Twelve years into her career with Red Velvet, Bae Ju Hyun — known professionally as Irene — stepped into solo territory with *Biggest Fan*, her first full-length album, released in March 2026. The ten-track set, which spans dreamy R&B pop on "Face to Face" to retro pop dance on "Million Miles Away," marked a deliberate widening of a discography that had previously centered on her work as the group's leader, main rapper, and visual centerpiece.
Debut and formation
Irene entered the public eye through SM Entertainment's pre-debut trainee showcase SM Rookies before formally debuting with Red Velvet in 2014. Within the group she occupies an unusually broad role — leader, main rapper, lead dancer, sub-vocalist, and visual — a combination that has made her one of the more visible figures in the group across more than a decade of activity. She later appeared as one half of Red Velvet's sub-unit Red Velvet – IRENE & SEULGI, which extended the group's creative footprint beyond its full-lineup releases.
Music and discography
Her first documented solo studio work arrived with *Like a Flower* in 2024, a release that set the groundwork for a more expansive solo identity. *Biggest Fan*, following in 2026, consolidated that direction across ten tracks. Ahead of the album's release, behind-the-scenes footage showed Irene navigating promotions while managing recurring conjunctivitis, an account that circulated as a demonstration of her continued commitment after more than a decade in the industry.
The album's sonic range — rooted in pop but reaching toward R&B and retro dance — reflects a solo voice that is distinct from Red Velvet's characteristic duality of bright pop and darker, more atmospheric material.
Activities
Alongside her recording work, Irene undertook an Irene Asia Tour, extending her solo promotional cycle into live performance across the region. During the 2026 promotional period she also appeared in YouTube content alongside Girls' Generation's Hyoyeon, where the two engaged in a lighthearted segment that drew attention from fans of both acts.
At 35 at the time of *Biggest Fan*'s release, Irene remains one of the more consistently active first-generation-adjacent figures in the current K-pop landscape — a position that has attracted both admiration for her longevity and, on occasion, unsolicited public commentary about personal matters unrelated to her work.
