aespa became the center of heated discussions online following the release of their pre-release track “WDA (Completely Different Animal)” with G-Dragon.
The song was released ahead of aespa’s upcoming second full-length album Lemonade and immediately elicited mixed reactions from listeners. While some praised the experimental sound and the collaboration itself, others criticized the song’s production style and G-Dragon’s contribution.
Soon after the release, the song’s chart performance became another major topic online.
On the Korean music platform Melon, “WDA” it debuted at number 63 before rising to number 23 the following day. Although the song later suffered a chart drop, many fans noted that the climb itself was impressive considering the backlash and boycott discussions surrounding the release.
Internationally, the song also recorded excellent numbers in streaming on Spotify. According to the data shared, the song recorded around 1.46 million streams on the first day before increasing to around 1.59 million streams on the second day.
The numbers have sparked divided reactions in online communities.
Some critics argued that the collaboration underperformed compared to expectations for Aespa’s artists and G-Dragon’s popularity. Some commentators even claimed that the release had a negative impact on G-Dragon’s personal reputation.
However, a much larger number of fans defended the group and celebrated the results, especially as aespa reportedly faced boycott campaigns from some listeners dissatisfied with the collaboration announcement.
Supporters pointed out that despite the controversy, the song still managed to trend on social media and maintain strong streaming growth internationally.
The discussion also highlighted aespa’s ability to generate attention with unconventional concepts and collaborations, something the group has become increasingly known for since debuting under SM Entertainment.
Meanwhile, anticipation for aespa’s next album continues to grow Lemonadewith many curious whether the group’s full return will further divide listeners or produce another major hit.
Sources: Koreaboo
