aespa (에스파) - Armageddon
Review
The first thing that comes to mind when you first listen to "Armageddon" is that it is definitely an AESPA song. Then you start questioning yourself. Is this really an AESPA song or simply someone who tries to mimic them, and with very little success I might add? The song has that distinct AESPA-sound, but it lacks in every aspect. It is highly formulaic and at the same time overly minimalistic, with many repetitive parts both musically and lyrically. The droning-extended vowels get annoying fast and the forced high-notes are so out place that have the opposite effect. Plus there are no memorable underlying melodies, which was the redeeming feature in many of their previous tracks.
To say that it is a couple of steps below "Supernova" would be the understatement of the year, because "Armageddon" is a below average song that if it wasn't sung by AESPA wouldn't have any lack. There is literally going on musically, besides a buzzing synth-bass very low on the background and a soft-snare that just keeps the tempo without any flourishes or gusto. The vocals are great like always, but the girls seem like they are trying to fill the gaps and empty parts in the production, rather that sing fully realized parts. Every idea is a rehash of a previous one, and each girl does exactly what she has done in all their previous title tracks. Zero innovation, zero inspiration, zero creativity. I really wanted to like this song, but I keep listening to it and I can't find anything to like.
The music video, on the other hand, is visually stunning and a total treat for the eyes. I could watch it even on mute and properly enjoy it! The production values are once again top notch, with CGI effects dominating the larger part of the video, but the costume designs never match that futuristic concept. The choreography is also not showcased that much, getting lost among all those CGI set-pieces and special effects, but what is shown seem strangely basic and low-energy, even for a song that is based on low-tempo hip-hop. The futuristic, metaverse theme is prevalent once again and even though there must be a story somewhere, nothing is very clear, so you just sit and enjoy the ride. Overall, this title-track does not meet the expectations, and suddenly SM's decision to have two title-tracks instead of one makes a lot more sense.
Release Info & Mini Bio
AESPA, the four-member girl group under SM Entertainment that debuted on November 17, 2020 with the digital single "Black Mamba", made a comeback today on May 27, 2024 with their first full-length album "Armageddon" and the same-titled song as the album's main title track. "Armageddon" is only one of the album's double title tracks, with the other, "Supernova", having been pre-released on May 13, 2024. The album will contain ten tracks and the physical release will out in 20 versions! Two Authentic versions (photobook version with CD), four member-specific Superbeing versions (booklet version with CD), five member-specific plus one group My Power versions (digipak version with CD), four member-specific Poster versions (folded poster with CD), one Zine versions (magazine with CD) and four member-specific SMini versions (keyring with NFC card). This album is the follow-up to the group's seventh digital single "Regret of the Times (2024 aespa Remake Version)" that was released on January 15, 2024.
Track List
- "Supernova"
- "Armageddon"
- "Set The Tone"
- "Mine"
- "Licorice"
- "Bahama"
- "Long Chat (#♥)"
- "Prologue"
- "Live My Life"
- "Melody (목소리)"