 2019. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20190628222909/https://nztop40.co.nz/chart/hotsingles?chart=4660. June 28, 2019. February 14, 2021. Official New Zealand Music Chart.
  34. Web site: Singapore Top 30 Regional Streaming Chart Week 27. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20190713010815/https://www.rias.org.sg/rias-top-charts/. July 13, 2019. December 27, 2019. Recording Industry Association (Singapore).
  35. Web site: ko:2019년 26주차 Digital Chart. 2019, Week 26 Digital Chart. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20190915081447/http://gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/chart/online.gaon?nationGbn=T&serviceGbn=ALL&targetTime=26&hitYear=2019&termGbn=week. September 15, 2019. July 4, 2019. Gaon Music Chart. Gaon Music Chart. ko.
  36. June 29, 2019. Billboard K-Pop 100 Chart – The Week of June 29, 2019. subscription. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210203023841/https://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-korea-100/2019-06-29. February 3, 2021. July 25, 2019. Billboard.
  37. July 6, 2019. World Digital Song Sales – The Week of July 6, 2019. subscription. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20190808004901/https://www.billboard.com/charts/world-digital-song-sales/2019-07-06. August 8, 2019. July 4, 2019. Billboard.
  38. Web site: July 2019. ko:2019년 07월 Digital Chart. July 2019 Digital Chart. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20190103060032/http://gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/chart/online.gaon?nationGbn=T&serviceGbn=ALL&targetTime=07&hitYear=2019&termGbn=month. January 3, 2019. January 29, 2021. Gaon Music Chart. ko.
  39. Web site: ko:2019년 Digital Chart. 2019 Digital Chart. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210108064350/http://www.gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/chart/online.gaon?nationGbn=T&serviceGbn=ALL&targetTime=2019&hitYear=2019&termGbn=year&year_time=3. January 8, 2021. January 8, 2021. Gaon Music Chart. ko.
  40. Web site: June 19, 2019. ko:곡 정보 - 짐살라빔 (Zimzalabim). Song Information - Zimzalabim. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210117100215/https://www.melon.com/song/detail.htm?songId=31872859. January 17, 2021. January 17, 2021. Melon. ko.

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