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aespa 'Savage' teasers: Group looks straight out of ‘Matrix’, uses black mamba links

aespa uses a callback to 'Black Mamba' and 'Next Level' for the concept images of debut EP 'Savage'

Monster rookies aespa are ready to drop their first mini-album ‘Savage’. The four-member girl group first debuted in November 2020 under SM Entertainment with the single ‘Black Mamba’. It also was the start of SM’s future project Kwangya — the shared SM multiverse involving all of the groups under the label. Since then, the girl group has released singles like ‘Forever’ and ‘Next Level’ but that has been it. But for their third comeback of the year, SM is going all out.

aespa first announced their debut EP ‘Savage’ earlier this month on September 13 along with the start of pre-orders. As of September 23, the mini-album has surpassed 47.6K pre-orders as MYs (aespa’s fandom) are excited for ‘Savage’. The album will be released on October 5 at 6 pm KST. To further tease the album, they have also started dropping teasers of the girls to hint at the concept of ‘Savage’. Unlike their previous comebacks, the ‘Savage’ era is going to be quite different.

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aespa pull a ‘Matrix’ for ‘Savage’ teasers

aespa’s previous concept photos were dreamy with vibrant colors and fantastical elements inspired and made by photographer and graphic designer Bryan Huynh. However, ‘Savage’ is going significantly darker as we see a mature side of the girls with minimal props and in dark leather outfits. Like the announcement poster, we see recurring elements of water and a huge sea serpent usually seen in Norse and Chinese mythology and it's also a callback to the black mamba in the girls’ debut music video.

Additionally, aespa had already given a spoiler for ‘Savage’ with Giselle’s verse in ‘Next Level’ as she sings “a hallucination quest created by the Black Mamba.” And the concept photos currently released are titled ‘Hallucination Quest’. This again connects to the theory in the ‘Matrix’ for the real world which the girls referred to while explaining the ‘aespaverse’. Eagle-eyed fans also noticed that the outfits that the girls wore in the ‘Hallucination Quest’ teasers had the Matrix code. The stylist happens to be the same one who has styled iconic sultry eras like EXO’s ‘Obsession’, Taemin’s ‘Criminal', Kai’s ‘Mmmh’ among others.

'Hot girl shit'

Fans were amazed with the concept photos as we get to see a new side of the girls. One MY tweeted, “When aespa knew the phrase "Next Level" and went on and ran with it.” Another fan added, “Just maknae line serving some hot girl shit.” One fan wondered, “The snakes and... even the water elements on their nails, a pearl and waves. AND IF they have a water/rain scene in the mv?!” Another said, “#AESPA: 4th gen savage girls.” “Aespa members have truly mastered how to pose for the camera and for rookies in their first year it's insane,” commented one fan. They also loved how different this comeback was going to be, “aespa through the eras.” Another posted, “#KARINA #GISELLE : no more pure and innocent Black Mamba concept.”