It's definitely not their usual highly experimental sound but that's kind of the point. If you follow the storyline (SMCU), with this album, they are now in the real world - they are not in Kwangya anymore. Savage album represented their Kwangya-selves. This album represents their real world-selves. The visuals, the concept, the music, the sound engineering, Everything is way more tame bcs that's where we are in the storyline. I'm really excited to see what will happen next since the last episode of the SMCU ended on a cliffhanger. Judging by the eerie feel of 'Welcome To MY World', I think the next episode will be very dramatic. I have the same expectations for the next album.
I don’t wanna sound like a cringy fan or something along those ways but Aespa is sounding and looking really strong, not a lot of groups can pull songs like these off. Their fan base is growing a lot and I really think they could become one of the biggest girl groups ever. And tbh I disagree with you on them not being one of the leaders of the 4th gen. We cannot forget that their an SM group and SM groups lead by default most of the time. Also NingNing suits the song and choreo the most imo, I watched their Studio Choom and she looked by far the best.
i think the 10 months wait made people forget how big they actually are. next level was a certified HIT and followed by savage they cemented themselves as a 4th gen leader. girls was a bit weak compared to their other releases, but it wasnt exactly a flop either
it's not just about them being an SM group but even objectively speaking, looking at their achievements and the records they have managed to break (even after 10 months of essentially radio silence), aespa are undoubtedly the 4th gen leaders. and mind u this is with the absolute bare minimum from their company (even the track videos the girls themselves had to beg for)
I feel like that Thirsty is like OG SM sound. I used to always think of R&B when it came to SM. Looking at when EXO, Shinee & RV first came out they were making a lot of pure R&B music. And slowly it progressed to be more pop
Imo, this sounds/looks more like an f(x)/loona/RedVelvet song+titleMV to me - jyp could never have vocal mixing or layering this good outside of maybe with SKZ. I'm just glad they still kept the signature AESPA sound.
@Koko3op Oh I understood that, this just reminds me more of F(x) or Red Velvet ( Idk why but specifically the ice cream cake time period where they were really leaning into Americana attire, but maybe that is just because Karina had blonde hair 😅)
The MV feeling more like a jyp-style setup is understandable and this actually cements aespa’s brilliancy in choosing their lore since their concept’s foundation, the kwangya, allows them to be flexible & versatile since it is a ruleless and limitless space. Anything can happen. They are subjected to change and it’ll still stay true & flow well with their lore. That’s the main point of their changeable world, and it’s so brilliant because the argument of them slipping away from their EDM futuristic concept & leaving their kwangya lore will never be valid because everything is still part of the storyline. And aespa has already successfully established their kind of sound. They will always have an edm vibe to their songs, especially for their title tracks.
when I heard Spicy for the first time, I was like "yeah, that's going to be a hit". it's less experimental than their previous title songs but I can see a wider audience enjoying it. and I agree on Giselle - that's her style, sassy and confident. she ate this concept. as for B tracks, i think they really try to diversify the main concept both in their sound and videos. a lot of them are less sci-fi, high-tech, comic-book intense vibes but more mysterious or chill or fun - still connected to the storyline tho. i think it's good they're not stuck doing the same every comeback.
While some fans are sad that this is not a full album i think that its a smart move by sm bcus its such a risk to change storyline w a full album so this mini is kinda testing the water And also the title is pushed by karina bcus she remembered hearing it during trainees days My fav songs are welcome to my world and thirsty and im sure alot of sm stans are the same. Spicy is also a refreshing pick after so many intense stuff
Thirsty is doing well on charts so hopefully, SM picks that route. Thirsty + Welcome to my world + Spicy would be my preferred Aespa sound moving forward. It provides them a distinct identity and uses Winter/Ning vocal strength.
I think aespa is a nice mix between an SM group and a non-sm group, because they have incredibly good vocals but doesn't harmonize as much like Red Velvet, GG or F(x) did. It gives them their own identity.
Yeah the aesthetic of aespa for this comeback is little similar to jyp gg´s and is correct if you dont know the history of SM, F(x) is the original owner of this concept so when someone says that x group is copying another, is safe to say that everyone out there is copying what SM have done first.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! SM is the blueprint for literally all companies. People need to start doing research and see how much SM has done in terms of innovation within kpop. That’s why there can only be the BIG 3. They all brought something unique to the forefront or a specific style to K-pop that established them as the big 3. It’s not about profits or popularity. It can never take that away from them.
although they strayed a (maybe far) bit from their black mamba concept… the girls suit this concept for spicy so much edit: conceptually, it reminds me of aly & aj, ashley tisdale, and early 2000s teen pop, but in an avril lavigne alt girl way
The aesthetic is def very 4th gen which is why I was a bit hesitant when I saw the Spicy teasers, but the song is SO aespa. The B-sides here are much stronger than Girls (apart from Illusion) but Savage remains their best EP.
