Armageddon (Aespa album) explained

Armageddon
Type:studio
Artist:Aespa
Cover:Armageddon (Aespa album).jpg
Caption:Digital cover
Genre:Pop
Length:31:02
Language:Korean
Label:
Prev Title:Drama
Prev Year:2023

Armageddon is the first studio album by South Korean girl group Aespa. It was released by SM Entertainment on May 27, 2024, and contains ten tracks including two singles, "Supernova" and "Armageddon".

Background and release

On April 22, 2024, SM Entertainment announced that Aespa would be releasing their first studio album titled Armageddon. It was also announced that the album would feature two singles: "Supernova" and "Armageddon", with the former releasing on May 13 and the latter, along with the album, on May 27.[1] On May 2, the promotional schedule was revealed in a trailer titled "Launch Code".[2] Eight days later, the track listing was revealed alongside a highlight medley teaser video.[3] On May 12, the music video teaser for "Supernova" was released.[4] "Supernova" was released along with its music video on May 13.[5] The teaser videos for "Long Chat",[6] "Licorice",[7] and "Live My Life",[8] were released from May 15 to 17. A CDP version of Armageddon that includes a CD player will be released on July 19.[9]

Composition

Featuring ten tracks, Armageddon, is a pop effort that incorporates various genres of hip hop, dance and ballads.[10] The first track, "Supernova", is a "glittering cosmic" dance and hyper-pop song characterized by "heavy kick and bass", "catchy top line", and "synth melody" with lyrics about "Aespa's expanded world view by comparing the beginning of an event that opens a door to another dimension to a supernova, expressing the beginning of a big explosion".[11] [12] The second track, "Armageddon", is a hip hop and dance song described as "old-school yet trendy track" with a "fluid R&B bridge" and lyrics containing the message that "I can only define myself".[13] [14] The "thumping" tune, "Set the Tone", is a hip-hop track with "exhilarating punches of synthesizers". The fourth song, "Mine", sees the group "reflecting on growing up with fear and feeling like the 'fake portrait' that was their reflection in a 'broken mirror' was 'going to swallow me up'", but ultimately "standing tall" despite their worries.

The fifth track, "Licorice", is a dance song featuring "an addictive churning rock-pop hook" and "vintage electric guitar sound, and strong trap beat". Lyrically, it "compares a person with a strange charm to licorice and wittily expresses the feeling of being drawn to it".[15] The "breezy" mid-tempo pop track, "Bahama", features "sleepy, swooning summer chorus" and "details taking a friend on a trip to the titular island" over "handclaps and sunkissed, sparkling melodies".[14] The seventh track, "Long Chat", is a dance song with lyrics "containing friendly conversations that continue throughout the night".[16] The upbeat pop song, "Prologue", finds the group "address[ing] the difficulties and messiness of growing up, admitting to anxiety, disappointments, and loss of passion". The ninth track, "Live My Life", is a "cheerful guitar-based" pop-punk song containing a message of "living an independent life confidently" with lyrics about "breaking away from the existing framework as there is no right answer in life".[17] The closing track, "Melody", is a piano "fan anthem" dedicated to the group's fans.

Critical reception

Rhian Daly of NME praised the album for falling "into the former camp and reinforces what we already knew – that when Aespa are allowed to run free in the sounds and sonics they've made their trademark, they're nothing short of exquisite". Writing for The Forty-Five, Jenessa Williams appreciated the group's "willingness to experiment with both hard and soft [sounds]", and noted that Aespa "really thrive when they stick to the edgier end of their USP". She furthermore stated that the group's "badass alchemy and attitude might just save the musical world". Rolling Stone Indias publisher, Debashree Dutta praised Aespa's "vivid story" and the album's "poetic landscapes" which she described as "a varied and profound auditory experience" filled with "sentiments, moods, and instances woven into each song".[18] Jeff Benjamin of Billboard described the album as "an artistic evolution in Aespa's" discography "by taking their narrative into an expansive multiverse to blur the boundaries between reality and virtual realms".[19]

However, Alexis Petridis of The Guardian described it "all intriguing, and, it has to be said, very well done – Aespa's videos are charming and made to an extraordinarily high standard – yet it can't help but rouse the suspicion that their music might constitute something of an afterthought, a theory not dispelled by actually listening to it."

