"Surfin' Boy" is a song recorded by South Korean girl group Red Velvet for their seventh special extended play Velvet Summer. It was released as the EP's lead single by SM Entertainment on August 3, 2026. The dance song was written by member Joy, with Soulkidd, Honey Noise, Kwon Ae-jin, and Ikki credited as composers. A remix single was released on August 28, 2026, by SM Entertainment and ScreaM Records, titled iScreaM Vol.40: Surfin' Boy Remixes.
Background and release On June 15, 2026, SM Entertainment announced that Red Velvet would be releasing a new album in August 2026. On July 6, it was announced that the group would be releasing an extended play titled Velvet Summer on August 3. On July 31, the music video teaser was released. The song was released alongside its music video and the extended play on August 3. On August 28, a remix single titled iScreaM Vol.40 : Surfin' Boy Remixes, featuring remixes by producers Flamingosis and R&B duo Rakunelama, was released.
Composition "Surfin' Boy" was written by member Joy, composed and arranged by The Hub's Soulkidd and Honey Noise, with Kwon Ae-jin from MonoTree and Ikki contributing to the composition. It is a dance song characterized by "bossanova guitar, reggae rhythms, and house groove" with lyrics that "reminisce about the hottest summer spent with a loved one and the creation of a brilliant memory".
Critical reception
Park Si-hoon of IZM gave "Surfin' Boy" three and a half out of five stars, describing its chorus-centered structure as "unexpectedly stable". He praised its "restrained melodies" in the verses and strong vocals in the bridge, concluding that its upbeat rhythm gives the song a bittersweet feeling that extends beyond simple nostalgia.
Accolades + Music program awards Program Date Show Champion
Commercial performance Commercially, "Surfin' Boy" debuted at number 20 on South Korea's Circle Digital Chart in the chart issue dated August 2–8, 2026; on its component charts, the song debuted at number two on the Circle Download Chart, number 42 on the Circle Streaming Chart, and number 65 on the Circle BGM Chart. In the following week, the song ascended to number 17 on the Circle Digital Chart, and number 20 on the Circle Streaming Chart.
Promotion Prior to the release of Velvet Summer, Red Velvet performed "Surfin' Boy" at the A Day in Red & Velvet fan concert tour, held from July 31 to August 2, 2026. They subsequently performed the song at three music programs: Mnet's M Countdown on August 6, KBS2's Music Bank on August 7., and MBC's Show! Music Core on August 8.
Track listing Digital download / streaming "Surfin' Boy" – 2:48 Digital download / streaming – iScreaM remixes "Surfin' Boy" (Flamingosis remix) – 3:08 "Surfin' Boy" (Rakunelama remix) – 2:48 "Surfin' Boy" – 2:48
Credits and personnel Credits adapted from Velvet Summers liner notes.
Studio SM Aube – recording, digital editing SM Droplet – recording SM Blue Ocean – mixing Sterling Sound – mastering
Personnel SM Entertainment – executive producer Red Velvet – vocals, background vocals Joy – lyrics Soulkidd (The Hub) – producer, composition, arrangement, background vocals Honey Noise (The Hub) – producer, composition, arrangement Kwon Ae-jin (MonoTree) – composition, background vocals Ikki – composition, background vocals Jsong – vocal directing Kim Hyo-joon – recording, digital editing Kim Joo-hyun – recording Kim Cheol-sun – mixing Joe LaPorta – mastering
Charts
Weekly charts + Chart (2026) Peakposition South Korea (Circle) 17
Monthly charts + Chart (2026) Peakposition South Korea (Circle) 21
Release history + Region Date Format Label Version Various August 3, 2026 Original August 28, 2026 iScreaM remixes
References