Song Review: aespa – WDA (Whole Different Animal) (ft. G-Dragon)

There was a time when a collaboration between artists like aespa and G-Dragon would have seemed almost unthinkable. SM and YG were the biggest rivals in K-pop, after all. However, G-Dragon’s not part of YG anymore and SM is a shell of what it used to be now that so much more competition floods the K-pop market. Even so, this pairing still caught my attention as a potential moment of greatness when two huge K-pop forces collide.

WDA (Whole Different Animal) is a pre-release for aespa’s upcoming album. Last time they dropped a pre-release like this, that song went on to dominate the charts all year. Producer Dem Jointz was attached to that project as well and I’m sure everyone involved would love for WDA to replicate Supernova‘s success. This time, the aesthetic is far more indebted to hip-hop, though a few electronic flourishes poke through in the instrumental. Since Whiplash, aespa have become more of a “charismatic talk” group than a “singing” group, which seems to work for them commercially. However, I can’t help but wonder how WDA might sound if it had some melodies — or a meaningful structure at all.

G-Dragon is barely a presence on this track, though it seems that much of his input came as a co-writer. You can hear a bit of his colorful point of view poking through, but the song needs to be twice as cheeky because right now things feel way too serious to be fun. Remember when K-pop used to be fun, above all else? Now, 90% of girl groups are retreading the same “I’m the best” subject matter and the boasts grow more and more hollow with each passing year. It takes a fantastic song to elevate this tired concept and WDA is barely a song at all. It’s musical branding, more suitable to an album trailer than a chart-dominating hit.

After that comes the title track ‘Heavy Serenade’. It’s a blend of “trance, acid, and drum and bass into sophisticated pop.” Hanroro is listed in the credits as one of the lyricists.

‘IDSERVEIT’ is a really cool listen, and is a sound I hadn’t really heard from NMIXX before. It’s a blend of Afrobeats, with R&B and electronic drum pads. It talks about “that one can enjoy the present because of the past self who has worked so hard.” It’s dope!

After that comes ‘Different Girl’. This is another cool listen. We’re blending future bass with trap drums, and R&B. I am obsessed with the tonality of the chorus. It just tickles something right in my brain. “The lyrics liken the feeling of something special and the deep infatuation felt towards someone who suddenly entered one’s world to celestial elements.”

‘Superior’ starts off with a marching band. I really enjoyed how the drums are used throughout the track. The build-up is well done and the vocals killed!

We’re closing off with ‘LOUD’. Lily wrote the lyrics for this one. It mixes drum and bass and Jersey club beats. It’s a cool track with an interesting progression and a killer flow. The part with the ‘gorgeous gorgeous girls’ is a total earworm.

Go ahead and listen to ‘Heavy Serenade’ by NMIXX here.