Billed as the seventh mini-album from South Korean idols
Red Velvet
,
Cosmic
sees the girls celebrate their ten-year anniversary with a reflective, galactic-themed six-track, led as ever by their fierce chemistry and roster of talented vocalists. In a year where two-minute title tracks have become an industry norm, the project's title track, "Cosmic," is a refreshing return to normalcy; pining for a crash-landing love over its almost-four-minute runtime, the girls' latest TT gives them space to sculpt out the narrative, culminating in a joyous double-chorus ending led by
Wendy
's soaring bridge -- "I just can't say goodnight." With its unconventionally stellar chorus -- harmonies roll in and out of sync with a magnetic, insistent bassline -- and a Midsommar-inspired music video, the track is an instant
classic, and probably their best TT since "Psycho." In the wake of such a colossal title track, it'd be understandable if the project's B-sides felt slightly overshadowed, but there's plenty to love here. "Last Drop" and "Night Drive" deliver the more nocturnal side of the project, embodying late-night yearning with funk-pop grooves, breathy whole-group harmonies, and
's devoted "No one knows where a fading star goes¿ I'll fly light years to find you." Among the brighter moments, "Sunflower" stands as high as its titular bloom, elevating its listeners with a shouty, angular chorus of "ooh, wow, feeling so funny¿ you got me hypnotized." Alongside the romance and upbeat joy,
finds an extra touch of starlight in its sense of time and place;
Seulgi
's "¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿ / ¿¿¿ ¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿¿" ("On any dazzling night/I'll always be here") feels less like a lover's promise, and more like a tribute to the sisterhood
have shared since their formation. ~ David Crone