"Thirsty" is a song recorded by South Korean girl group Aespa for their third extended play My World. Composed and produced by Geek Boy AI Swettenham, Kyler Niko, and Paulina "Pau" Cerrilla with lyrics written by Kim Bo-eun from JamFactory, the R&B track was released by SM Entertainment on May 8, 2023 along with the EP.
Background and release
On February 25–26, 2023, Aespa held their first solo concert tour Synk: Hyper Line at the Jamsil Indoor Stadium in Seoul.[1] Among the songs performed by the group on the tour, the setlist included unreleased songs such as "Salty & Sweet" and "Thirsty."[2] The group have previously teased these songs through their YouTube choreography practice videos and Instagram live broadcasts.[3] By March 16, it was confirmed that the group would release a new album in May after 10 months, but was delayed due to a management dispute within SM Entertainment.[4] On May 8, the group released their third extended play My World with "Thirsty" among the six songs on the EP.[5]
Composition
"Thirsty" was written by Kim Bo-eun from JamFactory, composed and arranged by Geek Boy AI Swettenham, with Kyler Niko and Paulina "Pau" Cerilla contributing to the composition.[6] The song is described as an R&B track that likens the deepening emotions toward another person to waves, expressing the "intensifying" sense of longing that grows with each glance.[7]
Musically, "Thirsty" is described by Neil Z. Yeung of AllMusic as a smooth, alt-R&B cooldown track.[8] Sharifa Charles from Clash notes that the song's sound evokes a familiar contemporary R&B style, with "flirtatious lyrics and harmonious melodies", blending 90s R&B nostalgia with modern pop influences through captivating synths.[9] Abigail Firth from Dork describes the song as refreshing, combining a bubbly beat and flawless vocal harmonies, creating a sound that merges elements of PC Music with the new-R&B style of artists like Flo.[10] According to Rhian Daly of NME, the track opens with a rippling melody reminiscent of Ariana Grande’s "Thank U, Next," but described that the group delved into a theme of flirtation, delivering a soft feel that encapsulates the excitement of a new crush.[11]
Promotion and reception
Prior to the release of "Thirsty," Aespa performed the song as part of their set list during their first concert tour, Synk: Hyper Line.[12] On May 5, 2023, a track video for the song was released on the official YouTube account of the group.[13] Actor Cha Joo-wan appeared as a cameo on the music video.[14] They then performed the song along with "Spicy" at KBS's Music Bank on May 12 and SBS's Inkigayo on May 14.[15][16] On May 21, the group performed the song with a live band on It's Live.[17]
Following its release, "Thirsty" garnered positive reviews from music critics. The song was noted for its "dreamy" melody and "sweet" vocals.[18] Jang Jin-ri of SPOTV featured the track in the Hidden Tracks series, describing it as "like paradise from the beginning." She highlighted the "poetic lyrics" and Winter’s "tingling voice," which she likened to waves. While she praised the album’s title track, "Spicy," for its summery feel, she noted that the song provided a darker, dreamy vibe that reflected SM's R&B ballad style.[19] Mary Siroky of Consequence included the song in Fan Chant: 10 Best K-Pop B-Sides of 2023 (So Far) list, mentioning that it offered the group "a great chance to show off their harmonies."[20]
Commercial performance
"Thirsty" debuted at number 52 on South Korea's Circle Digital Chart in the chart issue dated May 7–13, 2023,[21] and later peaked at number 30 in the chart issue dated May 28–June 3, 2023.[22] On the component Streaming Chart, the song debuted at number 70 and peaked at number 32 for two consecutive weeks.[23][24][25] It also debuted and peaked at number 14 on the component Download Chart.[26] In Vietnam, the song debuted and peaked at number 75 on the Vietnam Hot 100 chart.[27]
On the Circle Monthly Digital Chart, "Thirsty" entered at number 55 for May and peaked at number 40 on the June 2023 issue.[28][29] It ranked as the 146th song on Circle's Yearly Digital Chart for 2023.[30]
^Jeong, Hyeon-tae (February 25, 2023). 에스파, 오늘(25일) 데뷔 첫 단독 콘서트 개최..풍성한 세트리스트 [Aespa will Hold its First Solo Concert Today (25th)..A Rich Set List]. Herald Pop (in Korean). Retrieved October 31, 2024.
