[Interview] ”aespa”, a Q&A on their 5th mini album ”Whiplash” with an even stronger ”electronic train flavor”

Korean girl group aespa made their full comeback on the 21st with an even stronger "electronic train flavor."
Aespa's 5th mini album "Whiplash" will be released on various music sites at 6 p.m. on the 21st, with the title track "
The music video for "Whiplash" will also be released simultaneously through YouTube's SMTOWN channel.
This album is the first EDM that aespa has attempted since their debut.
The title track "Whiplash" is a bass techno genre song, and the hip-hop dance track "Kill Me" features a strong rap and vocal appeal.
"It," the mysterious R&B song "Flights, Not Feelings," and the song with the message of loving yourself.
The hip-hop dance song "Pink Hoodie," the alternative R&B song "Frowers," which compares the emotion of falling in love to flowers, and the pop song "Song of the Heart," which sends a warning message to a betrayed lover,
A total of six songs have been recorded, including the title track "Just Another Girl." Aespa has previously released the title track "Supernova" from their first full album.
It's been about five months since they released their first new song since their big hit, and there is a lot of interest and anticipation in what they will show in the future.
The album teased the group's unique "iron flavor" through their restrained performance and visuals, which contrast with the maximal visuals of the previous album.
Attention is focused on the limitless musical growth of "aespa" as demonstrated by "Whiplash". Below is a Q&A with "aespa" about their 5th mini album "Whiplash".
Q. What was the most important thing you focused on while preparing this album? KARINA: We focused on the beat of the title song "Whiplash" in the music video.
I think I was most worried about how to express it through choreography. WINTER: Of course, we worked hard on the performance and the songs, and we put a lot of thought into creating a visual that would fit the album concept.
GISELLE: I paid the most attention to the recording. For each comeback, there are different things I pay special attention to, but this time I tried to concentrate even more on the recording.
We put in a lot of effort. Of course there are some things that I'm disappointed about, but we did our best, so please listen to it. NINGNING: This choreography is a new style that's different from the usual,
We focused on the poses and angles. Q. What are the listening points for the title song "Whiplash"? Is this song also about the charm of "the taste of iron" or what kind of charm do you think it is?
Please express it. KARINA: The point of listening to "Whiplash" is that it's addictive and the beat is like a constant beat in your ears. This time, it's more like a "taste of electronics" than a "taste of iron."
WINTER: The repeated chorus is fascinating! This album can be described as "the taste of digital iron" or "the taste of electronic iron"!
GISELLE: I think the beat is the most unique part, and the point is the "Whip-Whiplash" part, which is repeated like this and is addictive. That's the appeal of "Taste of Iron".
But I think it can be said to be a cool version of 'Supernova.'" NINGNING: The point of this new song is that it will make everyone want to dance even after just listening to it for 5 seconds!
Q. Aespa is known for their unique performances, but what kind of performance can we expect from "Whiplash" this time?
KARINA: For this song "Whiplash," I thought the most important thing was to express the sense of beat, so I tried to express the shipping-like aspect by stretching out my hands and arms.
WINTER: I think the performance is very impressive because it is intense and full of external forces! GISELLE: This time, the choreography is more stylish, especially
I think the key is shoulder isolation. NINGNING: The composition is typical of aespa, and the styling matches the song well. I'm looking forward to a great performance overall.
Q. What are the highlights of the "Whiplash" music video and are there any memorable episodes that occurred during filming?
KARINA: I think the unique feature is that it uses new angle shots.
It seems to have been completed more powerfully with the addition of a group dance and then an acting part. WINTER: It's a little more subdued than previous "aespa" music videos,
I think it has a lot of stylish and fashionable points! I also shot in the US, and the hairpins I used to hold my hair in place matched really well with the clothes I was wearing at the time.
So I remember one episode where we left it on and filmed. Afterwards, the members and I watched the monitoring footage and laughed a lot.
GISELLE: The overall concept of the music video is techno, and when I saw the outfits and visuals, I felt it was conceptual.
I think it's interesting to see the fashionable elements of the photos. I was also impressed by how many different accessories were used, and I remember that the actual photography equipment, the camera, was a bit trickier to use than I thought.
Personally, I tried toned-down makeup for the first time in this music video, and it was a new experience for me so it was fun.
NINGNING: Instead of the traditional CG and set style, the white background gives a simple and cool impression, and the scenes shot on location in LA are beautiful.
I can feel the vibe! Q. You previously had a huge hit with "Supernova," but is there anything you'd like to achieve with this album?
KARINA: I personally love "Whiplash" more than the results, so I want more people to know about it.
I want you to love me more. WINTER: I saw the reaction of fans saying that they were able to spend their time feeling better through "Supernova." This album is also something that many people will find meaningful in their daily lives.
I hope this album will be a source of strength to everyone! GISELLE: I love all the songs on this album and I hope it gets even more love than "Supernova."
NINGNING: This time, rather than focusing on the results, I hope you will enjoy our music and performance.
Q. You recently completed a successful Asia tour covering 25 shows in 15 regions. Next year you will be performing in North and South America, Europe, and China.
You will be expanding the scale of the tour in the future. Can you tell us about the most memorable moment from your previous shows and how you feel about the upcoming new shows?
KARINA: The first concert we performed at was the Seoul concert. It was the first time I saw the results of our hard work.
I'm grateful that I was able to meet many more fans in person through the concert, and I look forward to seeing MY ("aespa") fans in countries that I haven't been to before.
WINTER: During the Asia tour, we got in the van and used the flow of the audience to perform close to the fans.
I remember every single one of the fans' faces. I was really happy that they responded so enthusiastically and were so happy. I'm really looking forward to the North and South America and Europe tour.
During last year's tour, we promised our fans that if they came to see us again, we would give them an even better performance! We're going to work hard to prepare and go see our fans, so
Please look forward to it! GISELLE: Every time we have an encore, our fans prepare an event for us, which we are very grateful for and it is a memorable experience.
We are looking forward to and excited to show you a new side of ourselves at Bam and in our upcoming concerts.
NINGNING: All the performances in each city were impressive, but the first one was always the best.
I think the certification is the most memorable. We practiced and prepared for it for a long time, so there is always a sense of nervousness and anticipation at the first concert.
Q. Finally, please say a few words to the fans who are looking forward to this album.
KARINA: Thank you for always loving our music. To show your appreciation, we want to make a song that makes you want to dance.
We've brought you some fun, so please give us lots of love and blow away your stress while listening to "Whiplash"!
WINTER: We've prepared a lot of songs that will show off the unique side of aespa in this album, so please look forward to it and listen to it a lot.
Please come! GISELLE: I'm coming early to release the new album, so I'll come back with some great results, so please look forward to it.
NINGNING: We worked hard together with the members and staff to prepare this time too, so MY
I hope everyone will end 2024 on a high note by listening to this album. I will continue to work hard to produce even better music!