There was a time when a collaboration between artists like aespa and G-Dragon would have seemed almost unthinkable. SM and YG were the biggest rivals in K-pop, after all. However, G-Dragon’s not part of YG anymore and SM is a shell of what it used to be now that so much more competition floods the K-pop market. Even so, this pairing still caught my attention as a potential moment of greatness when two huge K-pop forces collide.
WDA (Whole Different Animal) is a pre-release for aespa’s upcoming album. Last time they dropped a pre-release like this, that song went on to dominate the charts all year. Producer Dem Jointz was attached to that project as well and I’m sure everyone involved would love for WDA to replicate Supernova‘s success. This time, the aesthetic is far more indebted to hip-hop, though a few electronic flourishes poke through in the instrumental. Since Whiplash, aespa have become more of a “charismatic talk” group than a “singing” group, which seems to work for them commercially. However, I can’t help but wonder how WDA might sound if it had some melodies — or a meaningful structure at all.
G-Dragon is barely a presence on this track, though it seems that much of his input came as a co-writer. You can hear a bit of his colorful point of view poking through, but the song needs to be twice as cheeky because right now things feel way too serious to be fun. Remember when K-pop used to be fun, above all else? Now, 90% of girl groups are retreading the same “I’m the best” subject matter and the boasts grow more and more hollow with each passing year. It takes a fantastic song to elevate this tired concept and WDA is barely a song at all. It’s musical branding, more suitable to an album trailer than a chart-dominating hit.
| Hooks | 6 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7.25 |
Grade: C
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
Ngl, I LOVE the percussions and the synth textures also add to the menacing vibes of the track. But yeah, I wish there were more melodies, but overall, I highkey vibe with it!
7.75 (6, 9, 8, 8) for me
LikeLike
the lyrics are borderline cringey. The aave is not a good fit with aespa.
LikeLike
Yeah, aespa discography really just went downhill after Whiplash. I am not really a fan of this ‘charismatic talk’ concept as aespa can’t pull it of as good as GD. The melody part is almost non-existent, it is hard to enjoy the song if you are not a diehard hip-hop or rap music fan.
This is easily the worst aespa release since Better Things. I hope Lemonade can change the album for the better….
LikeLiked by 1 person
The most interesting part was GD’s verse, and that’s only because it’s a big switchup im vocal tone lol. I kept wondering when the chorus would hit, then I realized the part with “she’s a whole different animal” IS the chorus, which is disappointing
there’s just nothing to this track, nothing that gives it a unique identity. 5.75 for me
LikeLike
You’re too kind, as usual. I think it’s better than Rich Man, worse than Dirty Work. Oh well, we have H2H pumping out hits constantly now, so who cares? Out with the old and in with the new!
LikeLike
Mate I don’t think the girls could release anything worse than Rich Man 😬. What an awful release Rich Man was. Terrible songwriting and an even worse choreography.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not bad overall. I like the beat and some of the flourishes but it’s sorely missing a proper chorus and I don’t think it quite gets as intense as it should. I’d rank it below Dirty Work (but I’m a Dirty Work truther)
LikeLike
was this even a song? Don’t recall singing involved or is this just someone reading a bunch of non related lines off a piece of paper?
Personally I can’t even begin to rate this
LikeLiked by 1 person
aespa didn’t spend YEARS training just to talk over a beat smh
7 out of the 7.25 is for the instrumental
LikeLiked by 1 person
As a non-English speaker, it’s kinda hard for me to tell whether they’re just throwing together almost random words to make things rhyme and sound rap-heavy, or if this is actually hip hop at its finest 😐… It still feels pretty disjointed and hard to describe… The chorus doesn’t even feel like a chorus, the transitions between the verses are really poorly structured, and honestly, the only thing I like is the electric synth…
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think this could work well as the opening song at a live show. That’s about all I have to say about it. I felt the same way about BOYNEXTDOOR’s “Knock Knock” yesterday and Billlie’s “ZAP” as well, but it feels like some groups are relying too much on the idea that a dark, unsettling sound is enough on its own. I’m not very familiar with this kind of genre, but no matter which part of the song I focus on, I can’t find anything that feels genuinely cool.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m tired boss
LikeLiked by 1 person
The annoying thing for me is that I get what they were going for . I truly do and I find myself with a song that I like but not satisfied with it . There is an itch that seems like they were going to scratch and then all of a sudden we are in another section of the song . G-Dragon’s switch up section gave a bit of life into the song , especially with how lowkey and maybe dissapointing the chorus was . With every listen , it kept me curious somehow which was surprising because deep down I was hoping that it will reach another level . It also makes me curious how it will sound in the album , songs tend to make sense or click when you hear them in the album and I hope their album this time is cohesive either musically or conceptually although the bar is low at this point .
LikeLike
I get that a lot of people don’t find it very aespa sounding but also as artists it’s only fair for them to experiment with sounds and bring something new and fresh. It’s pretty evident that they don’t want just one kind of sound to be their identity for their entire career. Let us give them their creative liberty. It’s such a vibe!
LikeLike