LSM and Director Yoo were heavily involved in their concepts but LSM's plan for them was going in a weird direction. So when they left, SM scrapped their plan and gave Aespa more say... down side is they're kind of starting over. I said on your last G.O.T. video Director Yoo left and he plays favorites so I was curious what that meant for the line distribution. While this isn't the best album, the difference in line distribution from Savage to Spicy is so refreshing.
There's an air of preppyness and girl next doorness baked into the fabric of The Jyp Girl GroupTM- like they could be one of your friends While the sm groupTM is HIGHLY conceptual sometimes painfully so- there's an air of weird and slightly unapproachable about them
@@kathy760 huh…. i guess? i do associate snsd quth the first concept u mentioned so idk but if we’re talking strictly abt the directing/editing style of the mv then it does look more reminiscent of jyp^ its been a while since sm has done this concept tho im guessing they mightve taken inspiration from them heheh
I'm not generally one for girl groups (with a few exceptions), but I really liked I'm Unhappy and Welcome To My World. The guitar in the latter song was giving me a slowed down More Than A Woman (Aaliyah). I love it. Great reaction! ❤
I do think spicy is still them having their own group identify, the instrumental is still as synthy and gritty, I dont really see which trend they'd be following sound wise
SM actually told songwriters when they were looking for songs that they weren’t looking for traditionally “Aespa” sounding songs. That’s why they’re so different than usual. It was intentional.
The storyline of "Welcome To MY World" is directly connected to aespa's "aespa ep.3 'Girls (Don’t you know I’m a Savage?)' - SM Culture Universe" video. At the end of ep. 3 naevis -- who is the animated character you see in the MV -- was forced to leave Kwangya because she broke the rules and ventured outside of the FLAT in order to help aespa defeat the Black Mamba hacker. At the end of that video naevis informes the creators of Kwangya that if she can no longer stay in Kwangya then she knows where she wants to go, which is to MY's world. MY is the name of aespa's fans. Therefore, in "Welcome to MY World," aespa are welcoming naevis to the real world where we fans live, to become part of an alternate reality. Also, in "Welcome To MY World" the song ft. naevis because, if you look at a lyric video, you will see that naevis sings part of the hook and in the bridge. It looks like SM may have taken the story one step further and the company may be jumping on the virtual idol trend. I have read that the voice of naevis is literally being created by AI using a combination of 12 different voice actors to create a one of a kind new singer/character as part of aespa's storyline. I also see "I'm Unhappy" as a continuation of the storyline and themes within their "aespa ep. 2 'Next Level' - SM Culture Universe" video and their "Life's Too Short" MV. In these songs and videos aespa touches on the darker side of idol culture and all the negative things that come along with living as an idol. In "I'm Unhappy" we see Winter as a victim of bullying, NingNing is someone who is suffering with anxiety, Karina is dealing with insecurities and the burden of living up to expectations, and Giselle is struggling with thoughts of self harm and suicide. As with everything to do with SM's SM Culture Universe storyline, yet again the themes within its songs and MVs are designed to create a social commentary on issues within society that we as humans need to address if we are ever going to be able to conquer those evil forces, i.e. the Red Force from EXO's storyline, the Black Mamba in aespa's story or whomever the new villain -- which we discovered at the end of aespa's ep. 3 video, is now played by BoA -- turns out to be. The "villians" in SM's Universe storyline are all designed to be a metaphor for the real life people and things we are all fighting against every day in our quest to create a better world. The reason why "I'm Unhappy" and "Salty and Sweet" were so short was because they weren't really MVs. These videos are what is called a track video and they were a short abridged version of the song. There is a lot more to these songs that you didn't hear in these videos. As you may know, SM often releases track videos for a lot of their b-side tracks on their albums, which are short promotional videos for their secondary songs meant to encourage people to check out the album and listen to the full songs. "I'm Unhappy" and "Salty and Sweet" are b-side tracks on their MY World album. As you can see, if you want to hear the full song you have to check out a live performance or listen to the studio version from the album. Although "Welcome To MY World" is the title track on this album, "Spicy" is the lead promotional track with a much more traditional MV and song concept.
