Red Velvet Returns With 'Velvet Summer,' Sparks 97% Jump in Fandom Buzz

K-POP girl group Red Velvet has returned to the top of South Korea's charts after releasing a new mini-album. It is the group's first release with all members in more than two years, and domestic fandom activity has driven a sharp spike across major metrics.

According to K-POPIT BOARD, a global K-POP analytics index, Red Velvet ranked No. 1 on the domestic chart on August 5 with a Power Index (PWR_KR) score of 79. On the global chart, the group placed sixth with a Power Index (PWR_GL) score of 65. The Power Index tracks an artist's momentum and public attention by combining music chart data, social media activity, and news coverage.

The gap between the group's domestic and international performance came down to momentum scores, which factor in social media mentions, YouTube views, and search volume. Red Velvet scored 72 in momentum at home, compared with 64 overseas.

The domestic surge appears to be powered by active engagement from the group's Korean fanbase. Red Velvet released its mini-album "Velvet Summer" on August 3. It is the group's first full-lineup album since "Cosmic," released in June 2024, which added to fan anticipation after a roughly two-year and two-month wait. The new album topped the iTunes Top Albums chart in 17 regions and entered the top 10 in 33 regions in total.

Fandom mentions climbed 97.3 percent from August 3 to August 4. Spotify activity rose 40.3 percent over the same day, and YouTube mentions grew 39.4 percent.

Red Velvet will kick off music show promotions on August 6 with an appearance on Mnet's "M Countdown." The group will continue its comeback run on August 9 at "2026 SBS Gayo Daejeon: SUMMER."