aespa Aims to Show More Depth with 'Armageddon'
“If metal taste is aespa’s signature, we want to show that there are many more charms to us as you dive deeper.”
From the taste of metal and cans to the taste of earth, aespa is the epitome of limitless charm.
The group aespa is making a powerful comeback with their first full-length album 'Armageddon' after four years since their debut. They held a showcase at Bluesquare in Hannam-dong, Seoul, on the 27th, where they unveiled the title track 'Armageddon' for the first time.
This album is aespa's first full-length album since their debut. Winter said, “aespa’s color is very distinct, so we all thought about what the most aespa-like thing would be. We focused on preparing something that is most like us and our own.”
The album contains 10 tracks, including double title tracks. Winter mentioned, “Many people say our songs have a metallic taste, but with the tracks in this album, we tried to show various colors, from warm emotional ballads to bright and cheerful dance songs and rhythmic modern pop genres.”
Winter also added, “Through this activity, Season 2 of our expanded multiverse officially begins. It’s very special in that sense. Some people said we left the wilderness and separated from our AI aespa, but we are excited to show a bigger and different concept.”
Reflecting on the success of their previously released double title track ‘Supernova,’ which achieved a ‘perfect all-kill’ on major music charts and accumulated 31 million streams on Spotify, Giselle expressed her gratitude. “We were very happy to receive so much love for ‘Supernova,’ which we released as a pre-release song. The support from the public allows us to maintain our unique color.”
The title track 'Armageddon' features a weighty sound with a rough yet restrained vocal tone, characteristic of a hip-hop dance song. The lyrics convey a message about meeting different versions of oneself in different worlds and becoming a complete self.
When asked to describe ‘Armageddon’ in keywords, Karina said, “‘Supernova’ has a can taste, and ‘Armageddon’ has an earth taste. It’s a song with a drier and deeper feel. It might be difficult at first, but it becomes addictive the more you listen.”
What does aespa think of the ‘metal taste’ attributed to their music? Winter said, “Our vocal tone is very bright and sharp, which is why people might describe it as a metallic taste.” Giselle added, “In addition to the vocals, the strong beats in our music, our unique character settings, and game-like elements contribute to this description.”
Their performance was exactly as described, combining an old-school hip-hop base with aespa’s unique intense and precise choreography, creating a distinguished style. Rather than hip-hop girls, they exuded a hip-hop warrior vibe, clearly differentiating themselves from other artists showcasing old-school themes.
Despite the issues surrounding their comeback, including being mentioned amid the Adore situation, Karina said, “We were aware of the various issues. Rather than feeling pressured, we focused on practicing for our first full-length album, and thanks to the support and love, we achieved first place. We are very grateful for the love.”
Winter added a positive perspective, saying, “I think we just accepted that things would work out well.”
There were concerns about the relationship between aespa and NewJeans, but Karina clarified, “We recently met the members of that group at a music show, and we exchanged hearts and said we love each other in the waiting room. There are no concerns at all; we get along well as great colleagues.”
They emphasized that their focus is on self-improvement rather than competition with other groups. Ningning firmly stated, “We are more focused on competing with our past selves and continuously developing. Each artist has their own unique color and charm, so we can’t compare or replace each other.”
