The direction of the previously uncertain company management and the heated takeover battle between the two companies have been settled. The leading girl groups from these agencies (SM Entertainment and Source Music under HYBE) have released new works a week apart. It's Le Serafim's 'UNFORGIVEN' and aespa's 'MY WORLD'. One group aimed for a full-length album packed with 13 tracks, adding to their existing mini album songs, while the other set forth a mini album that takes a step back from their existing concept, practicing the blurred boundary between virtual and reality.

#'World Class' VS 'My World'

Le Serafim seems to have emphasized "world class" for the group's standing. For instance, reminding fans that Feli Ferraro and Benjmn, who worked on the title song 'UNFORGIVEN', are the creators of 'Run BTS', or that they are signed with Jay-Z's label Roc Nation, appears to be part of that strategy. Facts like getting permission for the sampling of one of the world's most famous whistles, the main theme of the movie 'The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly', from the original author's son, Giovanni Morricone, and seemingly positioning 'Fire in the Belly' at the end of the album for the necessary Latin fan base to complete the world class, can also be seen as part of this strategy.

On the other hand, aespa proposed a subjective world ('My World') instead of an objective 'world'. They claim to have come from a completely different world beyond Earth, and the subtitle 'Real World' that they emphasize, temporarily erasing the Metaverse, constantly reminds us of this fact. And the new music of aespa, who visited this Real World, came from Nordic producers and songwriters, who hold the essential hegemony of K-pop.

These include Danish producer and composer Mich Hansen, who debuted with Queen Latifah and began his relationship with SM through SHINee and f(x), the Swedish producing group Moonshine, Norwegian singer-songwriter Anne Judith Wik, and others. Apart from them, British Geek Boy Al Swettenham and Kyler Niko, Texas-born Paulina "PAU" Cerrilla, and JINBYJIN will be the names from the Nordic region in aespa's new work.

#Retro

Le Serafim seems to be seeking the interest of fans over 40 by highlighting retro elements, one of the current hit formulas, even if not wholly, at least prominently. The title song 'UNFORGIVEN' is a case in point, where the name Clint Eastwood, commonly extracted from the song title and the source of the sampled sound, naturally connects to HYBE's overall producer Bang Si-hyuk, who seemingly provided the idea for this song.

Of course, this is just on the surface, and the featuring of funk guitarist and producer Nile Rodgers, which Source Music actively promoted, may cause an inevitable dissonance in terms of style and theme to the generation familiar with Eastwood's original work named 'The Unforgiven' and the "essence of funk rhythm" that Rodgers showed in songs like 'Good Times' during his Chic era, which is a bit disappointing (but the first scene of the music video rushing into the restaurant was quite impressive).

In addition, the existence of Bang Si-hyuk seems to be the starting point of the will to shape an album, even in an era where it's not necessary to necessarily release in the form of an album, by bringing past songs. It is likely because he lived in an era where albums were recognized for their artistic value rather than singles. People tend to reflect their experiences in the present when given the opportunity.

Le Serafim's recent 'full-length album' appeared to do just that. And such a scent of the past also arises from aespa's 'Thirsty', which received reviews drawing comparisons to Ariana Grande's 'thank u, next'. Borrowing emotions of falling in love, like Le Serafim's 'Flash Forward', they build a retro vibe of a different dimension through the music video of the respective song, something distinct from 'Forever (Promise)' and 'Dreams Come True'.

Ultimately, the past tendencies of these two works are firmly tied up by Le Serafim's 'Eve, Psyche, and Bluebeard's Wife', which declares "I am not a doll", drawing inspiration from the title of a feminism novel 31 years ago ('I Wish I Could Be Forbidden'). It is the moment when the retro of that era turns into the newtro of this era.

#Storytelling

K-pop girl groups always incorporate concepts and stories into their music. aespa and LE SSERAFIM are no exception. aespa, a 'metaverse girl group' who went about capturing the Black Mamba, has returned to reality, and LE SSERAFIM announced the start of a new journey for the group with 'Burn the Bridge'. In particular, aespa, who has left the virtual world and stepped onto the ground, shows that the team's return is based on some kind of introspection by singing songs like 'I'm Unhappy', which criticizes the social media world where everyone lives as a 'fake'. But just because they've come to Earth doesn't mean their music has changed completely. As represented by 'Spicy', they still maintain a powerful groove with tense synth bass, and their impassive and indifferent singing and rap have not changed much. 'Spicy', although not as charismatic or well-structured as 'YEPPI YEPPI', is a track that can appeal enough to fans cheering for the electronic sauce.

Meanwhile, LE SSERAFIM takes the story to the production realm. For example, they set this year's color 'Viva Magenta', announced by the color research institute Pantone, as the representative color of their work and group. As announced in the promotion, Viva Magenta is a red-toned color, and the natural dye of this color that feels bold and inclusive, cochineal, is said to resemble LE SSERAFIM. Despite the difficulty of surviving in nature due to the red color, it has become a precious existence, which is linked to what LE SSERAFIM is aiming for. It's an example of storytelling drawn from color.

#Confidence or Subjectivity

In a word, LE SSERAFIM is 'confidence'. Confidence, along with 'subjectivity', is also a common goal of the current 4th generation girl groups in Korea. No matter what others say or where they point, I don't care and will go my own way. LE SSERAFIM has repeatedly leaked their identity based on confidence and subjectivity, declaring and warning in three languages with the "same meaning in different languages" like the lyrics of aespa's song a year ago. They debuted by declaring that the world is an oyster they will swallow from atop the bass house. LE SSERAFIM doesn't seem to back down from that momentum in their new album either. Look at the first narration verse of 'Burn the Bridge'. "I have confidence in myself. Confidence." This confidence is carried through tracks like 'No-Return (Into the Unknown)', which charges ahead on similar energy-packed brass, although it is different from punk tracks like 'No Celestial' that felt like the 90's female rock band Hole.

We must remember that 'LE SSERAFIM' is an anagram of 'I'M FEARLESS'. This group is a team that continues to say they fear nothing. This could be similar to aespa's Giselle saying "I'm a perfect 10 out of 10" in 'Spicy'. However, aespa's confidence, which mostly sprouted from darkness, presupposes a clear difference from the "creepy" certainty of 'Salty & Sweet', which expresses the flavor of their music as it is. The world may say their new work seems brighter and clearer, but their music is not ready for that yet. This is why the British music magazine 'NME' said about aespa's new album, "It hasn't diluted the group's unique sound."

#Songs for Fans

Coincidentally, both LE SSERAFIM and aespa included songs for their fans in their new works. LE SSERAFIM confessed to the fandom in a song called 'Blossom (Between you, me and the lamppost)', saying "Even if we can't always smile, it's enough if we're together", and aespa sent a message to their fans in a track called ''Til We Meet Again', saying "The power of music will connect us." Considering that the 'MY' in aespa's first song 'Welcome to MY World' could refer to their fandom MY, they may have essentially worked on two fan songs. 'Welcome to MY World', which begins with the virtual member nævis, who was about to appear at the South by Southwest (SXSW) VR concert in March, singing the introduction, encompasses the emotional beginning and end of the album, armed with "story and lyrics that are easy on the ears" as songwriter Ellie Suh explained, citing NCT DREAM's 'Whale (Dive Into You)' as an example.

This could also apply to 'Blossom', which goes beyond all members participating in the lyrics and even lists Heo Yunjin as a producer. After all, one may argue that the sincerity both teams want to convey to their fans is the same. Borrowing a phrase symbolizing LE SSERAFIM's original story 'Crimson Heart', it would be something like "It's wandering when done alone, but it becomes an adventure when done together."

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