Welcome back to Fan Chant, a weekly column for K-pop fans, stans, and newbies alike. Today, let’s take a closer look at the new music from aespa. As always, if you enjoy what you’re reading, feel free to subscribe to my companion newsletter to get Fan Chant delivered right to your inbox each week!
Since debuting in 2020, aespa have had a knack for rolling out killer title tracks. They consistently make a splash with their singles like “Drama” and “Armageddon,” sweeping social media with catchy snippets of various choruses and dynamic choreography.
As they gear up for a 2025 US tour (grab tickets here), aespa have returned with their fifth mini-album, Whiplash. aespa now join LE SSERAFIM in the elite category of “2024 K-pop releases I will henceforth be demanding be played in the club:” LE SSERAFIM nailed it with “CRAZY,” and aespa are now in the ring with “Whiplash.”
For Karina, Giselle, Winter, and Ningning, leaning into hyperpop is nothing new. Their concept as a group, after all, has always included the futuristic and cyberpunk. They started playing with concepts like the metaverse and AI before the technologies were anywhere close to where they are now; aespa always felt like they existed on the cutting edge.
With Whiplash, and the title track in particular, aespa balance that penchant for the experimental and modern with the classic qualities of a great pop tune. These four don’t play around when it comes to making great vocal performances happen within the controlled chaos of performances and intense choreography, and while “Whiplash” doesn’t have as many of the more demanding vocal moments found on tracks like “Black Mamba” or “Spicy,” the harmonies are still prioritized whenever possible. The clubby verses feel adjacent to 2NE1’s iconic “I Am the Best.”
Some K-pop groups feel called to take big swings or reinvent themselves from release to release, and it’s refreshing seeing aespa’s team feel comfortable moving forward with the girls right here in their strike zone. Four years into their story, they’re still finding ways to make their take on hyperpop feel refreshing — take a listen to “Whiplash” below, if you haven’t already, and get ready to meet me in the club.