Commercial performance

On May 27, 2024, it was reported that Armageddon has sold over 1.02 million copies in pre-orders sales.[18] [20] In China, the album reached number one on the QQ Music digital album sales chart, and was certified as "a double platinum album" within 3 hours of release.[21]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[22]

Studio

Personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2024)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Australian Hitseekers Albums (ARIA)[23] 12
Croatian International Albums (HDU)[24] 14
Japanese Combined Albums (Oricon)[25] 3
Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[26] 14
Lithuanian Albums (AGATA)[27] 98
Nigerian Albums (TurnTable)[28] 34
South Korean Albums (Circle)[29] 2
Swedish Physical Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[30] 20

Monthly charts

Chart (2024)! scope="col"
Position
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[31] 8
South Korean Albums (Circle)[32] 4

Release history

Region! scope="col"
DateFormatLabel
South KoreaMay 27, 2024CD
Various <-- Inclusive of South Korea -->
United StatesJuly 5, 2024CD[33]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: ko:"역대급 스케일" 에스파 첫 정규앨범 'Armageddon' 5월27일 발매[공식]. Aespa's first full-length album 'Armageddon' released on May 27th with "largest scale ever" [Official]. https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/609/0000845953. Naver. Newsen. ko. Kim. Myung-mi. April 22, 2024. May 17, 2024. April 22, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240422143918/https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/609/0000845953. live.
  2. Web site: ko:에스파, '아마겟돈' 스케줄 포스터 공개...업그레이드 된 '쇠맛'. Aespa releases 'Armageddon' schedule poster...Upgraded 'taste of iron'. https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/117/0003828448. Naver. My Daily. ko. Lee. Ye-joo. May 2, 2024. May 17, 2024. May 17, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240517125153/https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/117/0003828448. live.
  3. Web site: ko:'컴백' 에스파 6월 서울 콘서트 전석 매진..티켓파워 입증[공식]. 'Comeback' Aespa June Seoul concert sold out..Ticket power proven [Official]. https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/108/0003234603. Naver. MT Star News. ko. Yoon. Sang-geun. May 10, 2024. May 17, 2024. May 17, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240517123813/https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/108/0003234603. live.
  4. Web site: ko:에스파, 신곡 '슈퍼노바' MV 티저 공개...힙한 비주얼 '눈길'. Aespa releases MV teaser for new song 'Supernova'...Hip visual 'eye catching'. https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/421/0007534585. Naver. News1. ko. Ahn. Tae-hyun. May 12, 2024. May 17, 2024. May 17, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240517123705/https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/421/0007534585. live.
  5. Web site: ko:에스파, '슈퍼노바' 오늘(13일) 선공개...강력한 쇠맛 선사. Aespa, pre-release of 'Supernova' today (13th)...Provides a strong iron taste. https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/311/0001725637. Naver. Xports News. ko. Kim. Ye-eun. May 13, 2024. May 17, 2024. May 17, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240517123718/https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/311/0001725637. live.
  6. Web site: ko:다중우주 속 에스파...신곡 무드 엿보기. Aespa in the multiverse...A sneak peek into the new song's mood. https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/312/0000662453. Naver. Ten Asia. ko. Yoon. Jun-ho. May 15, 2024. May 17, 2024. May 17, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240517123609/https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/312/0000662453. live.
  7. Web site: ko:에스파, 민트초코가 괴물이라니...'Licorice' 톡 쏘는 매력 기대. Aespa, mint chocolate is a monster...'Licorice' is expected to have a spicy charm. https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/609/0000854169. Naver. Newsen. ko. Hwang. Hye-jin. May 16, 2024. May 17, 2024. May 17, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240517123721/https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/609/0000854169. live.
  8. Web site: ko:에스파, 'Live My Life' Universe' 트랙비디오 공개..27일 첫 정규 컴백. Aespa releases track video for 'Live My Life' Universe'..first full-length comeback on the 27th. https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/112/0003697755. Naver. Herald Pop. ko. Kim. Na-yul. May 17, 2024. May 17, 2024. May 17, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240517123722/https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/112/0003697755. live.
  9. Web site: Aespa special 'Armageddon' album to include CD player. KoreaJoongAngDaily. en. Cho. Yong-Jun. May 24, 2024. May 29, 2024.
  10. Web site: ko:에스파, 세계관 시즌2 시작된다...5월 27일 첫 정규앨범 발매. Aespa, worldview season 2 begins...First full album released on May 27th. https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/311/0001717625. Naver. Xports News. ko. Kim. Ye-eun. April 22, 2024. May 17, 2024. May 17, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240517123711/https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/311/0001717625. live.
