Review

Song Review: aespa – Supernova

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aespa - SupernovaAs K-pop’s global popularity has increased, so has the use of samples from pop music history. A decade ago, the idea of sampling a Western pop song felt pretty rare, but there have been a number of recent hits built upon hooks from decades past. aespa’s pre-release Supernova samples Afrika Bambaataa’s 1982 classic Planet Rock, a milestone blend of hip-hop and dance elements. That genre mix often forms the foundation of modern K-pop, so Supernova‘s inspiration feels apt.

Some of my all-time favorite pop songs are built on samples, but the track must stand on its own merits. Supernova feels more indebted to SM Entertainment’s sonic legacy than a simple cut-and-paste instrumental flourish. Much of the track unfolds like 2021’s Next Level on steroids, pulsing along scuzzy electro synth as aespa throw down boast after boast. This sing-talk threatens to underwhelm, but it’s smartly forged into hooks as catchy as the song’s melodic highlights.

Supernova really gets going when we hit its chorus. This refrain is simple and repetitive, but the production gives it such momentum. It feels like we’re speeding along a neon-hued metropolis. A climactic dance breakdown brings the song’s Planet Rock sample full force before we segue into Supernova‘s only real vocal showcase. These ad-libs could have gone even bigger and bolder, but I’m still very charmed by the track’s sense of grandeur and unflagging energy.

Hooks 9
 Production 9
 Longevity 9
 Bias 9
 RATING 9

Grade: A-

57 thoughts on “Song Review: aespa – Supernova”

    • imo out of all the currently active 4th gen ggs, no one touches aespa and ive in terms of music, apart from the active ones ofc we have loona, gwsn, etc.

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  3. Maybe its just me but I wish the pre-chorus felt like a pre-chorus? I didnt expect to go into the chorus so abruptly and fast. I do like so many parts of the song but some parts’ transitions sound rough to my ears. Maybe ill get used to it though. Also apparently this is one of the 2 titles this album (correct me if im wrong)

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    • Oh yeah, I did have that same reaction for the pre-chorus. I think the song could’ve benefited more from a proper pre-chorus and maybe keep the energy going after the second chorus. I was thinking the song could’ve gone to a dance break after the second chorus to give more energy before taking a break.

      Nonetheless, this is still a strong track and a style I’m not complaining about.

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  5. wow didn’t expect you to give this a 9 although I enjoyed the song a lot as well! can’t wait for the album and “Armageddon” since it’s supposed to be even better.

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  6. Kinda wish the hooks were stronger, but the PRODUCTION, god damn! That was stellar! It reminds me a bit of f(x)’s NU ABO (or their earlier sounds), but more chaotic.

    My rating at first listen was 8.5 (7, 10, 9, 8), but it grew to a 8.75 (8, 10, 9, 8). But still wish the hooks were stronger and more melodic (but still an earworm nevertheless).

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    • Oh nice callback to Nu ABO, Makes sense. I do envision Supernova to fit in that 2010-2013 timeline for SM music (especially if Supernova wasn’t created for current listeners)

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  8. Contrary to most of you, I found it sort of underwhelming. The verses and the prechorus are strong, the chorus and that dancebreak are quite a killjoy. I expected much more energy from the track.

    As to why, I’m putting this on Eurovision shoes: it feels like it could be an alternative choice for Nutsa Buzaladze from Georgia, or Raiven from Slovenia – but wouldn’t qualify.

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  9. I LOVE it! I never expected it to be amazing from the snippet we got from the highlight medley but man they really proved me wrong. It’s so catchy and very cyberpunk-esque. Even the MV is gorgeous!

    I cannot wait to see if their title track keeps the quality up.

    Man SM’s really stepping it up with their releases this year; like first RIIZE’s Impossible (which is now a contender for my SOTY) + their album tracks, and now aespa’s Supernova. It makes me curious about what everyone else in this company will bring moving forward.

