Okay, so lengthy story brief, Crimson Velvet sub-unit IRENE & SEULGI are returning quickly with TILT on Could 26, and whereas there was by no means any doubt their idea was queer-coded, sapphic, GL (or nevertheless you wish to label it), they’ve actually leaned in with this comeback.
There are a ton of teasers which have successfully constructed up hype, however I believe the lead image on this text mainly sums up the theme of it, with an help from this video teaser and one other image that showcases the aforementioned BDSM parts.
When it comes to discourse round this, my timeline appears to agree that yeah it’s fanservice or no matter, however hey the viewers in query wish to be baited, so give them what they need, and IRENE & SEULGI have been doing precisely that in spades. Plus, they’re of their 30s, on their second contract, and there shouldn’t actually be a lot challenge right here.
Sadly, the grownup themes appeared to run into backlash when an image of an oyster was included of their teasers, and it was criticized on The Qoo and Twitter for the sexual implications.
There are nonetheless many feedback and tweets of their protection, not all of the feedback have been detrimental and they aren’t in opposition to the idea as a complete, many simply assume that one picture was ‘an excessive amount of’.
We is not going to submit additional concerning the discourse. We are going to return to our common programming.
— KSG Updates (@KSGUpdates) Could 17, 2025
Ultimately, the corporate seemingly obtained spooked they usually eliminated that teaser picture, which led to followers making a meme out of it.
The oyster video edits i see on my tl: A thread 🧵 pic.twitter.com/EUyIk5Avva
— aeri 🦪 (@aeri_gato) Could 17, 2025
I actually don’t get how that is the road within the sand for the idea, as I’d argue it’s not even a very erotic or deep yonic image. It’s fairly protected, but sufficient to make pop music followers go insane, which is what it did.
So to me, all this seems like typical puritan conservative backlash, maybe rebranded as some sort of ladies’s challenge (because it originated from The Qoo, though none of this has felt male gaze-y). It’s one thing so-called progressives on-line appear to be doing increasingly more of, but it all the time finally ends up having no broader societal influence or goal apart from to shit on celebs and/or enhance their very own engagement.
It’s additionally only a bit complicated to deal with as a result of innuendo has been completely all over the place throughout Ok-pop all through its historical past (or simply direct), and virtually none of it faces any stage of scrutiny. When folks do convey up the sexual undertones, even involving youthful Crimson Velvet themselves, it’s typically downplayed or straight-up denied even when it’s blatant and entails minors. Actually at occasions it at the very least seems like loads of the backlash over sexualization is directed in the direction of older idols, significantly ladies and sexual minorities, each time they really achieve the liberty to do what they need. Unsure how the discourse obtained right here, however shit is ass backwards to me.
