Here’s How Red Velvet's Joy & Crush Went From Collaborators To Dating

Fans always get so excited whenever two of their favorite celebrities begin dating. It’s even more exciting when they started out as friends or collaborators and fans see their relationship blossom right before their eyes. That’s exactly what happened with Red Velvet’s Joy and the R&B singer Crush. The stars collaborated in May 2020 and soon became good friends. Flash forward to August 2021 and now they’re officially a couple. To see how their relationship turned romantic, check out Red Velvet's Joy and Crush relationship timeline below.

May 13, 2020: Joy & Crush Announce A Collab

Five months after Crush dropped his second full-length album, From Midnight to Sunrise, in December 2020, his agency, P Nation, announced he would be making his comeback with his new album homemade. The project’s lead single, “Mayday,” would feature Joy. According to Soompi, a source from the company described “Mayday” as a “song that will express Crush’s unique spring sensibility that goes well with the warm weather.”

May 18, 2020: They Get Cute On IG

In the leadup to their upcoming single, Joy and Crush posted a series of photos with each other on Instagram and they appeared to be just friends. A few shots were taken by someone else as the two posed from a distance with their arms crossed, while others were selfies personally taken by Crush.

For the next few days, the two continued posting pictures together on Instagram.

May 21, 2020: They Can’t Stop Gushing About Each Other

Joy and Crush finally released “Mayday,” along with their music video for the track, and the clip featured the two going on a fun adventure. They held hands, did some sightseeing, and had a candlelit meal together. At one point in the video, Joy playfully pushed Crush into the wall and it almost looked like they were about to kiss.

The stars celebrated the release of their song on YouTube, where they gushed about working with each other. “I’m such a fan of Crush and I featured on his song,” Joy said. “Even just being contacted about it made me so excited and nervous.” In response, Crush said, “The honor is mine. When I was making the song, I thought that I definitely needed Joy’s voice for it, and that’s why I made the offer.”

Aug. 22, 2021: Dating Rumors Start Flying

Fans first began suspecting Joy and Crush were more than just friends when the Korean outlet Sports Chosun reported that Joy and Crush were dating. The publication said the two stayed close after collaborating last May and their relationship soon turned romantic. Shortly after the report came out, Crush’s agency, P-NATION, said, “We are currently checking to see whether the reports of them dating are true.”

Aug. 23, 2020: Joy & Crush Confirm Dating Rumors

The next day, both P-NATION and Joy’s agency, SM Entertainment, confirmed the stars are a couple. “They had a senior-junior relationship, but they recently began dating with good feelings toward each other,” the companies said.

Hours later, Joy posted a message to fans apologizing for not telling them about her relationship with Crush sooner. "ReVeluv who were shocked more than anyone by the sudden news. I'm really sorry. I wish I could have told you beforehand, but you were really shocked, right?" she said, according to a translation by AllKpop. She said the reason she didn’t tell them was that their relationship was still new.

"We're at the stage of figuring out each other's feelings and getting to know each other little by little, so I'm cautious and embarrassed that articles came out so quickly, but I'm writing this because I think ReVeluv was more surprised than me,” she explained. "ReVeluv who have always loved me and cared for me, I hope that you understand and support me. I'm really sorry that I suddenly surprised you, and I'm worried that you'll be bothered with a lot of worries today. I, who will not worry you more, will put in even more effort!! Our ReVeluv who always give me your unyielding love, I'm sorry and I love you!!!!"

After seeing her post, thousands of fans left nice comments telling her to not feel sorry because she didn’t do anything wrong. “Don’t apologize. Be happy,” one person wrote back, according to Knetizen.com. “Don’t worry. I hope you’re happy. Congratulations!” another said.

Crush also shared a public letter with fans, called Shibami, to explain his relationship with Joy. “This is my first time talking about something like this, so I'm really anxious and nervous, but I will try to talk about the friend that appeared in the articles," he said. "Thanks to this very bright and positive friend, lately there have been more days that make me laugh and my heart has gotten healthier!”

While he is enjoying spending time with Joy, Crush said their relationship was still in its early stages. He told fans that he would have revealed they’re dating eventually, but the news of them dating leaked prematurely. “We have only begun slowly and seriously figuring out each other's feelings, and once the time was right, I wanted to be the very first person to tell Shibami, but I'm embarrassed that articles were able to come out first," he explained. Although things didn’t go as planned, Crush told fans it’s OK because he’s happy. “I would be grateful if you watched us with a generous heart,” he added.

Joy and Crush’s chemistry was there from the beginning, which is why fans are so happy the two are officially together now!