Today is the day of girl group members gone solo, as Red Velvet’s Seulgi joins ITZY’s Yeji with new material. Baby, Not Baby is her second official solo single, though she was recently a duet partner with K-pop legend Kim Wan Sun on the 80’s throwback Lucky. This time around, she’s gone for an edgier sound that pulls liberally from an early-2000’s pop toolbox.
At its best, Baby, Not Baby‘s dynamic instrumental reminds me of those great Cheiron Studios teen pop productions of the early millennium. Glistening synth samples collide with big, Baby One More Time riffs, crafting a striking sound that suits Seulgi very well. It’s not what I expected from her or SM Entertainment, which is a pleasant surprise. There’s a pleasant line between “gritty” and “polished” that gives this instrumental real allure. The producers could have gone even further down this road, but I applaud them for travelling it at all.
Without this production, the song itself is less notable. It’s a good time for sure, from the rapid-fire, quasi-rapped verses to the confrontational chorus. However, the melodies could be hookier and less focused on sing-talk. It all works when delivered with Seulgi’s undeniable star power, but when a track is so close to greatness I get extra picky. However, I feel like Baby, Not Baby will grow more addictive with time.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 8.5 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
The production reminds me of the 00s sound like you pointed it, and it’s so damn dynamic with elements of rock and strings arranged well enough to create a sense of drama and intensity! The verses are strong, but the chorus is definitely underwhelming like you said. It could go well if she belted the chorus or if it had some vocal layerings or both. What a shame cause it would have been in the 9s for me.
8.75 (8, 9, 9, 9) for me.
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Actually phenomenal. Straight 9s for me. Love that 2000s sound, seems very Britney inspired and that rarely goes wrong.
Actually, this is one of the rare instances where I actually like the sing talking – there’s a real, bratty charm to her vocal delivery (“I’m so f***ing sorry” – she definitely doesn’t sound it!).
I find the chorus very catchy, so I have zero complaints about melody. The song got stuck in my head after the first time I heard it.
Also, is it just me that gets vague (emphasis on vague) musical theatre vibes? Especially that bridge and the pre-chorus (‘I’m dangerous… I’m innocent, and so perfect’) which are more melancholic than the rest of the track with the softer instrumental and layered harmonies.
Anyway, I’m seriously impressed. I predict that this will be at least in my top 10 at the end of 2025.
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I give it a 9 bc I KNOW this will have longevity. Nothing grating or off-putting. Just a very engaging and fun track throughout. Great song
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I like it! It reminds me a bit of some of the f(x) sound. That’s very positive.
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I think its alright! My mind immediately went to Britney Hit me baby one more time as well, both fo rthe beat and a bit of the styling. That song is now over 25 years old, so most of the kids listening to this will think this as an homage to the oldies. Fine. Good job.
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i’m so happy she gave us another solid album, nick i hope you can do a hidden treasure (praying is my fav)
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Mmm. This is very close to being an Aespa song if you tweak it a bit.
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Love the track, with the production being the star, even with all the zany things she does in the video. I don’t mind sing talk because it makes the singing that much more impactful, however, we should’ve gotten even more. Side note, at the end she sounds like joy
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I’ve enjoyed most songs released this week, and this is one of them.
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Pretty good! The instrumental and opening verse really hooked me, and I loved the spooky vocal runs in the end. The chorus falls a bit flat for me, though. “I’m your baby, not baby” isn’t particularly strong.
If the distinction is “I’m your baby, not ‘baby'”, the songwriting doesn’t really communicate the meaning of the phrase. The emphasis of the delivery is placed on the first “baby” instead of “your” or “your baby” so the meaning is muddled.
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Listening back on it, this sounds a lot like Seulgi and Irene. I like it, but it really needs Irene’s voice.
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