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K-netizens revisit debate over sexual innuendo in Red Velvet's and TWICE's songs

AKP STAFF
Posted by Sophie-Ha Wednesday, August 13, 2025 11,244

An ongoing debate in the international K-pop community has resurfaced among Korean netizens, centering on whether certain hit tracks contain hidden sexual innuendos.

Recently, a popular online community post has directed attention to two tracks released in 2015 - Red Velvet's "Ice Cream Cake" and TWICE's "Like Ooh-Ahh."

International fans have long discussed the suggestive undertones in these tracks, pointing out certain lyrics that they believe carry sexual connotations. In "Ice Cream Cake," lines such as "Please give me that sweet taste, ice cream cake" and "Kiss me before it melts" have been interpreted by some overseas listeners as metaphors for sexual acts, despite being presented within a sugary, playful concept. Similarly, Like "Ooh-Ahh"’s repeated refrain "Make me like ooh-ahh" has been seen by some as suggestive, with critics arguing that the ambiguous phrasing and flirtatious tone could be interpreted sexually.

Recently, Korean netizens revisited these discussions after seeing past international comments.

While some agreed that the lyrics could be read as sexual, others argued that the interpretations depend heavily on perspective. The Korean community has been divided over this topic, with many netizens pointing to the broader issue of girl groups being commodified through sexualized concepts. But some argued that the perceived sexual meaning may be an over-interpretation.

They commented:

"There was much talk about this back then."
"There were a lot of girl group songs that raised this issue about hidden innuendos."
"TWICE's song 'Ooh-Ahh' is very obviously sexual."
"These songs were from ten years ago. What's the point of discussing this now?"
"People are saying Red Velvet's song is about kissing, but you don't scream when you kiss, do you?"
"This was always the case in K-pop. The real issue is that underage girls were singing the song."
"I think producers are more mindful when writing the lyrics these days."
"I never knew 'Ice Cream Cake' had those meanings."
"I think it depends on how you interpret the song."
"It wasn't just these two songs. There were so many. lol."
"Things haven't changed too much. I mean, people let 'Cookie' slide. lol."
"EXID songs, SISTAR songs, there were so many more."
"People were talking a lot about this when the songs were first released. lol."
"Well, TWICE's 'Ooh-Ahh' was too obvious."
"I thought Red Velvet's 'Ice Cream Cake' was about kissing. lol."
"I never thought too deeply about the lyrics. This is my first time hearing about this. lol."
"It was a big issue back then, too. Especially because there were members who were underage singing the song."

SEE ALSO: 'Queen Mantis' ends on a high with 10.3 percent peak rating

  1. Red Velvet
  2. TWICE
11,244 Share 85% Upvoted

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