"Supernova" is a song recorded by South Korean girl group Aespa for their first studio album, Armageddon. It was released by SM Entertainment on May 13, 2024, as the lead single from the album. Written by Kenzie, who composed the song alongside Paris Alexa and Dem Jointz, it is a dance and hyperpop song that incorporates hip-hop and EDM with lyrics comparing Aespa's expanded world view to a supernova.
The song experienced huge commercial success in South Korea, scoring a perfect all-kill and becoming the group's first song to top the Circle Digital Chart. It remained at number one for eleven non-consecutive weeks and became the best-performing single of the year. "Supernova" also topped charts in Hong Kong and entered the top ten in Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan. It peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Global 200 and number six on the Global Excl. US, becoming their first top-ten hit on the latter chart. It received numerous accolades at year-end award ceremonies, including Song of the Year at the 2024 Korea Grand Music Awards, 2024 MAMA Awards, 2024 Melon Music Awards, 39th Golden Disc Awards and 22nd Korean Music Awards.
Background and release On April 22, 2024, SM Entertainment announced that Aespa would be releasing their first studio album, Armageddon. It was also announced that the album would feature two title tracks: "Supernova" and "Armageddon", with the former releasing on May 13 and the latter, along with the album, on May 27. On May 10, the track listing was revealed alongside a highlight medley teaser video. Two days later, the music video teaser was released. "Supernova" was released along with its music video on May 13.
On September 20, ScreaM Records released the remix version of "Supernova" by Canadian musician Grimes alongside the remixes of "Armageddon", under the 33rd volume of the series iScreaM.
Composition "Supernova" was written and composed by Kenzie and Paris Alexa, and Dem Jointz participating in both the composition and production. Alexa wrote the original song in English to Jointz beat's, and Kenzie refined and translated the lyrics into Korean to make it flow seamlessly together. Described as a dance and hyper-pop song characterized by "heavy kick and bass", "catchy top line", and "synth melody" with lyrics about "Aespa's expanded world view by comparing the beginning of an event that opens a door to another dimension to a supernova, expressing the beginning of a big explosion". "Supernova" was composed in the key of B minor, with a tempo of 120 beats per minute.
Gil Kaufman of Billboard, described the track as "the dance floor-ready" fusion of "hip-hop beats, EDM rhythms and smooth pop vocals". Uproxxs Derrick Rossignol characterized "Supernova" as a "cross-genre banger" that combines "elements of pop, dance, hip-hop, and electronic music into one cohesive package".
Commercial performance "Supernova" debuted at number eight on South Korea's Circle Digital Chart in the chart issue dated May 12–18, 2024, ascending to number one in the following week. The song also debuted on the Billboard South Korea Songs in the chart issue dated May 25, 2024, ascending to number one in the following week. The song achieved the perfect all-kill status, where a song simultaneously reaches number one on the real-time, daily, and weekly components of iChart. In Japan, the song debuted at number 26 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 in the chart issue dated May 22, 2024, ascending to number 25 in the following week. On the Oricon Combined Singles Chart, the song debuted at number 24 in the chart issue dated May 27, 2024.
In Singapore, "Supernova" debuted at number 28 on the RIAS Top Streaming Chart and number 11 on the Top Regional Chart in the chart issue dated May 10–16, 2024, ascending to number six on the Top Streaming Chart and number two on the Top Regional Chart in the following week. In Hong Kong, the song debuted at number 15 on the Billboard Hong Kong Songs in the chart issue dated May 25, 2024, ascending to number one in the following week. In Taiwan, the song debuted at number six on the Billboard Taiwan Songs in the chart issue dated May 25, 2024, ascending to number two in the following week. In Indonesia, the song debuted at number 14 on the Billboard Indonesia Songs in the chart issue dated June 1, 2024. In Malaysia, the song debuted at number ten on the Billboard Malaysia Songs in the chart issue dated June 1, 2024.
