Yesterday’s Supernova was a fantastic return for aespa and hopes are high that their upcoming title track Armageddon will be even better. Between these two behemoths, the group has unveiled a surprise music video for album b-side Long Chat (#). You really have to see this video to believe it. If my review focused on the visual element of K-pop, I’d have plenty to say about our new friend Corn-On-The-Cob oppa.
Alas, I must focus on the music alone. Long Chat is a mid-album b-side, so expectations must be set accordingly. Even so, the track plays very much like filler. Its mid-tempo bounce is amiable and light, but underpins a song that doesn’t have all that much going on. I’m more intrigued by the synth textures, which inject a welcome ruggedness to the otherwise sugary sweet tone. The gurgling electronics that frame verse one are particularly addictive and make me wish the track would have pushed further down this experimental lane.
Instead, Long Chat delivers a catchy sing-along — easy and breezy and just a bit childlike in execution. I’m not sure if the final album version will be longer than the video edit, but at just over two minutes this Long Chat is quite short — more like an enjoyable interlude than full-on album stunner.
Hooks
7
Production
8
Longevity
8
Bias
8
RATING
7.75