I'm curious, what trends do you think the group are following? As for not sounding SM I do find that comment interesting because of how much I've heard people say the opposite. I've heard comparisons to NCT, f(x), TVXQ and even CSJH. I also vaguely recall Sooyoung (SNSD) mentioning how aespa had the signature SM/YYJ sound
I love love love this react/review. SM is finally treating them like a real girl group instead of trying to mimic CGI. Their personalities are adorable and we see glimpses of real performers here. I love this.☺ The best new ITZY album is really aespa. 😉
So, I'm not into girl groups in general because I don't happen to like soprano voices that much, especially with the breathiness that's so pervasive in K-pop. That's just me 🤷🏾♀️. However, in the song Thirsty, I think u called the young lady Ning Ning, girly had my attention! She's more of a mezzo soprano or hi alto (to my ears anyway) and I think she's awesome. Of course XG is in a different category all together. I absolutely love them!
@@Koko3op u're probably right, I can mis-categorize voices 😏. But there are soprano voices that don't bother my ears I guess. The only one I can think of offhand is Fantasia but I think it's because her voice has a gospel rasp to it. Mezzos and lower remind me of caramel, chocolate, coffee etc. Whereas hi sopranos remind me of cotton candy, too sweet, toothachy.
To me their first mini album is their best, the 2nd was all over the place and this one is more generic. None of the songs are bad but they definitely have a more mainstream digestible sound this time around. They definitely served c.u.n.t. in that spicy mv though! I hope they incorporate that harsh electronic sound back into their music, its the reason why spicy sounds the most like an aespa song
Their music is highly programmatic so the sound of the albums will always correspond to whatever is happening in their storyline. The last episode of SMCU ended with them finishing their mission and returning to the real world from Kwangya - this album is supposed to represent their more 'mainstream' side since they are in the real world now. 'Welcome To MY World' was an introduction for this era. But the last episode of SMCU ended on a scary cliffhanger and we heard a lot of eerie elements in this album so I'm pretty sure they will soon return to their more harsh electronic sound. Episode 4 of SMCU will definitely tell us what to expect next from them musically.
@Anja Vujakovic yeah, I don't watch the lore videos but I do know about that. I completely understand why the production sounds how it does, I just think it doesn't suit them. But even last mini album, lingo, life's too short, and icu were not good to me. I liked dreams come true even though it wasn't their sound cause it still felt like a good well thought out and cared for record. I feel the same about welcome to my world, totally different from their normal sound but so good cause so much work was put into it.
I feel like they did that on purpose so you have a different listening experience when you listen to the full song (we're pretending we didn't see the concert videos😂😂😂)
SM music style is a mixture of music genres, beat changes, and experimental, for example like stickers - NCT127 all aespa songs you can hear beat changes in the bridge like different song at Next level-aespa and experimental beats like savage-aespa. It's a little strange the first time you listen to it, but if you listen to it over and over again it will grow on you😊
Welcome to kpop! 😊💚 Little history, SM is where kpop began... they are the ones who started putting their idol hopefuls through a rigorous training process, so that by the time they hit the stage, they were well-trained and polished performers, and it paid off. When other labels saw how effective this was and how successful SM was, they all started training programs as well and is now the standard. At it's core, what makes kpop soooo different from every other pop act in the world, is that training. What SM is known for is being a vocal power house. While other labels spend most of the training on dance, SM gives their trainees really good and proper vocal training... the result is huge vocals, particularly in their bridges... they're known for pushing the envelope and taking big risks in song structure, instrumentals and concepts. Also for big switch ups in beats and genres all within the same song and making the transitions work. They source a LOT of their music from overseas and are the masters of giving their production a perfect blend of the familiarity of Western styles, but with that special Korean flair that makes it kpop. Oh, and for having some of the best R&B tracks around. Some examples crazy beats/switch ups; EXO - Tempo Red Velvet - Feel My Rhythm NCT 127 - Kick It aespa - Next Level For experimental; NCT 127 - Sticker aespa - Savage Red Velvet - Birthday Annnnd just for fun some R&B; Red Velvet - Bad Boy NCT DJJ - Perfume Baekhyun - Bambi Ten - Birthday
@@allons_y1001 to add to this, the SM groups that really introduced the song switch-up that SM started to push were SHINee and Girls' Generation. SHINee's Sherlock was a title track that was a remix of two separate songs on the same album. This led to them being able to do different versions of the songs throughout the promotion cycle, so no live performance during award shows was exactly the same. Girls' Generation's "I Got a Boy" was very polarizing on release but everyone grew to love it as time went on. Other songs that followed this concept during that time were f(x)'s Red Light, Super Junior's Spy, and a handful of other songs.
SM fucked up by not only not making Thirsty the title track (not that i don't love Spicy) but at the very least not giving it the full MV treatment. It's their highest charting BSide and the fans are screaming for it.
