Supernova (Aespa song)

Did You Know?

• The song's remix by Grimes was released on September 20, 2024, under the iScreaM series.
• Aespa performed "Supernova" on four music programs in each of the first two weeks of promotion, winning first place on three of those shows except Music Bank.

Background and release

SM Entertainment announced on April 22, 2024, that Aespa would release their first studio album Armageddon, featuring two title tracks: "Supernova" and "Armageddon". "Supernova" was set for release on May 13, with the album and the other title track following on May 27. The track listing and a highlight medley teaser video were revealed on May 10, and the music video teaser came out two days later. The song and its music video were released on May 13. On September 20, ScreaM Records issued a remix of "Supernova" by Canadian musician Grimes as part of the 33rd volume of the iScreaM series.

Composition

Kenzie wrote and composed "Supernova" with Paris Alexa, while Dem Jointz contributed to composition and production. Alexa originally wrote the song in English over Jointz's beat, and Kenzie refined and translated the lyrics into Korean. The track is a dance and hyperpop song with a heavy kick and bass, a catchy top line, and synth melody, comparing Aespa's expanded world view to a supernova. It is in the key of B minor at 120 beats per minute. Billboard's Gil Kaufman described it as a dance floor-ready fusion of hip-hop beats, EDM rhythms, and smooth pop vocals, while Uproxx's Derrick Rossignol called it a cross-genre banger combining pop, dance, hip-hop, and electronic music.

Commercial performance

"Supernova" debuted at number eight on South Korea's Circle Digital Chart for the week of May 12–18, 2024, then rose to number one the following week. It also topped the Billboard South Korea Songs chart after debuting on May 25. The song achieved a perfect all-kill, reaching number one on the real-time, daily, and weekly components of iChart. In Japan, it debuted at number 26 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 on May 22, climbing to number 25 the next week, and entered the Oricon Combined Singles Chart at number 24 on May 27. In Singapore, it debuted at number 28 on the RIAS Top Streaming Chart and number 11 on the Top Regional Chart for May 10–16, then rose to number six and number two, respectively. In Hong Kong, it debuted at number 15 on the Billboard Hong Kong Songs chart on May 25 and reached number one the following week. In Taiwan, it debuted at number six on the Billboard Taiwan Songs chart on May 25 and rose to number two. In Indonesia, it debuted at number 14 on the Billboard Indonesia Songs chart on June 1, and in Malaysia, it debuted at number ten on the Billboard Malaysia Songs chart on June 1.

Music video

The music video, directed by Ha Junghoon (Hattrick), was released on May 13, 2024, and surpassed 10 million views within 10 hours. The futuristic video shows Aespa in dynamic and witty characterizations, displaying superpowers throughout a city. Each member possesses an otherworldly power: Karina has super strength, Ningning controls fire, Winter floats in the air, and Giselle can loop time. The visual opens with Karina surviving a fall onto a car, and later scenes include her ripping side mirrors off parked cars and lifting vehicles with one hand. AI technology was used to animate still photos of the members' faces in sync with the lyrics. Member Ningning said she laughed at the AI scene, noting that AI cannot replicate human expressions and temperatures.