K-pop girl group Aespa’s first EP ‘Savage’ blends creative storytelling with addictive dance-pop
- Savage successfully shows what members Winter, Ningning, Karina and Giselle have to offer with a listening experience that is both invigorating and satisfying
- The numerous references to Aespa’s fictional elements are immensely fun for those who invest time in the band’s concept, but may put off casual listeners
Aespa have gone to the next level with their first album, Savage, which arrived on October 5.
A six-track EP, Savage comes almost a year after the K-pop girl group debuted with their first single, Black Mamba, last November. Fronted by a single of the same name, Savage arrived about five months after the group’s May single Next Level, which became a viral hit in South Korea and turned the rising rookies into one of the industry’s most prominent female acts.
Formed by K-pop company SM Entertainment, Aespa (stylised “aespa”) is a distinctly conceptual group featuring a sci-fi storyline and virtual “ae” counterparts of each member, all of which feature across their music and related video and social media content. This ties into SM’s larger plans for a companywide, music-based fictional narrative and metaverse known as the SMCU.
Since their debut, the group has focused on a powerful experimental style. On Savage, the quartet continue this through addictive tracks that show off the distinctly quirky flare of dance-pop that Aespa has become known for, embracing Y2K aesthetics and sounds for inspiration. The album also features numerous references to Aespa’s fictional elements, which are immensely fun for those who invest time in the band and their concept, but may put off casual listeners.
The album kicks off with aenergy, an uplifting anthem that explores the group’s members and the characteristics they showcase throughout their superheroine-like story, declaring each members’ in-universe skills and abilities.