Its not only SM. Many groups have better Bsides vs title tracks but again, music taste is subjective. If SM felt this more suited to be the title track, then it aint their fault really. I also liked the bsides more of Le sserafim latest album, Left right from XG and so on, but it is what it is. You really cant please every single individual because music taste is so different among eachother.
Speaking of thumbnails, I know exactly the ones you are talking about. They just be posting videos for clicks while looking confused and wrong in the end.
While i get what they were trying with the "track teasers", those didnt really do it for me. The main releases however are amazing and have made me even MORE intereseted in Aespa than i was already. Just wow. Now im ready to go buy tickets to a concert. Omg. And borh songs feel like departures but still have connection to the whole virtual concept. Spicy is a total bop. Absolute 🔥. And Welcome to my World indeed, doesnt even feel like kpop anymore. So epic, color me impressed. New top favorites.
Am I the only one who thought the comeback overall is a bit lacking? Ive listened to Spicy a few times now but I still can't remember a single melody. I get the concept given the storyline but do I really need to see Aespa doing this concept? Probably not. It's good their trying to experiment but this "we are fighting the black mamba weird naevis stuff" was one of the most interesting things about Aespa. I actually like Welcome to My World and Thirsty. Even though like you said the songs are all overall pretty generic and can't compete with the Savage EP. I kinda feel like SM tries too hard to adjust the concept to appeal to the western market like we've seen last year with Life's Too Short for example.
Oh please if there’s one thing we not gonna do is accuse SM (The ONLY company that has stuck to their concepts and themes through and throughout the hate and constant criticism) of trying to appeal to the western market JUST because they made Aespa sing one song in English. Like get real. You have companies that are definitely slaving away trying to do exactly that, especially one particular but let’s not get into any debates here. SM is not one of them. They actually have gone as far as giving current groups older songs with a modern twist because they believe so much in their own talent and previous releases. They keep setting standards and trends in the industry that very true to what K-pop is at the very core. Can’t believe Aespa has release Black Mamba, Next Level, Savage, Girls (that all received an extreme amount of hate btw) only for people like you to start twisting your panties and accuse their companies to want to sell out just because they strayed a little from their original concept in their latest album. Side eye.
Aespa werent really givin with this cb to me😅 The outfits were nice, but otherwise a bit lackluster 🤷🏾♀️ like overall my rating for this mini was about a 5/10😶
![[4K] aespa - “Thirsty & Spicy” Band LIVE Concert [it's Live] K-POP live music show](/img/1.gif)
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Aespa feel like the FX of their generation and I love it so much. 🥰
THIS! I’ve been looking for people who has the same thoughts as I do. This MV be looking like F(X)’s.
This. New sounds and timeless songwriting.
I liked spicy even though it was different, it had aespa's elements. Thank you for reacting bestie
It's definitely not their usual highly experimental sound but that's kind of the point. If you follow the storyline (SMCU), with this album, they are now in the real world - they are not in Kwangya anymore. Savage album represented their Kwangya-selves. This album represents their real world-selves. The visuals, the concept, the music, the sound engineering, Everything is way more tame bcs that's where we are in the storyline. I'm really excited to see what will happen next since the last episode of the SMCU ended on a cliffhanger. Judging by the eerie feel of 'Welcome To MY World', I think the next episode will be very dramatic. I have the same expectations for the next album.
i love how you said the next episode would be very dramatic, and their next comeback was drama😭
I don’t wanna sound like a cringy fan or something along those ways but Aespa is sounding and looking really strong, not a lot of groups can pull songs like these off.
Their fan base is growing a lot and I really think they could become one of the biggest girl groups ever.
And tbh I disagree with you on them not being one of the leaders of the 4th gen. We cannot forget that their an SM group and SM groups lead by default most of the time.
Also NingNing suits the song and choreo the most imo, I watched their Studio Choom and she looked by far the best.
i think the 10 months wait made people forget how big they actually are. next level was a certified HIT and followed by savage they cemented themselves as a 4th gen leader. girls was a bit weak compared to their other releases, but it wasnt exactly a flop either
it's not just about them being an SM group but even objectively speaking, looking at their achievements and the records they have managed to break (even after 10 months of essentially radio silence), aespa are undoubtedly the 4th gen leaders. and mind u this is with the absolute bare minimum from their company (even the track videos the girls themselves had to beg for)
I feel like that Thirsty is like OG SM sound. I used to always think of R&B when it came to SM. Looking at when EXO, Shinee & RV first came out they were making a lot of pure R&B music. And slowly it progressed to be more pop
Imo, this sounds/looks more like an f(x)/loona/RedVelvet song+titleMV to me - jyp could never have vocal mixing or layering this good outside of maybe with SKZ.
