Next Level (Aespa song)
Aespa's first top-five hit in South Korea.
"Next Level" is a song by South Korean girl group Aespa that remakes A$ton Wyld's song of the same name. Released digitally on May 17, 2021, by SM Entertainment, it became the group's first top-five hit in South Korea and their second entry on the Billboard Global 200, making Aespa the third South Korean girl group to appear on that chart more than once. The track won both Best K-Pop Song and Song of the Year at the 19th Korean Music Awards.
Quick Facts
- Artist
- Aespa
- Released
- 17 May 2021
- Studio
- SM BoomingSystem (Seoul)
- Language
- Korean, English
- Genre
- Hip hop
- dance-pop
- EDM
- Length
- 3:41
- Label
- SM; Dreamus
- Composer
- Yoo Young-jin
- Adam McInnis
- Mario Marchetti
- Sophie Curtis
Facts from the source article.
Composition
"Next Level" was composed by Yoo Young-jin, Adam McInnis, Mario Marchetti, and Sophie Curtis, with SM Entertainment founder Lee Soo-man helping the group add a distinctive color to the song. It remakes A$ton Wyld's song of the same name from the soundtrack of Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw. McInnis stated that SM contacted him about a possible remake and that most changes were made by the company, which sent him different versions. Musically, the track is a dance and hip hop song with a groovy rap and energetic bass riff, showcasing Aespa's powerful voice and variety. Critics described it as a fierce dance-pop song in a futuristic world, an energetic EDM anthem, and noted rhythm switches mid-track with an upbeat-jazz inspired composition. Karina called it groovy and energetic with a dynamic musical arrangement. The song is in B minor at 109 beats per minute, and its lyrics detail the group's journey into the fictional Kwangya universe in search of the evil Black Mamba, serving as a sequel to "Black Mamba".
Commercial performance
"Next Level" debuted at number nine on South Korea's Gaon Digital Chart for the week of May 16–22, 2021, becoming Aespa's first top-ten single there. It rose to number two in its fifth week, their highest peak to date. On the Billboard K-Pop 100, it entered at number 33 on May 29, 2021, reached number five the following week, and peaked at number three on June 12, 2021. In Japan, it debuted at number 77 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 on May 26, 2021. In the United States, it debuted and peaked at number three on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales. On the Billboard Global 200, it debuted at number 97 on May 29, 2021, and peaked at number 65 the following week, making Aespa the third South Korean girl group to chart there more than once after Blackpink and Itzy. It also debuted at number 54 on the Billboard Global Excl. US and peaked at number 34.
Music video
A 28-second video teaser for "Next Level" was uploaded on the official SM Town channel on May 15, 2021, and the official music video was released two days later on SM Entertainment's YouTube channel. Directed by Paranoid Paradigm, the visual depicts the group venturing into wilderness to find the antagonist Black Mamba, who threatens the Synk connection between the members and their aes. Lee Soo-man directed the performance video, overseeing choreography, composition, stage movement, camera work, outfits, and gestures. Critics noted the colorful CGs and intense performances, described the video as a visual treat showcasing bold fashion styles and versatile vocals with power choreography, and highlighted its fresh, vibrant cinematography blended with futuristic VFX. The music video reached 100 million views on YouTube in 32 days and eight hours, the fastest for an Aespa video, and ranked number six on YouTube Korea's Most Popular Music Video of 2021.
Promotion and live performances
Aespa unveiled their first performance stage of "Next Level" on their official YouTube channel on May 20, 2021, with choreography by Kiel Tutin, Jojo Gomez, Rozalin, Lee Ba-da, Jeon Yeo-jin, Redlic, and Rian. On May 21, they released a choreography confirmation video where Lee Soo-man personally confirmed the choreography movement and camera walking. The group uploaded second and third performance stages on May 25 and 27, and a company version dance practice on June 20. To promote Kakao Games' battle royale game Eternal Return, a special celebratory performance video was released on July 22, featuring an introduction to the game's worldview and atmosphere, with the song considered its original soundtrack. Aespa had their first music show performance on Music Bank on May 28, 2021, and performed during promotion week on Inkigayo, M Countdown, and Show! Music Core. On June 25, they performed at the Music Bank First Half Special. At the Second World Cultural Industry Forum, they performed the single along with "Black Mamba" and "Forever" on a stage combining AR and XR technologies. On August 12, they performed the song and "Black Mamba" at Korea on Stage - Namwon Gwanghallu. On September 25, they performed both songs at the 2021 INK Incheon K-pop Concert. As part of a collaboration with League of Legends: Wild Rift, they performed at the opening stage of the Wild Rift SEA Championship Grand Finals on October 3. They performed at the 2021 Changwon K-pop World Festival and at the 2021 UN Day Celebration New York Culture Performance, where they also performed an orchestra version of "Black Mamba". On November 14, they performed the song along with "Black Mamba" and "Savage" at the 2021 World K-pop Concert.
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