I’ve been seeing nonstop praise for aespa lately, people calling their songs 10/10, labeling them the “next Blackpink,” and saying they’re redefining 4th gen K-pop. And honestly? I don’t get it.
Visually? Absolutely- all four members are insanely beautiful, no denying that. 11/10. And it feels like SM knows that too, because their visuals are doing a lot of the heavy lifting in each comeback. Since Spicy, especially, the styling and concepts have gotten more and more sexed-up. It’s hard to ignore that SM is clearly leaning into the “sex sells” strategy now- more skin, tighter outfits, sultry camera work. Just look at Giselle lately, it’s like every outfit is designed to show as much cleavage as possible. They’re pushing sex appeal hard, and it’s working in terms of grabbing attention and going viral.
But musically? That’s where it completely falls flat for me.
Yeah, aespa is “experimental,” but in a way that often just feels chaotic or shallow. The lyrics are repetitive and meaningless more often than not, and the songs jump between genres in a way that feels more jarring than innovative. It’s like SM is trying to be different just for the sake of it, not because it actually makes the music better.
I’m not trying to hate for no reason. I get that some fans love the futuristic, cyber-AI concept and the bold girlboss image. And I respect that aespa is carving out their own lane instead of playing it safe. But I can’t shake the feeling that there’s way more focus on visuals, sex appeal, lore, and branding than there is on putting out solid, meaningful music.
It’s starting to feel like smoke and mirrors. Every comeback is styled and marketed so well that people forget to actually question whether the song is… good.
Am I alone here? I’m genuinely curious if others feel the same or if I’m just out of touch with what people want in K-pop right now.
submitted by /u/Kpop-Analyser
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