I'm just glad they still kept the signature AESPA sound.
I mentioned aesthetics and concepts to mean it *looks* like JYP, rather than sounding like JYP.
@Koko3op Oh I understood that, this just reminds me more of F(x) or Red Velvet ( Idk why but specifically the ice cream cake time period where they were really leaning into Americana attire, but maybe that is just because Karina had blonde hair 😅)
The MV feeling more like a jyp-style setup is understandable and this actually cements aespa’s brilliancy in choosing their lore since their concept’s foundation, the kwangya, allows them to be flexible & versatile since it is a ruleless and limitless space. Anything can happen. They are subjected to change and it’ll still stay true & flow well with their lore. That’s the main point of their changeable world, and it’s so brilliant because the argument of them slipping away from their EDM futuristic concept & leaving their kwangya lore will never be valid because everything is still part of the storyline. And aespa has already successfully established their kind of sound. They will always have an edm vibe to their songs, especially for their title tracks.
Also, SM has lots of tools and producers that specialize in EDM-like music because of the sub label Scream
Also people forget that in on of their past releases they talked about Naevis being in the real MY world, so being in the setting makes sense I think
when I heard Spicy for the first time, I was like "yeah, that's going to be a hit". it's less experimental than their previous title songs but I can see a wider audience enjoying it. and I agree on Giselle - that's her style, sassy and confident. she ate this concept.
as for B tracks, i think they really try to diversify the main concept both in their sound and videos. a lot of them are less sci-fi, high-tech, comic-book intense vibes but more mysterious or chill or fun - still connected to the storyline tho. i think it's good they're not stuck doing the same every comeback.
While some fans are sad that this is not a full album i think that its a smart move by sm bcus its such a risk to change storyline w a full album so this mini is kinda testing the water
And also the title is pushed by karina bcus she remembered hearing it during trainees days
My fav songs are welcome to my world and thirsty and im sure alot of sm stans are the same. Spicy is also a refreshing pick after so many intense stuff
thats what ive been sayinggggg aespa in an rnb concept would literally be so good.
10:00. I definitely think that the fact it was filmed outdoors and not inside the SM set box gave them a diff feel from their usual SM vibe 💀
Yes!!! Loool so true
Thirsty is doing well on charts so hopefully, SM picks that route. Thirsty + Welcome to my world + Spicy would be my preferred Aespa sound moving forward. It provides them a distinct identity and uses Winter/Ning vocal strength.
I think aespa is a nice mix between an SM group and a non-sm group, because they have incredibly good vocals but doesn't harmonize as much like Red Velvet, GG or F(x) did. It gives them their own identity.
Agreed!
Doesn't harmonize as much? Wdym sir they literally harmonize on each other a lot of times
Yeah the aesthetic of aespa for this comeback is little similar to jyp gg´s and is correct if you dont know the history of SM, F(x) is the original owner of this concept so when someone says that x group is copying another, is safe to say that everyone out there is copying what SM have done first.
THIS!! the song is sooo SM the typical synth bass the sang together chorus its sooo f(x) coded also snsd and rv. they are surely f(x) daughters
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! SM is the blueprint for literally all companies. People need to start doing research and see how much SM has done in terms of innovation within kpop. That’s why there can only be the BIG 3. They all brought something unique to the forefront or a specific style to K-pop that established them as the big 3. It’s not about profits or popularity. It can never take that away from them.
although they strayed a (maybe far) bit from their black mamba concept… the girls suit this concept for spicy so much
edit: conceptually, it reminds me of aly & aj, ashley tisdale, and early 2000s teen pop, but in an avril lavigne alt girl way
It’s still part of their whole storyline. They’re now in the real world, if you follow their whole story along.
also some pussicat dolls, especially in salty and sweet!
They just have a summer break with Naevis in the Real World after defeating Black Mamba 🤣
The aesthetic is def very 4th gen which is why I was a bit hesitant when I saw the Spicy teasers, but the song is SO aespa. The B-sides here are much stronger than Girls (apart from Illusion) but Savage remains their best EP.
LSM and Director Yoo were heavily involved in their concepts but LSM's plan for them was going in a weird direction. So when they left, SM scrapped their plan and gave Aespa more say... down side is they're kind of starting over. I said on your last G.O.T. video Director Yoo left and he plays favorites so I was curious what that meant for the line distribution. While this isn't the best album, the difference in line distribution from Savage to Spicy is so refreshing.
SM has the best synths on the damn planet.