^Yong, Won-joong (February 25, 2023). 에스파, 첫 단독 콘서트 오늘(25일) 개막...팝업 오픈 [Aespa's First Solo Concert Opens Today (25th)...Pop-up Opens]. Single List (in Korean). Retrieved October 31, 2024.
^Lee, Seung-hoon (February 25, 2023). 에스파, 데뷔 첫 단콘 오늘(25일) 개최..미공개 신곡 무대 예고 [Aespa will Hold its First Debut Concert Today (25th)..New Unreleased Song Performance Announced]. Star News (in Korean). Retrieved October 31, 2024.
^Moon, Wan-sik (March 16, 2023). 에스파, 5월 컴백 확정 [Aespa Confirms Comeback In May]. Star News (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 16, 2023. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
^Kim, Jae-won (May 8, 2023). 괴력…에스파, 선주문만 180만장 [The Power of Strength…Aespa's Pre-order Alone is 1.8 Million]. Sports World (in Korean). Archived from the original on May 8, 2023. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
^ abAespa (2023). My World (photobook). South Korea: SM Entertainment; Dreamus. Credits.
^Lee, Da-won (February 25, 2023). 에스파, 오늘(25일) 첫 단독 콘서트 개최 [Aespa will Hold its First Solo Concert Today (25th)]. Sports Kyunghyang (in Korean). Retrieved October 31, 2024.
^Ji, Min-kyung (May 5, 2023). 에스파, 새 앨범에 담은 팬사랑..몽환적 분위기 ‘Thirsty’→따뜻한 팬송까지 [Aespa's Love for Fans in the New Album..Dreamy Atmosphere 'Thirsty' → Even a Warm Fan Song]. Osen (in Korean). Archived from the original on May 8, 2023. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
^Cho, Jae-yong (August 30, 2023). '에스파 뮤비 남주' 차주완, '연애 지상주의 구역' 주연 캐스팅 [Cha Joo-wan 'Aespa Music Video Male Lead,' Casts as Lead in 'Love Supremacy Zone']. Single List (in Korean). Retrieved November 1, 2024.
^Kim, Hee-seo (May 12, 2023). '뮤직뱅크' 오늘(12일) 에스파·르세라핌·비투비·원어스·이무진 ['Music Bank' Today (12th), Aespa, Le Sserafim, BTOB, ONEUS, and Lee Mu-jin]. Celuv Media (in Korean). Retrieved November 1, 2024.
^Lee, Ha-na (May 14, 2023). ‘인기가요’ 르세라핌 1위 “우리는 한 팀”‥에스파·원어스 컴백[종합] ['Inkigayo' Le Sserafim No. 1 "We Are a Team"‥Aespa and ONEUS Comeback [Roundup]]. Newsen (in Korean). Archived from the original on May 14, 2023. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
^Lee, Soo-hyun (May 27, 2024). 에스파 닝닝, '잇츠 라이브' 단독 출연…선곡은? [Aespa Ningning Appeared Alone in 'It's Live'…What's your Song Choice?]. Top Star News (in Korean). Archived from the original on May 27, 2023. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
^Kim, Sung-hyun (February 26, 2023). [Y현장] “성장하는 아티스트 될 것"... 에스파 첫 단독 콘서트 성료(종합) [[Site Y] "We'll be a Growing Artist"... Aespa's First Solo Concert (Roundup)]. YTN Star (in Korean). Retrieved November 1, 2024.
^Gong, Mi-na (May 14, 2023). 김동률 '황금가면'→에스파 '서스티', 5월의 발견①[히든트랙s] [Kim Dong-ryul's 'Golden Mask' → Aespa's 'Thirsty', May Discovery① [Hidden Tracks]]. SPOTV News (in Korean). Retrieved November 1, 2024.
