On May 13, aespa released one of the two title tracks on their upcoming Armageddon album, “Supernova”. The whole album, which is the group’s first full-length studio album, is set to release on May 27, and fans are understandably hyped.
With “Supernova”, aespa has continued to stick to their somewhat unconventional and unique style of music that isn’t to everyone’s taste, but many people love. And in an era where the trend seems to be easy-listening music in the K-Pop genre, their unique sound stands out all the more.
One of the top Korean comments on the “Supernova” music video became a topic of conversation on an online forum, with many people agreeing with the sentiment it expressed. It mentions how, in an era of K-Pop where there isn’t as much individuality between artists as there used to be, aespa stands out in a positive way with their unusual sound and commitment to their futuristic/sci-fi concept and sound. In a way, they are honoring the older era of K-Pop when artists had more distinct styles that, while sometimes experimental, were one of the things that appealed to so many fans.
Comment: It’s been really diluted these days, but K-Pop’s original weapons were diversity and a group’s unique aura. There are songs that are performed in army-style dancing while singing, but in the end, diversity is the weapon of K-Pop. If you look at old groups, don’t you just see it? TVXQ, BIGBANG, EXO, SHINee, Girls’ Generation, Wonder Girls, KARA, SISTAR, etc. There were no groups whose concepts and aura overlapped, and although they tried various concepts, they clearly maintained their group’s aura. Aespa, like those groups, is responsible for the diversity of K-Pop. Easy-listening songs are popular these days, with nostalgic fashion, and relatable lyrics guarantee success and popularity, but in the end, they take away the fun of K-Pop because it creates uniformity. Any one of the major groups must continue to try new things and maintain the group’s identity so that K-Pop will be richer in the future. Honestly, if this group had come out with easy listening songs, I think I would rather only listen to foreign pop, and with that level of visuals and talent, easy listening songs would be a waste of talent.
Response: F*cking agree.
A tweet was also shared on the forum post from another user who agrees that aespa shouldn’t resort to easy-listening songs.
Translation: Why should aespa do easy listening songs? Please stop avoiding difficult songs and live a little.
Comments on the forum post responding to these opinions are overall quite positive. Many people agree that aespa’s uniqueness is a definite positive part of their branding, and they’re glad that the K-Pop group hasn’t strayed too far from that concept.
Do you agree with their opinions on aespa’s music?
Source: Instiz and Pann Choa