'Welcome to MY World' is giving me Twilight and I'm living (imagine the mv shots with a blue filter. that guitar? cmon now)
omg u saying it doesnt feel like an sm group took me by surprise bc to me spicy reminds me SOOOO much of snsd like soooo much
Sonically yeah but visually it feels more like ITZY aka JYP
SAMEEE
There's an air of preppyness and girl next doorness baked into the fabric of The Jyp Girl GroupTM- like they could be one of your friends
While the sm groupTM is HIGHLY conceptual sometimes painfully so- there's an air of weird and slightly unapproachable about them
@@Koko3op oh yeah then i agree^^
@@kathy760 huh…. i guess? i do associate snsd quth the first concept u mentioned so idk but if we’re talking strictly abt the directing/editing style of the mv then it does look more reminiscent of jyp^ its been a while since sm has done this concept tho im guessing they mightve taken inspiration from them heheh
Spicy really grew on me, i love it sm 😭
12:40 lmaooo yes. the styling in spicy is TOP TIER - they all look the best they’ve ever looked and the song is great
I'm not generally one for girl groups (with a few exceptions), but I really liked I'm Unhappy and Welcome To My World. The guitar in the latter song was giving me a slowed down More Than A Woman (Aaliyah). I love it. Great reaction! ❤
I do think spicy is still them having their own group identify, the instrumental is still as synthy and gritty, I dont really see which trend they'd be following sound wise
Spicy is the exception, my comments were before I watched it.
SM actually told songwriters when they were looking for songs that they weren’t looking for traditionally “Aespa” sounding songs. That’s why they’re so different than usual. It was intentional.
Aespa definitly surprised me in this comeback, their songs slayed!! One of the best comebacks so far!!!
I loved this comeback all the songs too and tbh I think the girls really enjoyed this one.
The storyline of "Welcome To MY World" is directly connected to aespa's "aespa ep.3 'Girls (Don’t you know I’m a Savage?)' - SM Culture Universe" video. At the end of ep. 3 naevis -- who is the animated character you see in the MV -- was forced to leave Kwangya because she broke the rules and ventured outside of the FLAT in order to help aespa defeat the Black Mamba hacker. At the end of that video naevis informes the creators of Kwangya that if she can no longer stay in Kwangya then she knows where she wants to go, which is to MY's world. MY is the name of aespa's fans. Therefore, in "Welcome to MY World," aespa are welcoming naevis to the real world where we fans live, to become part of an alternate reality.
Also, in "Welcome To MY World" the song ft. naevis because, if you look at a lyric video, you will see that naevis sings part of the hook and in the bridge. It looks like SM may have taken the story one step further and the company may be jumping on the virtual idol trend. I have read that the voice of naevis is literally being created by AI using a combination of 12 different voice actors to create a one of a kind new singer/character as part of aespa's storyline.
I also see "I'm Unhappy" as a continuation of the storyline and themes within their "aespa ep. 2 'Next Level' - SM Culture Universe" video and their "Life's Too Short" MV. In these songs and videos aespa touches on the darker side of idol culture and all the negative things that come along with living as an idol. In "I'm Unhappy" we see Winter as a victim of bullying, NingNing is someone who is suffering with anxiety, Karina is dealing with insecurities and the burden of living up to expectations, and Giselle is struggling with thoughts of self harm and suicide.
As with everything to do with SM's SM Culture Universe storyline, yet again the themes within its songs and MVs are designed to create a social commentary on issues within society that we as humans need to address if we are ever going to be able to conquer those evil forces, i.e. the Red Force from EXO's storyline, the Black Mamba in aespa's story or whomever the new villain -- which we discovered at the end of aespa's ep. 3 video, is now played by BoA -- turns out to be. The "villians" in SM's Universe storyline are all designed to be a metaphor for the real life people and things we are all fighting against every day in our quest to create a better world.
The reason why "I'm Unhappy" and "Salty and Sweet" were so short was because they weren't really MVs. These videos are what is called a track video and they were a short abridged version of the song. There is a lot more to these songs that you didn't hear in these videos. As you may know, SM often releases track videos for a lot of their b-side tracks on their albums, which are short promotional videos for their secondary songs meant to encourage people to check out the album and listen to the full songs. "I'm Unhappy" and "Salty and Sweet" are b-side tracks on their MY World album. As you can see, if you want to hear the full song you have to check out a live performance or listen to the studio version from the album.
Although "Welcome To MY World" is the title track on this album, "Spicy" is the lead promotional track with a much more traditional MV and song concept.
