aespa – Lemonade (Album Review)

The four-piece girl group make a fierce statement with their highly anticipated second full album, meticulously crafted to showcase the group’s musical versatility and daring edge.

If their rapidly selling world tours are anything to go by, the public’s appetite for aespa is at its peak. After a whirlwind six years in the K-Pop scene, the group show no signs of slowing down; something that they proved with the release of their hotly anticipated second full album, Lemonade. The album contains eleven tracks that highlight aespa’s willingness to traverse a wide range of genres, while still flaunting the group’s penchant for bold and often experimental soundscapes.

The first track ‘WDA (Whole Different Animal) (feat. G-Dragon)’, the album’s pre-release track, definitely exemplifies this with its eerie synth-dance sound set alight by the members’ sharp raps and creeping vocals. With the lyrics setting aespa apart from their rivals as a “Whole different animal”, the song hones into the group’s signature futuristic hip-hop roots tenfold; excelling in its ability to instantly capture audience’s attentions and holding them in thrall throughout its unsettling ambience. The song is also remarkable through its featuring of industry giant G-Dragon, rapper and member of Big Bang, who adds spice to the track with a reference-filled rap in ode to some of the group’s previous popular tracks (“Fire in the hole, out the whiplash”).

The album’s title track ‘Lemonade’ is every inch the zingy hyper-pop bop that fans would expect, bolstered by zippy raps from both rappers and vocalists, and a bubbly instrumental that will have listeners dancing before they know it. Using the saying ‘If life gives you lemons, make lemonade’ to inspire a message of resilience and joy in the face of negativity, ‘Lemonade’ is upbeat and brash right from the song’s beginning refrain “I go out all the way, don’t step on the brakes…”.

‘Lemonade’ transitions seamlessly into the bass-heavy boom of ‘Shakin’, a sassy hip-hop track that boasts of aespa’s ability to set the industry on fire with their every move (“I’ma have you shake, shakin, Watch your throne…”). The song’s powerful instrumental is directly contrasted by the girls’ Middle Eastern inspired vocal melodies on the bridge, along with their trademark smooth harmonies; ensuring that listeners can equal parts groove and sing along. The following track, ‘Can’t Help Myself’ picks up on this carefree vibe as the group venture for the first time into all-out rock. Vocalist Karina’s low-tone voice especially shines here on assertive lines (“Yeah everybody hates…this is my vibe”) over a bombastic guitar track, which ensnares listeners with its powerful yet still melodic sound.

By the time the glittery summer dance track ‘Camouflage’ flutters to life, the sheer musical versatility of the K-Pop group will be clear to audiences, who won’t be able to resist this feel-good banger about flying free from a partner’s suffocating clutches (“I don’t need anything to lean on anymore”), and featuring some of the members’ best vocals of the album.

‘Bite’ and ‘Switchblade (feat. Ty Dolla $ign)’, two of the most intense songs on the album, are next, shaking up the flow of Lemonade with addictive hooks and rhythms that will get listeners up and moving. While jittery hip-hop track ‘Bite’ characterises aespa’s effortless chewing up and spitting out of haters (“Careful ’cause I bite, I could swallow you whole”), club-ready EDM track ‘Switchblade’ provides the perfect foundation for confident lyrics that compare the four-piece to a lethal weapon ready to strike (“What’s my name I know you know, Sharpening myself even more”). Ty Dolla $ign’s swaggering verse here also adds plenty of panache to this fast-paced banger.

The girls slow things down slightly for ‘Roll’ and ‘My Plan’. Playfulness is still evident here: in the contrast between the nursery rhyme melodies paired with scathing warnings to haters on “Roll’ (“Watch me roll, roll, roll my eyes, I’ma lose my mind”), and the sultry line delivery on butter-smooth R&B track ‘My Plan’ (“You’re the victim for the night, In my, in my plan”). While these tracks offer audiences completely different listening experiences while dabbling with various genres, aespa’s core musical identity is still very much present, guaranteeing new listeners a genuine taste of what the group has to offer.

aespa refuse to slow things down for the finale though, ending with ‘Til We Die’ and a remixed version of ‘Lemonade’ featuring Becky G. As if in answer to previous track ‘Live My Life’ from their first full album, pop-rock song ‘Til We Die’ carries an upbeat message of living fearlessly, while also doubling as a dedication to their loyal fan club (“Cross my heart we’ll always be together”). It’s really the only way to end an album that celebrates both the group’s musical roots and their growth in confidence as forerunners of the industry, as well as the heartfelt support they have received along the way.

Score/Outstanding: While aespa have long proven their fearlessness in embracing new sounds and musical concepts, ‘Lemonade’ stands as a testament to the group’s musical ingenuity and larger-than-life presence.

[We rank albums, EPs and singles on a scale of Poor, Mediocre, Good, Excellent, Outstanding]

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