That all these emotional features are found in Savage is ironic, because the idea behind aespa is, well, not very human. T-ARA’s “Day by day” (2012), uses similar chords, and the effect is similar too. They also conjure the melancholy of the ppong element from Korean trot music. These are similar chords and feelings of songs such as BTS’ “Lie” (2016) and Taemin’s “Shadow” (2019). The chord progression in “Savage’s” pre-chorus conveys a dark, haunting feeling. These chants are a common feature in songs by young K-pop female groups. And it does have its share of common elements in songwriting, vocals, and production. For example, the unison vocals in the EP’s opening track, “ aenergy”, which resemble sports cheerleaders’ chants, add a sugary counterpoint to the dry and bass-boosted instrumentals. K-pop is not a music genre, but it is a label put on pop artists from South Korea. That aespa is a K-pop group adds another layer to the genre labeling.
But all of these words are needed to explain aespa’s new EP, Savage (2021). You could try another combination of synonyms of electronic music and dystopia and they should work too. How does one describe aespa’s music? It takes several genres to do so: hyperpop, pc music, EDM, electropop, bubblegum bass, glitch, cybergoth, and deconstructed club.
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