I'm curious, what trends do you think the group are following? As for not sounding SM I do find that comment interesting because of how much I've heard people say the opposite. I've heard comparisons to NCT, f(x), TVXQ and even CSJH. I also vaguely recall Sooyoung (SNSD) mentioning how aespa had the signature SM/YYJ sound
I'm Unhappy and Salty&Sweet is my fav on the ep. So sad that you didn't like it :(
It’s okay. Everyone has their own taste :). I love unhappy and salty and sweet too.
Mine too. The best part of both tracks are not in the track video maybe that's why he didn't enjoy much
They served in spicy like they had bills to PAY
I love love love this react/review. SM is finally treating them like a real girl group instead of trying to mimic CGI. Their personalities are adorable and we see glimpses of real performers here. I love this.☺ The best new ITZY album is really aespa. 😉
I don't know what I like more; Karina with the blonde wavy hair, or Giselle with the bangs
So many opinions said this mv is about their reality life out of kwang-ya 😂
As much as i loved spicy salty and sweet 100% to me should've been the title track.
Yes Ning! ❤❤❤
So, I'm not into girl groups in general because I don't happen to like soprano voices that much, especially with the breathiness that's so pervasive in K-pop. That's just me 🤷🏾♀️. However, in the song Thirsty, I think u called the young lady Ning Ning, girly had my attention! She's more of a mezzo soprano or hi alto (to my ears anyway) and I think she's awesome.
Of course XG is in a different category all together. I absolutely love them!
Ooo Id say Ning Ning is a soprano too but her voice isn’t as clean as Winters.
@@Koko3op u're probably right, I can mis-categorize voices 😏. But there are soprano voices that don't bother my ears I guess. The only one I can think of offhand is Fantasia but I think it's because her voice has a gospel rasp to it. Mezzos and lower remind me of caramel, chocolate, coffee etc. Whereas hi sopranos remind me of cotton candy, too sweet, toothachy.
@@kandirain_1172 Yess fantasia's voice has a lot of texture. Those are fair analogies!
There’s another song on the album that didn’t have a track video, but also I wanna see you react to verses you didn’t hear in the track videos 😭💕
Aespa is FX vibed instrumental with SNSD singing
To me their first mini album is their best, the 2nd was all over the place and this one is more generic. None of the songs are bad but they definitely have a more mainstream digestible sound this time around. They definitely served c.u.n.t. in that spicy mv though! I hope they incorporate that harsh electronic sound back into their music, its the reason why spicy sounds the most like an aespa song
Their music is highly programmatic so the sound of the albums will always correspond to whatever is happening in their storyline. The last episode of SMCU ended with them finishing their mission and returning to the real world from Kwangya - this album is supposed to represent their more 'mainstream' side since they are in the real world now. 'Welcome To MY World' was an introduction for this era. But the last episode of SMCU ended on a scary cliffhanger and we heard a lot of eerie elements in this album so I'm pretty sure they will soon return to their more harsh electronic sound. Episode 4 of SMCU will definitely tell us what to expect next from them musically.
@Anja Vujakovic yeah, I don't watch the lore videos but I do know about that. I completely understand why the production sounds how it does, I just think it doesn't suit them. But even last mini album, lingo, life's too short, and icu were not good to me. I liked dreams come true even though it wasn't their sound cause it still felt like a good well thought out and cared for record. I feel the same about welcome to my world, totally different from their normal sound but so good cause so much work was put into it.
sm lowkey fucked up by not releasing full videos with the entire bside tracks because they deadass cut out the great vocal (ironic bc it’s sm) moments
I feel like they did that on purpose so you have a different listening experience when you listen to the full song (we're pretending we didn't see the concert videos😂😂😂)
track videos are meant to be short lol
you should definitely watch the studio choom to spicy
I'm kinda new to K-Pop. Can someone give me a brief synopsis of what style SM is known for?
SM music style is a mixture of music genres, beat changes, and experimental, for example like stickers - NCT127 all aespa songs you can hear beat changes in the bridge like different song at Next level-aespa and experimental beats like savage-aespa. It's a little strange the first time you listen to it, but if you listen to it over and over again it will grow on you😊
Welcome to kpop! 😊💚
Little history, SM is where kpop began... they are the ones who started putting their idol hopefuls through a rigorous training process, so that by the time they hit the stage, they were well-trained and polished performers, and it paid off. When other labels saw how effective this was and how successful SM was, they all started training programs as well and is now the standard. At it's core, what makes kpop soooo different from every other pop act in the world, is that training.
What SM is known for is being a vocal power house. While other labels spend most of the training on dance, SM gives their trainees really good and proper vocal training... the result is huge vocals, particularly in their bridges... they're known for pushing the envelope and taking big risks in song structure, instrumentals and concepts. Also for big switch ups in beats and genres all within the same song and making the transitions work. They source a LOT of their music from overseas and are the masters of giving their production a perfect blend of the familiarity of Western styles, but with that special Korean flair that makes it kpop. Oh, and for having some of the best R&B tracks around.
