Overview
Savage is the first extended play by South Korean girl group Aespa. The EP was released by SM Entertainment on October 5, 2021, and is available in three versions—P.O.S, Synk Dive and Hallucination Quest. It contains six songs, including the lead single of the same name.
Primarily a pop record with elements of dance pop, hyperpop and electropop, the EP was intended to demonstrate the group's musical diversity. Composition and production of Savage were handled by a wide array of songwriters and producers, including Yoo Young-jin, Kenzie, Brandon Green, Marcus Lomax, and Hayley Kiyoko, with SM Entertainment founder Lee Soo-man serving as executive producer. Lyrically, the album continues to expand Aespa's virtual universe.
The EP was a commercial successful and received positive reviews from music critics, who complimented its dark, futuristic "cyberpunk" style and incorporation of different music genres. Aespa's first entry on the US Billboard 200 at number 20, Savage also topped the Gaon Album Chart and was certified 2× Platinum by the Korea Music Content Association (KMCA) for selling 500,000 units. To promote the EP, Aespa appeared on South Korean music programs such as M Countdown, Music Bank, and Inkigayo.
Background and recording
On September 13, 2021, SM Entertainment announced that Aespa would be releasing their first extended play titled Savage on October 5, containing six tracks. The EP was released for pre-order on September 14. On September 27, the tracklist and lead single "Savage" were revealed. The tracklist included participation from American singer-songwriter Hayley Kiyoko on the closing track "Lucid Dream". In an interview with the Grammy, Giselle revealed that they "actually didn't get to meet her and do an actual collaboration [even though] the song was made by her." The making of Savage marked the first time all the Aespa members recorded together in a studio, a process that turned out to be "a lot of fun for the members, who are all close friends." Ningning said that they had a great time recording the EP and got to try genres they haven't done before. According to the Paper magazine, Lee Soo-man, the founder of SM Entertainment and executive producer of their EP, "personally directed every small detail" of their production, including the pronunciation of every syllable.
From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).