Over the next few days, we’ll be reminiscing — looking back at older (and not-so-old) K-pop songs that shaped an era. And today is a perfect place to start:
Red Velvet’s “Ice Cream Cake.”
Released in 2015, this song marked a turning point for Red Velvet. Bright and playful on the surface, but subtly eerie underneath, “Ice Cream Cake” is where sweetness and unease first truly collided — a balance Red Velvet would later make their signature.
Let’s take a look at today’s lyrics:
“어서요 부드런 그 맛, ice cream cake
오직 널 기다리며 촛불을 켜둘게요”
“Come on in, that soft flavor — ice cream cake.
I’ll keep the candles lit, waiting only for you.”
—
🍦 어서요 – “Come on in”
• 어서요 → please come in / welcome
💡 Tone:
Polite, inviting, almost innocent. It sounds warm — but in context, it also feels a little too eager.
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🍰 부드런 그 맛 – “That soft, smooth taste”
• 부드럽다 → to be soft, smooth
• 그 맛 → that taste
💡 Interpretation:
Taste here works on two levels: literal sweetness, and emotional temptation. Something that feels comforting — and makes you want more.
—
🎂 오직 널 기다리며 – “Waiting only for you”
• 오직 → only
• 널 → you
• 기다리다 → to wait
💡 Nuance:
This line narrows the world down to one person. Romantic — but also slightly obsessive, which fits Red Velvet’s early “sweet-but-strange” aesthetic perfectly.
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🕯️ 촛불을 켜둘게요 – “I’ll keep the candles lit”
• 촛불 → candlelight
• 켜두다 → to keep something on
• -게요 → intention / promise
💡 Meaning:
Candles suggest celebration — a cake, a birthday, a welcome. But they also imply waiting… and waiting in the dark.
That tension is exactly what makes this song memorable.
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✨ Why “Ice Cream Cake” Still Matters
“Ice Cream Cake” isn’t just cute or catchy. It’s a concept song done right: sweet imagery layered with subtle unease.
These lyrics invite you in — with softness, warmth, and sugar — but leave you wondering what happens once the door closes.
And that contrast? That’s Red Velvet in a nutshell.
💭 Do you remember where you were when you first heard “Ice Cream Cake”?
Drop a 🍦 or 🍰 below.