In the world of South Korea, K-Pop has become a worldwide phenomenon with groups such as BTS and many others gaining recognition for a whole new kind of Electronic based music that has changed a lot. Inspiring many to appreciate Korean culture, movies, history and even learning the Korean Hangeul language. Above all, the music has changed everything. Many talk in the media about the rise of China today, yet South Korea is just getting started as a country in its own way. In any case, aespa are one of the best girl K-Pop groups from South Korea and have tunes and fame to back up their agenda. This is their second mini album, and it should be a very interesting listen. Let’s hear it.

Girls launches this release off with energetic and dark sounds, going straight into a very determined and wonderful sounding piece of music. It is highly indebted to EDM styled music and sounds really excellent. The group sound quite aggressive in their singing here, and the production is A Grade for this music. Seriously, it makes the Spice Girls look like a parody act of themselves. Nonetheless, this music is dynamic, interesting and warped sounding. This is extremely confident and different sounding, and sounds really wonderful throughout. An awesome and uplifting tune for something deep and dark sonically, the music present is really amazing and different. A very nice and fresh tune to hear, 2022 shows that a shift is occurring from western based music to the music of the far east. Really cool, there is a heavy electronic groove towards the end that is unmatchable. A great sonic punch, kudos to aespa and the production here. Great, great music. Really interesting listening, and a good four minutes of pure attitude. Nice work.

Illusion begins with a siren and some electronic squelches. Soon enough, a sexually sounding sung section is here, and this launches into a very RnB tune that sounds really quite excellent. This is obviously a good song for ladies to tell men that they are interested in getting some. The music present sounds a bit warped, but that is supposed to be the case. A really wonderful and excellent listen, this tune is great and delivered very well. A beautiful set of harmonies in the bridge are here, and there are is a really great mixture of English and Korean lyrics present. Since BTS are on hiatus, this may very well be the next big thing in the world of music. An awesome tune, and very sensual sounding. Even if this is relatively Pop and here today, gone tomorrow, this is very enjoyable. Worth hearing.

Lingo begins with a recorded phone call and there is some nonsense talk about warding off people who are competitors to aespa. A wonderful and interesting piece of music is here with some interesting harmonica and other wacky electronic sounds, this is a very catchy tune for what this is. Interesting, polished and well delivered, this is a step up in terms of quality of material here. Short, sweet and catchy, this is a nicely delivered piece of music that has a great deal of girl attitude. As the world has switched from male Rock stars to female RnB icons, this fits the postmodern era perfectly. A joyful tune, and less than three minutes long. A good effort.

Life’s Too Short begins with some Fender Stratocaster guitars, a bit of a musical oddity for aespa. Some gorgeous vocals are sung over the top, and this piece of music is really pretty. Some heavy beats enter, and this song gets underway very well. A romantic sounding piece that does hit some emotions very well, this is an inspiring tune to hear for female artists. Very nicely structured. Although this is very much digital music, it works extremely well. These ladies will be presumably around for quite some time in the music scene, so this is good to pay attention to. Very, very pretty tunes and very awe inspiring. A really great and powerful listen emotionally, this just sounds very top. A nice three minute Pop song, cleverly executed as well.

ICU is a good piece with acoustic guitar and some interesting electronic sounds, with delayed vocals as well. This continues the rather romantic and pretty nature of music at hand. aespa do really wonderfully here, once again, and although this is clearly aimed at a teenage market, it really does sound beautiful and irresistible. Whether you understand the Korean language or not, this is a moving and inspiring piece of tunefulness from a female group. It is a genuinely good listen, and it really sounds sleek and pretty. This is obviously not going to be to everyone’s tastes, but it is very touching and sensitive listening. A wonderful effort, perfect for that romantic moment with your partner. Some great harmonies are here towards the end, and this does sound magical. A fine effort, and definitely worth hearing. Lovely stuff. Some soft Korean singing is here at the end, before quickly concluding. Nice work.

Life’s Too Short (English Version) is next, and is decent for the fact that aespa took the effort to make an English version of this song. It sounds really good all the same, and shows that there is a real crossover audience for K-Pop now. It is a good tune with some interesting lyrics that are passionately delivered from the female perspective. This is very effective and it sounds like aespa are open minded about the music they make. It has some interesting romantic/sexual themes about it, and the song here is very pretty. A good lesson about what women want (minus Mel Gibson being able to read women’s minds) and a good listen throughout. A bit soppy, but good in any case.

Black Mamba is the standout and most popular track from this album. It begins with ghostly sounds, a dirty bass riff and is incredibly good to hear. Some punchy musicianship and singing are here, and this piece sounds really awesome and wonderful throughout. It breaks into a super catchy instrumental section with loads of wild electronic editing. The chorus is absolutely fantastic, with one of the best sung/autotuned vocals you will ever hear in your life. This tune sounds groovy, interesting and insanely good for what it is. Catchy, wonderful and lovely tune to hear, this is an incredible effort to hear. A truly great K-Pop tune, aespa will take you to the Next Level and beyond. An outstanding 2022 tune, and a good indication of where it’s at. Great music, definitely worth repeat listens. Fantastic.

Forever begins with stardust sounds, acoustic guitar, bongos and a romantic sounding string section. This is, again, very Poppy but very romantic sounding. Although rather a bit of a song for teenagers in mind, it does sound quite good. A very interesting, beautiful and romantic sounding tune, this is mindblowing if you need a purely romantic and sensitive tune to hear. This sounds really cool and amazing, and is a decent tune to hear if you really feel like you need to fall in love with some music at hand. In any case, a good tune, despite it being rather soppy at times. Mellow, fresh and interesting, this song is something for young people in particular to appreciate. Sweet and lovely, again this will unlikely be to everyone’s tastes. It works surprisingly well though, and it uses the five minute length here in an effective listen. There is an acoustic guitar solo here which sounds really pretty. Good song for loving, although some will undoubtably find this difficult to appreciate. Nice tune regardless, aespa do femininity extremely well. A good listen through and through, it ends with chanted vocals that are drenched in reverb. Good music.

Dreams Come True begins with some Trap style beats and a more mainstream Pop styled groove, launching into a very danceable piece. This is the era of Electronic maneuvering with sounds, and this is a short and sweet sounding tune that is more accessible to listen to. A really interestingly structured piece of songcraft, this sounds very excellent, even if it is not as popular as some other aespa tunes. Although the K-Pop machine has some varied music in terms of quality, this is very decent for 2022. A really fun piece of music, and a good ending to a very decent mini album. As long as the music keeps coming through, aespa are on their way up in South Korea. A really nice tune, this sounds highly effective. Lovely song.

To be clear, this is very feminine music that is aimed at a teen audience on a basic level. Having said that, this is an exceptionally good combination of music, sounds and some artistry on a K-Pop basis into one cool mix. Sure, the quality here isn’t as consistent as it could be. However, this is very beautiful and wonderful music when the mood for K-Pop strikes. Black Mamba in particular should be on your playlist of music. A great listen, although fairly limited in musicality, this is enjoyable. Recommended, especially to the younger generation out there.

Girl power.

8/10