There’s no denying that aespa are one of the frontrunners of the fourth generation of K-Pop and their historic set at Coachella 2022 just gave further proof of what MYs have known all along. The girls became the first K-Pop girl group to ever play a full set on the festival’s main stage, appearing during 88rising’s showcase of Asian artists, and it was also the first full set they’ve ever played as a group.
They played some of their biggest hits to date, including ‘Black Mamba,’ ‘Next Level,’ and ‘Savage,’ as well as giving us the live debut of ‘aenergy’ and the first listen of their upcoming track ‘Life’s Too Short.’ We’re still processing their incredible performance, but while we’re doing that, we can promise you that ‘Life’s Too Short’ not to stan aespa. So we thought we’d give you some song recs to get you started! Dive right into the FLAT with us and we’ll make sure you’re a MY in no time!
‘YEPPI YEPPI’
Not gonna lie, we’re a little sad that ‘YEPPI YEPPI’ didn’t get the big moment she deserved at Coachella. But even just listening to the song once cheers us up! ‘YEPPI YEPPI’ has such a bright, bubbly energy that’s unlike any other songs that aespa have released so far. You can practically hear the smiles on the girls’ faces as they sing this one.
‘Dreams Come True’
If you “wanna feel the vibe” of aespa, you need to hear their reimagining of S.E.S’ 1998 track ‘Dreams Come True,’ which they recorded for an SMTown project that included songs from all the company’s artists. The girls brought the dreamy song into the modern era with a new beat and their signature confidence, while maintaining the otherworldly feeling of the chorus. You can also see the ae members on the screens in the background of the rooftop scene, giving an aespa sci-fi flair to a K-Pop classic!
‘Lucid Dream’
‘Lucid Dream’ really stands out in aespa’s discography for two reasons: one, it’s absolutely beautiful. Two, it was co-written by Hayley Kiyoko, who we also adore! It’s a sweet love song about feeling like you’re lost in a mist of romance and warm feelings, and it gives such a nice ending to the Savage mini-album after more punchy songs like ‘Savage’ and ‘aenergy.’ It’s simply ethereal and we still aren’t over it.
‘ICONIC’
The best way to describe this song is simply its title: ICONIC! The song sees aespa embracing their confidence and the fact that they were all “born to be a superstar,” all while capturing someone’s heart. It’s one of our faves from the Savage mini-album because of its edge and the gorgeous harmonies the girls give us on the chorus. And coincidentally, “turn up, turn up, girls” is exactly what we say when one of our friends starts playing this song. To properly listen, you need the volume up so high that Black Mamba would be scared off and free the aes immediately. More on that reference shortly…
‘I’ll Make You Cry’
Speaking of Black Mamba, we couldn’t make this list without including ‘I’ll Make You Cry.’ On this electrifying track, aespa confront the snake villain and try to rescue their ae counterparts with such a badass attitude we’re obsessed with. To summarize the Black Mamba/KWANGYA/ae storyline for new fans: basically, aespa’s ae friends are virtual versions of themselves that get trapped in a land called KWANGYA by Black Mamba, who’s pretty much a computer virus that threatens them. Once you get into the lore, it’s thrilling!
So how did we do? Did we turn you into an aespa stan? MYs, what do you think of our song picks? Let us know in the comments below or hit us up on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! We promise we don’t have any giant shadowy snakes hiding on our profiles.
Now that you love aespa like we do, click here to find out which member would be your bestie!
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