Review Summary: A K-pop laser revolver that is effective when it hits, but too fragile to be effectively used
As it currently stands, the SM Entertainment-based girl group
aespa the hottest new thing in k-pop, having risen from general negativity to growing success in the space of a year, and the hype is definitely appearing to be carrying over towards the west, with performances at Coachella and the group getting a Western distribution deal with Warner Records. But despite this massive hype, when looking through the band’s MY-base on Reddit and elsewhere, there appeared to be a lot of nihilism and negativity surrounding the release of their new EP/release,
Girls; some users said they were going to flop, some users were bothered with the western-targeted sound, among other things. But now, it’s finally been released; so, do
aespa prove their “chart stans” and critics wrong, and do they come out on top? Well the answer is… to an extent.
Girls, to put it briefly, pushes
aespa to the next level (yeah), musically and stylistically, and shows nothing but positive growth when compared to their previous EP,
Savage. Instead of being a hyperpop-derivative meld of the works of SOPHIE and the general pop music landscape like
Savage was,
Girls is able to expand beyond that and carve their own little niche for themselves, taking a greater use of live instrumentation and, to a degree, guitar-based music. While expanding beyond the musical “norm” can definitely be seen as a risky move that can potentially be perceived as inorganic and alienating,
aespa manages to make it seem easy; it never pushes too soft or too hard in its creative sights and energy to be catering or alienating for their fans, and as a result gives
aespa some important and much-needed creative credibility.
Another positive point is that
aespa are shown to be continually improving their general craft, honing in the songwriting and performances, and while they do use some of those songwriting tricks taken from their prior hit “Next Level” in terms of having great choruses and little hooky nuances, they never necessarily make an exact copy of the song (“Girls” is the closest it gets to completely copying the formula with its quasi-“beat drop” moment). Sure, it’s not as immediate as their previous work; but every song has some little thing that can works its way into your head. On the performance front,
aespa show nothing but growth in both their bratty and softer musical personalities, and allows them equal time in the spotlight to flourish. Performance and attitude has always been key to
aespa’s strengths, and on
Girls they can compose themselves together in a more mature way. Even if
aespa’s lyrics can be a little cringe at times (e.g “You're so yummy, yummy, yummy/In my tummy, tummy, tummy” in “Illusion”), and even hard to understand at times with their sometimes nonsensical lore-heavy conceptual lyrics (e.g. “I will hug you/so that you can feel/Without SYNK DIVE”),
aespa’s confidence and mannerisms when delivering lyrical bars largely distracts you from these issues, and magnetises your attention to the whole vibe of a song than a singular element.
But first impressions only last so long; because when the musical hype slows, the cracks begin to show that
Girls is, in reality, extremely fragile. The less immediate nature of songs, such as with "Lingo", mean that you may discard the songs before you let them SYNK in, and the lack of a consistent hype train means that
aespa's lyrical issues are more noticeable at times. Furthermore, the album’s less-hype songs, like "ICU", aren’t easily as maskable by the other songs on the album (this problem was averted on
Savage), and can unintentionally highlight the hollow vulnerabilities of some of the parts of
Girls. It’s almost contradictory;
aespa makes out
Girls to be a monolithic release, and they have definitely put lots of effort into wanting it to be the the biggest greatest thing worldwide; but more often than not, means that its direction is less cohesive and is an uncomfortably-shaped pill to swallow, even if it is somewhat good.
So to cap it all off, the point still stands;
aespa have defied expectations set for them, and have showed on
Girls that they can, and have, done better; but it’s practically at the verge of exploding, and almost incapable of carrying the
aenergy and momentum
aespa have generated for themselves; but perhaps, with the increased exposure and progressive-accessibilities provided by the group,
aespa can prove their potential later on. It’s a blueprint, a prototype; it definitely looks great, but as it stands, their weapon of choice is not as functional as they hoped. But hey, in the spirit and words of
aespa, just remember; “every day, we get better.” They know what they're aiming for.
3.5/5