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  10. I rarely give SM props for their musical direction these days because of the damage they did to boy group music in the form of NCT’s neosound. However with WISH, Impossible, and Supernova I think SM is back on track finally. Those three releases defied my expectations and are quite transcendental for SM’s sound itself. I mean we live in the post-Yoo Youngjin era now, so for SM to quickly reemerge after their most fundamental producer left them and to actually see some of classic SM songwriting at play, its just the perfect combination.

    Supernova reminds me of early 2010s SMP and recalls the likes of BoA’s Hurricane Venus. The great thing is that they are also borrowing styles popular today, like the girl crush thingy and it actually feels immaculate and “slay”. This is how we should continue what works and actually focus on melodies and engaging songwriting. IMO, nothing really lacks in the song even the pre-chorus is well done and reminds me of 2010s electropop i.e. Lady Gaga. I just hope SM continues to stray away from that neosound and into this emerging in-house style which is “post-LSM/YYJ sound”.

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    • Omg! Hurricane Venus, that’s such an apt comparison. I was wondering why I had a sense of familiarity with the song, and you perfectly clicked it! Both songs are amazing!

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    • Imo the neosound is completely fine by me, when done by SM and NCT, and maybe a few others who..copied it well. That’s what was the whole problem with it-a certain style and sound was presented, and everyone wanted it and claimed it, making outrageous and unlistenable amalgamations of it, to the point of oversaturating every corner of boy groups music with it. NCT was just doing it’s own thing.

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  11. I’m not much of an Aespa enjoyer, loved Hold on thight tho. But, when I heard that “Incoming” at 0:25 I already knew what’s going on🫡🫡. They really did it. The madlads really did it this time.

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  12. aespa songs are mostly a miss for me on the first listen, but this one was an instant HIT. the production is amazing, the chorus is catchy, even the sing-talk verses are fun! it’s kinda like the sister of ISTJ by NCT DREAM which is also a Kenzie song. I’m pretty sure Dem Jointz was responsible for the sample in the dance break so I have to give it to him for that one.

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  13. Well-produced and has a point of view and a style and high polish.

    For me, there is nothing wrong with it per se, but its a little too fried for my ears. The vocal, the gritty sliding bass line. Maybe it would work better in the car or on the patio, but on my earbuds those sounds are just drilling into my head.

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    • On an unrelated note, the cicadas have emerged, a rare double brood. My neck of the woods is on the edge of the historical geographical distribution, so I don’t have them near home-school-work. But a park a short drive away does.

      They don’t sound like a hissing-buzzing-zipper like we got in this song. More like the electronic hum of a million electric vehicles seemingly everywhere and yet nowhere somewhere in the forest.

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  15. i am a huge aespa fan but was p lost when drama came out last year. was also skeptical of this when i heard it in the highlight medley especially with the sample in the foreground (the same one in twerkulator lol) but luckily i LOVE this. the melody is continuously moving to a runway beat that i appreciate and isn’t hindered by a rap / break until the bridge. i think the sample just being limited to the bridge was a good move, lets the polish of the song breathe when it returns to the last chorus. really crossing my fingers that armageddon is in the same vein (glitchy, maximalist pop with strong melodies)

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  16. This is so them. I wasn’t expecting to like this as much as I did but I’m glad this delivered, considering my weariness of prereleases. Hopefully the tt will be even better.

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  18. Wow I really expected a much lower score. I like the song, but songs like this usually don’t seem to be well received here. The lack of singing and the “noisiness” had me expecting a C or lower. Well, it’s nice to see an A- instead!

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  20. I don’t really hear the big deal. I’ll have to stick with it and see if it start to get it. I instantly loved the others mentioned (e.g. Next Level, Hold On Tight, f(x)’s Nu Abo), but this one underwhelmed on first listen. Maybe I’ll amend my opinion later, if it grows on me;)

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  21. Does Aespa really credit Afrika Bambaataa for the sample? Because that sample was actually made by Kraftwerk in 1977. This was the days before sampling, so Afrika Bambaataa just re-played it note-by-note; so it seems to me, Kraftwerk are the ones who should be credited.

