The Diverse Worlds of aespa Original Soundtracks
While many associate aespa with the world of KWANGYA, the quartet has also ventured into other universes with their original soundtrack features. Karina, Giselle, Winter, and Ningning have not only encountered the fierce Black Mamba, but have also sung for the theatrical origin story of Tetris, sung for the most recent season of the BEYBLADE anime, greeted Pokémon anime fans with a song featuring the series’s new protagonists, and even met the Fraggles.
“Hold On Tight,” for the Tetris Movie
aespa moved to the big screen with “Hold On Tight,” a song for the 2023 Tetris movie. The track was released on March 31, 2023, the same date the film dropped on Apple TV+ for streaming. Combining the familiar “Korobeiniki” track with the techno genre and aespa’s vocals, “Hold on Tight” is a wonderful take on a nostalgic, iconic tune.
“Hold of Tight” was composed by Aaron Hibell, who also wrote the song’s lyrics with Boy Matthews, Georgia Ku, Dave LaBrel, Marv Music, Niles Edwin Roberts, and Philip von Boch Scully. The song also received a remix, which aespa performed during the Japan leg of their 2023 tour SYNK: HYPER LINE.
“We Go,” the Opening Theme for Pokémon: Liko and Roy’s Adventure
aespa sang the Korean opening theme for the first season of Pokémon: Liko and Roy’s Adventure (포켓몬스터: 리코와 로드의 모험). English-dubbed markets call this iteration Pokémon Horizons: The Series. To coincide with the series’s debut in Korea, the single was released on August 23, 2023. An English version of “We Go” also exists, which serves as the series’s opening theme for the Asian English dub and the Taiwanese Mandarin dub.
This rock track was composed by Source Music producer Lee Wonjoung, KEYOR, C’SA, and Yakyung. JADE.J wrote the Korean lyrics and Sophia Pae wrote the English lyrics. Lee and JADE.J previously contributed to ENHYPEN’s song collaboration with Pokémon, “One and Only.” The lyrics talk about seizing an opportunity with endless possibilities. With the second season of the anime coming up, aespa will pass the baton to IVE, who sings the new Japanese opening theme, “Will.”
“ZOOM ZOOM,” the Ending Theme of BEYBLADE X
aespa departed from the world of Pokémon to the world of BEYBLADE. aespa sang “ZOOM ZOOM,” the Japanese ending theme of the fifteenth BEYBLADE season, BEYBLADE X. On October 6, 2023, the anime and its opening and ending themes premiered.
aespa sings and raps on this dance track, accompanied with flashy neon visuals from the anime. “ZOOM ZOOM” was composed by Soma Genda, Dirty Orange, and Yui Mugino. Mugino and Genda also wrote the lyrics with Jamesy Minimal. Fans of the HYBE LABELS JAPAN group &TEAM may recognize Genda as the group’s sound director.
“Get Goin’,” for Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock
On March 29, aespa released “Get Goin’,” a song for the second season of Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock. “Get Goin’” is a remake of the 1985 track of the same name, which appeared in the Season 3 Episode 11 Fraggle Rock episode “Gobo’s School for Explorers.” An adventurous Fraggle named Gobo originally sang the song, which lists exploring tips from his Uncle Traveling Matt.
The 2024 version of “Get Goin’” was composed by Andrew Hey, Sam Ramirez, and Harvey Mason Jr. The remake maintains the same lyrics from the original, which featured music from Canadian poet Dennis Lee and Canadian singer-songwriter Philip Balsam. The “Get Goin’” music video starts with Gobo reading a postcard inviting the other main Fraggles to watch aespa sing. aespa brings the song into 2024 with a pop spin, and the group will make a guest appearance on the show.