[instiz] IZM’S REVIEW ON AESPA’S DIRTY WORK

All change inherently carries risk. It means that nothing can perpetually move upward. aespa is no exception. And yet, words that have come to represent them like “worldview,” “metaverse,” “metallic taste,” and “earthy taste” continue to accelerate and morph. This is because their journey began with the aim of maximizing success on unstable ground. That confidence, backed by capital power, was underpinned by a solid level of polish and a clearly defined artistic direction that could convince the public. As a result of running without rest, last year indisputably became aespa’s year.

Continuing with choices that simply follow the formula of Armageddon and Whiplash isn’t necessarily the best course. But a hollow transformation risks diluting the very strengths that propelled them. In Lingo, with its resemblance to early-to-mid-2010s ratchet sound, a style once trendy, the song leans heavily on the members’ vocals while relying on a base of offbeat pluck synthesizers. The result feels more like a transformation born of inertia. And yet, the song isn’t structurally strong enough to make the individual vocal performances truly stand out. What we get instead is a kind of tentative experimentation, choosing one untested idea just to try it out. Though dressed in sensuality, the music is, at its core, deeply defensive.