  11. Aespa Flash Fangs, Lift Cars, Show Off Superpowers in Futuristic 'Supernova' Video. Billboard. Kaufman. Gil. May 13, 2024. May 24, 2024. May 17, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240517061054/https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/aespa-supernova-video-1235681248/. live.
  12. Web site: ko:에스파, '쇠파민' 폭발 예고...오늘(13일) '슈퍼노바' 선공개 [DA:투데이]. Aespa predicts explosion of 'dopamine'...'Supernova' pre-release today (13th) [DA: Today]. https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/382/0001125426. Naver. Sports Donga. ko. Jeon. Hyo-jin. May 13, 2024. May 17, 2024. May 17, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240517123610/https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/382/0001125426. live.
  13. Web site: ko:에스파, '슈퍼노바'로 차트 올킬..'쇠맛' 도파민 행보. Aespa, all-kills the charts with 'Supernova'...'Iron taste' dopamine action. https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/108/0003236623. Naver. MT Star News. ko. Ahn. Yun-ji. May 20, 2024. May 20, 2024. May 20, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240520010207/https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/108/0003236623. live.
  14. Web site: Aespa – 'Armaggedon' review: long-awaited debut from K-Pop Titans. The Forty-Five. Jenessa. Williams. May 27, 2024. May 27, 2024.
  15. Web site: ko:'컴백' 에스파, 감초처럼 달콤+톡 쏘는 매력..'Licorice'. 'Comeback' Aespa, sweet and tangy charm like licorice..'Licorice'. https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/109/0005077573. Naver. Osen. ko. Seon. Mi-kyung. May 16, 2024. May 17, 2024. May 17, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240517125113/https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/109/0005077573. live.
  16. Web site: ko:'다중우주' 속 에스파, 사랑스러운 'Long Chat (#♥)'...통통 튀는 매력에 '시선집중'. Aespa in 'Multiverse', lovely 'Long Chat (#♥)'...'Focus on the plump charm'. https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/410/0000998460. Naver. MK Sports. ko. Geum. Bit-na. May 15, 2024. May 17, 2024. May 17, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240517125129/https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/410/0000998460. live.
  17. Web site: ko:에스파, 자유로운 밴드로 변신...신곡 '라이브 마이 라이프' 콘셉트 공개. Aespa transforms into a free band...New song 'Live My Life' concept revealed. https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/421/0007544811. Naver. News1. ko. Ahn. Tae-hyun. May 17, 2024. May 17, 2024. May 17, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240517125038/https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/421/0007544811. live.
  18. Web site: Aespa Drops First Full-length Album 'Armageddon'. Rolling Stone India. Debashree. Dutta. May 28, 2024. May 29, 2024.
  19. Aespa;s 'Armageddon – The 1st Album': All 10 Songs Ranked. Billboard. Jeff. Benjamin. May 31, 2024. June 3, 2024.
  20. Web site: 에스파, 오늘(27일) 첫 정규 출격..선주문 102만 장 돌파. Aespa, first regular sortie today (27th)... Pre-orders exceed 1.02 million copies. Naver. HeraldPop. ko. Park. Seo-hyun. May 28, 2024. May 29, 2024.
  21. Web site: 에스파 '아마겟돈', 아이튠즈 美 포함 25개 지역 1위. Aespa's 'Armageddon' ranks first in iTunes in 25 regions, including the US. EDaily. ko. Yoon. Ki-Baek. May 28, 2024. May 29, 2024.
  22. Armageddon . . 2024 . photobook . Credits . South Korea . SM Entertainment, Kakao Entertainment.
  23. The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 22 July 2024. The ARIA Report. Australian Recording Industry Association. 1794. 25. July 22, 2024.
  24. Web site: Armageddon – Week 28, 2024. July 16, 2024 . HDU. hr. July 19, 2024.
  25. Web site: Oricon Top 50 Combined Albums: 2024-06-17 . . June 13, 2024 . ja . https://web.archive.org/web/20240613045449/https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/coa/w/2024-06-17/ . June 13, 2024.
  26. Web site: Billboard Japan Hot Albums – Week of June 5, 2024. Billboard Japan. ja. June 5, 2024.
  27. Web site: 2024 23-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100). AGATA. lt. June 7, 2024. June 7, 2024.
  28. Web site: TurnTable Charts Official Top 100 Albums May 31, 2024 - June 6, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240612185925/https://www.turntablecharts.com/charts/2 . June 12, 2024 . June 13, 2024 . TurnTable.
  29. Web site: Circle Album Chart – Week 22, 2024. Circle Chart. ko. June 6, 2024.
  30. Web site: Veckolista Album Fysiskt, vecka 23. Sverigetopplistan. June 8, 2024.
  31. Web site: Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2024-06 . . July 10, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240710054608/https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/ja/m/2024-06/ . July 10, 2024 . ja.
  32. Web site: Circle Album Chart – 2024.05 Month. Circle Chart. ko. June 6, 2024.
  33. Web site: aespa - Armageddon - The 1st Album (My Power Ver.) - Walmart Exclusive CD. https://web.archive.org/web/20240606005247/https://www.walmart.com/ip/aespa-Armageddon-The-1st-Album-My-Power-Ver-Walmart-Exclusive-CD/6245108831. June 6, 2024 . June 5, 2024 . Walmart.

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