Black Mamba

Lore & Background

The lyrics of "Black Mamba" describe a being called "Black Mamba" that interferes with the members' connection to their avatars and threatens their world. The song is the first to explain the worldview of Aespa. In the music video, the members are seen in a futuristic, surreal reality and meet an enormous black snake. Fantastical, neon-lit scenes of intense choreography are interspersed with moments highlighting each member exploring this new reality and engaging with the æ-members, hinting at a villain known as the titular Black Mamba. Each member connects with her alter ego through a mysterious mobile app called Synk. By the end, a distorted human figure emerges with glitching digital pixels.

Reader's Guide

The song "Black Mamba" was written and composed by Omega, Ella Isaacson, Gabriela Geneva (NIIVA), Jordan Reyes, Shaun Lopez, Scott Chesak, and Yoo Young-jin, while production was handled by Lee Soo-man. It runs for two minutes and fifty-four seconds. The song debuted at number 117 on South Korea's Gaon Digital Chart and peaked at number 49. On the US Billboard World Digital Songs chart, it debuted at number 5. On the Global 200 chart, it reached number 183 in its first week and rose to number 138 in its second week. In New Zealand, it debuted at number 37 on the RMNZ Hot Singles chart. In Japan, the song was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan for 50,000,000 streaming units. The song received a music program award on the January 17, 2021 broadcast of Inkigayo, and won New Artist of the Year – Digital at the 2021 Gaon Chart Music Awards.

Did You Know?

• The music video for "Black Mamba" achieved 21.4 million views in 24 hours, a notable debut milestone, though later K-pop groups like LE SSERAFIM and BABYMONSTER have since surpassed that record.
• The music video hit 100 million views in 51 days and 12 hours, a strong achievement for a debut, though it did not set a new record for the fastest debut music video to reach that milestone.
• The music video teaser was released on November 15, 2020, two days before the song's official premiere on November 17.