Three of the original four members of Red Velvet were previously part of S.M. Entertainment's pre-debut team, S.M. Rookies. Seulgi, the first member who joined the agency, was brought in through an audition in 2007. Irene, the next member to join the company, was cast in 2009. Wendy auditioned through the SM Global Audition in Canada in 2012. Joy, the member who wasn't part of S.M. Rookies, auditioned through the SM Global Audition in Seoul in 2012.
As part of S.M. Rookies, several clips of Irene, Seulgi and Wendy were released on S.M. Entertainment's official YouTube account. The three members were rumored to debut as a group in July, which was then confirmed by S.M. Entertainment. With the addition of member Joy, the four-member group would debut as Red Velvet, S.M. Entertainment's first girl group in five years after f(x).
