By: Adriana Chavez
There’s no other young group that has made their mark on the scene quite like aespa has. The quartet —comprised of Karina, Giselle, Winter, and NingNing— hit the ground running with their debut single “Black Mamba” in November 2020 which instantly became a hit. Once again aespa proved they were the ones to watch with their latest album Savage.
The half million-selling album hits in full force with a concept highlighting the future as aespa continue their journey to KWANGYA with the help of their avatars “nævis” as they go to confront “Black Mamba” based on the story following the previously released track of the same name and their last hit “Next Level.”
Savage begins with “ænergy,” the perfect introduction that lays down the group’s story with an anthemic beat which leads into the album’s title track “Savage.” Surpassing over 100 million views on the music video 17 days after its release, “Savage'' lives up to its name. The trap genre song features a unique rap and powerful ad-libs combined with an addictive hook and choreography. “Savage” shows that aespa is here to stay.
Despite its title “I’ll Make You Cry,” won’t make you cry in a bad way but will instead get you on your feet and make you feel powerful as you overcome hurt and set yourself up for your own comeback. SM Entertainment's frequent collaborator KENZIE also took part in composing the track. Keeping things fun is “YEPPI YEPPI” which mixes deep house, trance, synth wave, and trap genres to share the message of being happy.
“ICONIC” will keep you grooving as the girls sing about being confident and their aspirations. Savage comes together with the final track “Lucid Dream,” which was co-written by Hayley Kiyoko, bringing the softer, emotional side of the group. “Lucid Dream” shares the feelings of searching for the person you loved in a dream even though they are gone. With all the fun dance tracks, the album perfectly wraps up to give you all the joyful beats but still tugs at your heartstrings.
aespa fans can still get on the Savage hype with the Deluxe Boxes available on the SM Global Shop! With three different options to choose from, the Deluxe Boxes come with the Savage CD and either a short sleeve, a long sleeve, or a dad hat. Each box also comes with an exclusive randomized photo cards that features the members wearing the same merch available in the Deluxe Boxes. Pick up one or two boxes and you’ll be able to match with the group! The sales for the album will count towards Hanteo and Gaon and purchases will only ship within the U.S.
The Deluxe Boxes would be a great gift for the holidays or you can surprise yourself and get all three now because you know you want it!
Sources: Naver, SM Press Center, SGS Deluxe Box, SGS Deluxe Box, SGS Deluxe Box
Photo Source: SM Press Center