Aespa - "Drama" MV Review (+ a short mini album review)

Aespa (or æspa) is an SM girl group that debuted on November 17, 2020 and consists of 4 members Karina, Giselle, Winter, and Ningning. 

"Drama" is the title track and lead single from their fourth mini album also titled Drama.

-I will review the songs in the same order as they appear in the mini album-

"Drama"

I've loved -almost- every release that Aespa has made -with the exception being "Forever"- (but that doesn't really count, no?), and "Drama" is just as good as the rest. 

Although the start was a little "rough" Aespa's vocals and adlibs get more and more interesting as the song goes on. I believe that this song probably wouldn't work as well if any other group had sung it.

When I first saw the teasers I thought the MV was going to be more story-driven, but actually the video is fast-paced and eye-catching. I really like the black and white shots with "drama" written in red; they are very movie like.

The girls after leaving Kwangya (for an explanation of Aespa terminology, please refer to this Reddit post) in "Girls" are on the "Real World", as seen in "Spicy" and "Better Things", but in "Drama" seem to be dealing with the trauma of their fighting days. 

Style-wise, everyone looks great; My favorite look is the red and black outfits at 3:18, especially Karina and Ningning's. I love the outfit with the faux fur coats that the members wear, but I hate the fur shoes. 

I love Giselle and Winter's hair through this MV, especially Giselle's. I think that her dye job (? looks the best when her hair is slightly wavy.

Rating

Song – 9/10

MV – 10/10

Choreography – 9/10

Style – 10/10

Overall Rating – 10/10

Song Credits

Release Date: November 10, 2023.

Length: 3 min 35 sec.

Lyrics by: Bang Hye-hyun (JamFactory) and Ellie Suh (153/Joombas).

Music by: No Identity, Waker (153/Joombas), Ejae, and Charlotte Wilson.

Arrangement by: No Identity.

MV Directed by: Samson (Highqualityfish).

"Trick or Trick"

Length: 2:55.

Lyrics: Kim Min-Ji (JamFactory).

Music: Kristin Langsrud, August Dagestad, Johanne Lid, and Stian Nyhammer Olsen.

Arrangement: Stian Nyhammer Olsen.

"Trick or Trick" is fantastic from the beginning with the slightly eerie " Now you see me, now you don't." Everything is fantastic, the verses, the pre-chorus, the chorus, and my favorite part ﹘ the bridge; the part at the beginning of the bridge sung by Winter sounds so dreamy... It's amazing! 

Rating – 10/10

"Don't Blink"

Length: 2:49.

Lyrics: Hwang Yu-Bin (VeryGoods).

Music: Dillon Deskin, Tima Dee, and Deanna Villareal.

Arrangement: Dillon Deskin.

"Don't Blink" caught my attention right at the intro with the fantastic instrumental and equally fantastic verses, but sadly, the song lost my attention in the chorus, which I found to be a bit bland. Still, the music is great, and the ad-libs at the end sound magnificent.

Rating – 9/10

"Hot Air Balloon"

Length: 3:19.

Lyrics: Jo Yoon-Kyung.

Music: Moa "Cazzi Opeia" Carlebecker, Ellen Berg Tollbom, Alysa, Nermin Harambašić, and Stian Nyhammer Olsen.

Arrangement: Alysa and Stian Nyhammer Olsen.

"Hot Air Balloon" is the definition of cuteness; everything about it is adorable, from the instrumental and the lyrics to Aespa's voice. It's such a cheerful and playful song that listening to it made me feel more happy.

Rating – 10/10

"YOLO"

Length: 3:09.

Lyrics: Na Yun-Jeong (Lalala Studio).

Music: Albi Albertsson (Clarity-X) and Anna Timgren.

Arrangement: Albi Albertsson (Clarity-X).

"YOLO" continues with the cheerfulness left by "Hot Air Balloon." I enjoyed it a lot. For some reason, the instrumental at the intro reminds me of a ringtone for a phone.

Rating – 10/10

"You"

Length: 3:23.

Lyrics: Lee O-Neul.

Music: Jake K (Artiffect), Maria Marcus, MCK (Artiffect), St_Knox (Artiffect) and Louise Frick Sveen.

Arrangement: Jake K (Artiffect), MCK (Artiffect) and St_Knox (Artiffect).

"You" is the perfect closing for Drama; the melody is very pleasant and dreamy. Aespa's vocals truly shine in this song.

Rating – 10/10

Final Thoughts

Drama is a fantastic mini album; it really showcases what great vocalists Aespa are. You can tell from the get-go how every song is theirs; they truly have the "aespa-sound" locked down.

I loved the progression of the mini album, starting from the strong "Drama," and gradually, every song afterward was slightly more "soft" until the end with the soothing "You," which, as I wrote above, is the perfect way to close a mini album.

Overall Drama Rating – 10/10

Photo source: SM Ent.

*The song credits are taken from Drama's Wikipedia*