"Zimzalabim" (
Korean: 짐살라빔;
RR: Jimsallabim) is a song recorded by South Korean girl group
Red Velvet for their sixth Korean extended play The ReVe Festival: Day 1, 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 Billboard's
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.[5][6] The song had its official digital release on June 19, 2019, along with The ReVe Festival: Day 1.
"Zimzalabim" was composed by Olof Lindskog, Daniel Caesar, Ludwig Lindell and
Hayley Aitken.[1][7] 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".[5]
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.[8] Choi Young-joo of No Cut News noted the "rhythmic drumming and cool melodies".[6] 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".[1] Writer Puah Ziwei of NME noted the "energetic" music video.[12] Emlyn Travis of Buzzfeed noted the video as "magical" referring to its "carnival rides, floating instruments, tea cups, and a hefty dose of fantasy".[10]
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
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source
Rating
Y-Magazine
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".[1] 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 BuzzFeed's 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][20] The song debuted at number 8 on the BillboardK-pop Hot 100 before reaching number 4 in its second week.[21] It was later ranked at number 169 on the year-end Gaon Digital Chart for 2019.[22] 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.[23] Moreover, "Zimzalabim" reached the weekly chart in New Zealand, becoming their first entry on the latter chart.[24]
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.[34] On April 8, 2020 the film also used the song in the trailer released by South Korean
Universal Pictures.[35][36]
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of The ReVe Festival: Day 1.[37]
Studio
Recorded at SM Blue Cup Studio
Digital edited and engineered for mix at SM LYVIN Studio
^
abChoi, Young-joo (June 19, 2019).
레드벨벳, 중독성 강한 '짐살라빔'으로 '써머 퀸' 노린다 [Red Velvet is Aiming for 'Summer Queen' with its Addictive 'Zimzalabim']. No Cut News (in Korean).
Archived from the original on June 20, 2019. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
^Lee, Jung-ho (June 19, 2019).
레드벨벳, 중독성 甲 '짐살라빔'으로 서머퀸 노린다 [Red Velvet Aims for Summer Queen with Addictive 'Zimzalabim']. Star News (in Korean).
Archived from the original on February 27, 2021. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
^Kim, Joo-won (June 25, 2019).
레드벨벳, '짐살라빔' 주문 통했다..주간 음반 차트 1위 [Red Velvet's 'Zimzalabim' Orders are Up Number One on the Weekly Albums Chart]. Seoul Economy Daily (in Korean).
Archived from the original on February 5, 2020. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
^Woo, Bin (June 25, 2019).
레드벨벳, '짐살라빔' 초대형 군무 퍼포먼스 공개 [Red Velvet Reveals a Super Large Group Dance Performance for 'Zimzalabim']. TenAsia (in Korean).
Archived from the original on March 7, 2021. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
^Yoo, Byung-chul (June 26, 2019).
레드벨벳, 초대형 '짐살라빔' 군무 퍼포먼스 영상 화제 [Red Velvet's Mega-sized 'Zimzalabim' Group Dance Video has Become a Hot Topic]. Korea Economic Daily (in Korean).
Archived from the original on March 7, 2021. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
^Park, Bong-kyu (June 25, 2019).
레드벨벳 초대형 ‘짐살라빔’ 군무 퍼포먼스 공개 [Red Velvet's Super Large 'Zimzalabim' Group Dance Performance Revealed]. Kukmin Ilbo (in Korean).
Archived from the original on March 7, 2021. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
^Sun, Mi-kyung (July 7, 2019).
'인가' 레드벨벳, 1위 추가로 5관왕 달성..은지원⋅청하⋅(여자)아이들 컴백 [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] (in Korean).
Archived from the original on February 15, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
^Lee, So-dam (June 26, 2019).
'쇼챔피언' 레드벨벳, '짐살라빔' 컴백 첫 1위.."모든 행운 다 이뤄지길" [Red Velvet's 'Zimzalabim' Comeback First Win on Show Champion, "May all the luck come true."]. OSEN (in Korean).
Archived from the original on July 20, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
^Ha, Su-jeong (June 27, 2019).
'엠카' 레드벨벳, 출연없이 1위·2관왕..컴백 청하x(여자)아이들 [Red Velvet Wins First Place on 'M Countdown' With Two Wins Without Appearance, Chungha and (G)I-DLE's Comeback]. OSEN (in Korean).
Archived from the original on July 20, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
^Kim, Bo-ra (June 28, 2019).
'뮤직뱅크' 레드벨벳, 상반기 결산 1위 '3관왕'..청하・(여자)아이들 컴백 [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 (in Korean).
Archived from the original on July 20, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
^Lee, Ha-na (June 29, 2019).
'음악중심' 레드벨벳, 방탄소년단 제치고 1위 등극‥은지원 청하 컴백 [Red Velvet Beats BTS for First Place in 'Show! Music Core', Eun Ji-won and Chung-ha's Comeback]. Newsen (in Korean).
Archived from the original on July 21, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
^Ji, Yeon-joo (July 7, 2019).
'인기가요' 레드벨벳 '짐살라빔' 막방에 1위, 청하→은지원 컴백 [Red Velvet's 'Zimzalabim' Won First Place on 'Inkigayo', Chungha and Eun Ji-won's Comeback]. Newsen (in Korean).
Archived from the original on July 20, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
^Bae, Hyo-joo (April 8, 2020).
'트롤:월드투어' 레드벨벳이 왜 거기서 나와? K팝 담긴 예고편 [Why is Red Velvet Coming Out of 'Trolls World Tour'? K-Pop Trailer]. Newsen (in Korean).
Archived from the original on February 15, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
^Kim, Dong-yeok (April 8, 2020).
[영상] 트롤: 월드 투어, 'K-POP 트롤' 깜짝 등장에 이목 집중…"세상의 모든 음악이 쏟아진다" [[Video] Trolls World Tour, Surprise Appearance of 'K-Pop Trolls', "All the music in the world is pouring in."]. Consumer Times (in Korean).
Archived from the original on February 15, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
^The ReVe Festival: Day 1 (booklet) (in Korean).
Red Velvet. SM Entertainment. 2019.{{
cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (
link)
^2019년 07월 Digital Chart [July 2019 Digital Chart]. Gaon Music Chart (in Korean). July 2019.
Archived from the original on January 3, 2019. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
^곡 정보 - 짐살라빔 (Zimzalabim) [Song Information - Zimzalabim]. Melon (in Korean). June 19, 2019.
Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved January 17, 2021.