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  24. Not sure if you’ve seen the music video or not, but towards the end there’s this really unnerving bit that reminds me of Eternity. I’m sure we all remember that..

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  25. I really like the fact that, just like you said, the song is capable of standing on it own. The sample is there and does its work, but it doesn’t feel like the heart of the track.

    I find really interesting how K-pop is now actually sampling and giving credit to it. I think NewJeans will also be doing that with “Supernatural,” sampling Pharrel Williams.

    As per this aespa release, it might need a couple listens from me because just like Next Level, I am not completly loving the song after the first listen. But all in all, solid track, and it really sounds like the follow-up Spicy should’ve had, instead of Better Things or Drama.

    The last thing I want to mention is the way they presented their ad-libs at the end. It kind of felt like they were holding back or their voices were sort of “behind” in the mix, which is super strange for aespa. They’re always good for some big vocal moments at the end of their main tracks, so I totally agree with what you said on the review.

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  26. NINE??!? i felt like this was just a collage of hooks, and only one of them slightly memorable. Shocked to see such a high grade, and curious to see if Supernova will grow on me.

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  27. Wow, I really like the second part of the bridge (2:06). I wish the rest of the song was as good.

    I’m sure that it’ll grow on me but seriously when are we going to get anything as good as “Spicy”, “Hold on Tight” or “Girls” again?

    (Also this is off topic, but Nick, where’s our review of Vanessa Williams’s “Legs”?)

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  28. I’m glad we’re back to tracks that feel like Aespa again! Their last tracks were good, don’t get me wrong (I am very easy to please and I enjoy sing-talk), but they didn’t feel as much like Aespa compared to stuff like Next Level and Savage. If their second track Armageddon is anywhere near as good as this, then this album might wind up being one of the best releases of this year. Can’t wait to sit down and listen to the B-Sides too, because it sounds like there’s going to be some gems in there based on the highlight medley.

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  29. I rarely like this type of K-pop song, but Supernova was love at first listen. I knew it was something in the production that sounded pleasantly familiar, but my musical knowledge only took me as far as 2010s pop (Gaga, Christina Aguillera). Thank you for the Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force – Planet Rock reference.

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  30. This song feels very… right on the point in this era. Seriously I don’t know how to say that, but I could imagine if this song is released on 2019 and definitely not everyone is ready for those maximalist fully-packed production (plus the uncanny MV edit ending). I do feel like a modern-ish future nostalgic (not Dua’s album) style from the music and all the SM’s teaser did bring up a lot of feeling deep inside me which made me feel weird, but modern and powerful in the same time.

    As mentioned on some comments above, I would definitely look forward on SM releases this year, as most of my favorite song did come from SM too!

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  31. This is a total aespa track. Their music has never been my cup of tea but I have always appreciated how they never shy away from going all out on what they aim to do. The same goes for this as well. I am not a big fan of it but I appreciate it as a song. The prowess in bringing cohesion along with disorder is impressive. At some points, it reminded me of Lady Gaga for some reasons. After an underwhelming Drama, I am glad they are back on track.

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  32. I needed to head what Planet Rock sounds like and for some reason I can’t find any similarities but the song is so good so found 2 new good songs😍

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    • This is the sample in the bridge (time-stamped at 2:15)

      Taken from here (timestamped at 1:23)

      It’s a pretty iconic synth hook, original from this 1977 Kraftwerk track (timestamped at 0:59)

      I always find it cool when certain riffs or hooks bleed into music over multiple decades. It’s like a baton being passed from the past, to the present and into the future.

      Along these same lines, I’m frequently reminded of the legendary sample from Tom Tom Club’s 1981 hit Genius Of Love, which has been used in countless tracks over the years.

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  35. It may be well-produced and wacky, but it’s not for me. I prefer coherence in music and this is a cobweb of different styles. Will wait for the title track!

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  36. I rarely “get” aespa songs on first listen but usually end up loving them later on. Same thing happened with this one. I just wish there was a smiiiiiidge less of the sing talk in parts, but it’s otherwise so good that I guess it doesn’t really matter.

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