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[6.88]

Madeleine Lee: Fuck the racist-ass choreography that contextualizes the racist-ass whooping noise just before the chorus drops, a move that’s mercifully been left out from the MV. It’s a shame, too, because otherwise the live version is an improvement on the recording — not just because stage HyunA always > > > studio HyunA, but because simply pruning the weirdly long pause and the second repeat of the prechorus keeps this song rolling along like the tank it is, an ideal vehicle for HyunA’s charismatic performance. For such a careful branding attempt (she says her name 26 times in this song, including the spelling), you’d think the edit would have been considered earlier, but given the whooping, a lack of forethought isn’t much of a surprise.
[7]

Alfred Soto: The admixture of Middle Eastern melodies, Shakira chants, and K-Pop vocal oscillations is dizzying. Do they wanna touch? Yeah!
[6]

Jessica Doyle: “I want Hyuna to become a brand,” she’s said. K-pop is an industry where the construction of personae is blatant and shared — performers, companies, fans, even haters get to join in — and “Red” not only illustrates but celebrates the whole process. Check the lyrics: she’s not claiming to be sexy in the bedroom; she’s claiming to be sexy on stage. “Don’t leave me, I’m the only one here,” she sings wistfully, in the middle of a crowded set, in the midst of her backup dancers. (See this performance, where she takes the opportunity to address her fans directly, on that line.) And then, gleefully, “I could change right now!”, simultaneously a reference to the artificiality of the whole performance and a possible callback to her debut single. The overt creation of Brand Hyuna leaves, surprisingly, some wiggle room — whether you choose to believe that the “real” Hyuna is a sex kitten or a goofy potential friend or a self-aware combination of the two, you can see the gap between that hidden (as is her right) “real” self and her work on stage. The song itself reminds me of CL’s “The Baddest Female“, and while that’s a better song — I hear “Red” and then my brain immediately switches to CL chanting “Never say sorry” — and the two videos are about even on the cultural-appropriation front, “Red” serves its intended purpose better.
[5]

Patrick St. Michel: “A monkey’s butt is red,” goes the first line of the chorus, followed by a hearty “what?” as if the song itself doesn’t get what’s going on. It’s a play on a Korean nursery rhyme, but given the whirlwind nature of “Red” — and most of HyunA’s better moments — taking a moment to try to figure what the hell is going on seems appropriate. She’s never going to reach the heights of “Bubble Pop!” again, but this is still a whirring mix of EDM/trap hallmarks and pop sensibility, and one that’s fun to get thrown around by.
[7]

Micha Cavaseno: Sauciness dripping with an excessively rich sonic palette that often threatens to overload in obnoxious nagging. Almost all the best of HyunA’s work has a bratty edge that seems to skate closer and closer to pushing over the edge, and here’s no different. The synths buzz and sirens whirl like the soundtrack of the exact minute you realize that a Chuck E Cheese is the closest thing to a physical Hell on Earth once you age into that second digit zone. And that breakdown sounds like HyunA’s battering you in the rear of your bumper car, offering a snaggle-toothed guffaw while you struggle to steer clear. For anyone else, I’d definitely steer clear of this land of tickets and stale popcorn but this ringleader hasn’t stirred us wrong too many times.
[7]

Brad Shoup: A touch of the Eurodance lyrical nonsense, a touch of the Eurodance poignance; this thing whips back and forth, expelling syncopation and fartbass like steam. It’s running a hell of a lot faster than most pop singers would tolerate… I can hear Shakira, but with 50% more BPM. (Butts Per Minute.) Part of me suspects this is a belated answer to the proggy craftsmanship of “I Got a Boy”.
[8]

Katherine St Asaph: There’s 15 seconds at a time where I keep thinking this’ll turn into something like the Legally Blonde soundtrack. The ensuing buzzes and melodies are nice enough, and this is no one’s fault but mine — but to me, it’s still a fault.
[7]

Edward Okulicz: There were times, and many of them, when I was sure this must be the work of people too maximal even for mainstream K-pop, like Scooter or something. “Red” is a full-on assault on the ears, but it ultimately makes the catch on stealth, not strength. For me, it started with that nagging chiptune melody three-quarters of the way in, that became almost Mid-East for 10 seconds before the chorus, amid more toned-down surroundings, started to worm its way in, and then, much as you might get into cold water slowly, you suddenly find yourself completely submerged.
[8]