aespa’s futuristic sound—aka “metallic taste”—dominated K-pop in 2024. The four-member girl group took the globe by storm back in May with “Supernova”. Driven by the catchy refrain “Su, su, su, supernova”, the hit single spawned meme after meme. This was followed by the arrival of their first studio album, Armageddon, which placed aespa front and centre on the genre’s scene. In October, the group cemented their hold on the year with “Whiplash”, the techno-tinged title track of their fifth mini album.