Some examples crazy beats/switch ups;
EXO - Tempo
Red Velvet - Feel My Rhythm
NCT 127 - Kick It
aespa - Next Level
For experimental;
NCT 127 - Sticker
aespa - Savage
Red Velvet - Birthday
Annnnd just for fun some R&B;
Red Velvet - Bad Boy
NCT DJJ - Perfume
Baekhyun - Bambi
Ten - Birthday
@@allons_y1001 to add to this, the SM groups that really introduced the song switch-up that SM started to push were SHINee and Girls' Generation.
SHINee's Sherlock was a title track that was a remix of two separate songs on the same album. This led to them being able to do different versions of the songs throughout the promotion cycle, so no live performance during award shows was exactly the same.
Girls' Generation's "I Got a Boy" was very polarizing on release but everyone grew to love it as time went on. Other songs that followed this concept during that time were f(x)'s Red Light, Super Junior's Spy, and a handful of other songs.
@@allons_y1001 Thank you for the detailed explanation!!
@@starlight_937 Thank you!
This album was a surprise, but a good one.
SM fucked up by not only not making Thirsty the title track (not that i don't love Spicy) but at the very least not giving it the full MV treatment. It's their highest charting BSide and the fans are screaming for it.
Ohhh I love that it’s charting well!
@@Koko3op they will be performing thirsty on music bank
Its not only SM. Many groups have better Bsides vs title tracks but again, music taste is subjective. If SM felt this more suited to be the title track, then it aint their fault really. I also liked the bsides more of Le sserafim latest album, Left right from XG and so on, but it is what it is. You really cant please every single individual because music taste is so different among eachother.
Thirsty is good song. But pretty basic, so it fits as a bside.
@@shineeforever8285 Oooo yassssssssss
I SAW SOMEONE ON TWITTER SAY THIS ISN’T SNEAKERS, IT’S GIVENCHY HEELS 😭
Speaking of thumbnails, I know exactly the ones you are talking about. They just be posting videos for clicks while looking confused and wrong in the end.
best friend ever dance practice reaction！！！！！plz
SM is different now, LSM and YYJ have left so you probably won’t get that classic SM sound anymore
what is the intro song? I've been trying to Shazam it but nothing is coming up lol
SNSD - Paper plane slowed
While i get what they were trying with the "track teasers", those didnt really do it for me. The main releases however are amazing and have made me even MORE intereseted in Aespa than i was already. Just wow. Now im ready to go buy tickets to a concert. Omg.
And borh songs feel like departures but still have connection to the whole virtual concept. Spicy is a total bop. Absolute 🔥. And Welcome to my World indeed, doesnt even feel like kpop anymore. So epic, color me impressed. New top favorites.
Am I the only one who thought the comeback overall is a bit lacking? Ive listened to Spicy a few times now but I still can't remember a single melody. I get the concept given the storyline but do I really need to see Aespa doing this concept? Probably not. It's good their trying to experiment but this "we are fighting the black mamba weird naevis stuff" was one of the most interesting things about Aespa. I actually like Welcome to My World and Thirsty. Even though like you said the songs are all overall pretty generic and can't compete with the Savage EP. I kinda feel like SM tries too hard to adjust the concept to appeal to the western market like we've seen last year with Life's Too Short for example.
Oh please if there’s one thing we not gonna do is accuse SM (The ONLY company that has stuck to their concepts and themes through and throughout the hate and constant criticism) of trying to appeal to the western market JUST because they made Aespa sing one song in English. Like get real. You have companies that are definitely slaving away trying to do exactly that, especially one particular but let’s not get into any debates here. SM is not one of them. They actually have gone as far as giving current groups older songs with a modern twist because they believe so much in their own talent and previous releases. They keep setting standards and trends in the industry that very true to what K-pop is at the very core. Can’t believe Aespa has release Black Mamba, Next Level, Savage, Girls (that all received an extreme amount of hate btw) only for people like you to start twisting your panties and accuse their companies to want to sell out just because they strayed a little from their original concept in their latest album. Side eye.
Till we meet again erasure
Aespa werent really givin with this cb to me😅
The outfits were nice, but otherwise a bit lackluster 🤷🏾♀️
like overall my rating for this mini was about a 5/10😶
I agree. Big aespa fan but apart for Spicy, this mini album is a downgrade compared to the previous one..
Aespa is the only group that really can experiment and pull it off. Y’all seen what happened with STAYC no shade😂