In the United States, "Supernova" debuted at number five on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales in the chart issue dated May 25, 2024. In New Zealand, "Supernova" debuted at number 20 on the RMNZ Hot Singles in the chart issue dated May 20, 2024, ascending to number 12 in the following week. In the United Kingdom, the song debuted at number 33 on the OCC's UK Singles Download Chart, and UK Singles Sales Chart in the chart issue dated May 17–23, 2024. In Netherlands, the song debuted at number 17 on the Global Top 40 in the chart issue dated May 27, 2024. In Argentina, the song debuted at number 50 on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 in the chart issue dated June 1, 2024. Globally, the song debuted at number 50 on the Billboard Global 200, and number 23 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. in the chart issue dated May 25, 2024, ascending to number 19 on the Global 200, and number seven on the Global Excl. U.S. in the following week. The song peaked at number 17 on the Global 200, and number six on the Global Excl. U.S. the following week
Music video The music video directed by Ha Junghoon (Hattrick), was released on May 13, 2024, alongside the song. On the same day, it was announced that the music video had surpassed 10 million views within 10 hours.
The "futuristic" music video shows Aespa in "dynamic and witty characterizations", displaying their superpowers throughout the city. It features each member possessing an "otherworldly power" - Karina's super strength, Ningning's control over fire, Winter's floating in the air and Giselle's time-looping. The visual starts with Karina surviving a fall from way high up onto a car. Moments later, she leaves the shattered vehicle unharmed. Other scenes include the member "ripping the side mirrors off parked cars, flashing [her] vampire fangs and lifting up vehicles with one hand".
Additionally, AI technology was used to move still photos of Aespa's faces in synergy with the lyrics of the song. Member Ningning revealed that she "laughed so much when [she] saw the AI scene", describing it as "not something you expect". The singer also realized that "even in a world where AI covers and AI-anything are so popular", the technology will not be able to "replicate our expressions and the temperatures of humans".
Promotion Following the release of "Supernova", on May 13, 2024, Aespa performed on four music programs in the first week of promotion: Mnet's M Countdown on May 16, and KBS's Music Bank on May 17, MBC's Show! Music Core on May 18, and SBS's Inkigayo on May 19. In the second and final week of promotion, they performed on four music programs: M Countdown on May 23, Music Bank on May 24, Show! Music Core on May 25, and Inkigayo on May 26, where they won first place for three appearances except Music Bank.
Accolades On South Korea music programs, "Supernova" achieved a triple crown on June 23 episode of Inkigayo in 2024.
+ Awards and nominations for "Supernova" Award ceremony Year Category Result Asia Star Entertainer Awards 2025 Song of the Year Asian Pop Music Awards 2024 Best Dance Performance (Overseas) Best Arranger (Overseas) Best Lyricist (Overseas) Song of the Year (Overseas) Top 20 Songs of the Year (Overseas) D Awards 2025 Song of the Year (Daesang) Entop Awards 2024 Best IP Golden Disc Awards 2025 Best Digital Song (Bonsang) Digital Song of the Year (Daesang) iHeartRadio Music Awards 2025 Favorite K-pop Dance Challenge K-pop Song of the Year K-Music and Arts Film Festival 2024 Best K-pop Music Video Korea Grand Music Awards 2024 Best Song 10 Grand Song (Daesang) Most Streamed Song Korean Music Awards 2025 Best K-pop Song Song of the Year (Daesang) MAMA Awards 2024 Best Choreography Best Dance Performance – Female Group Song of the Year (Daesang) Melon Music Awards 2024 Song of the Year (Daesang) MTV Video Music Awards Japan 2025 Best Dance Video Video of the Year Music Awards Japan 2025 Best Song Asia Best K-pop Song in Japan Best of Listeners' Choice: International Song Philippine K-pop Awards 2024 Song of the Year Tencent Music Entertainment Awards 2024 K-pop Song of the Year
+ Music program awards Program Date Inkigayo M Countdown Music Bank Show! Music Core
+ Melon weekly popularity award Award Date Weekly Popularity Award
Listicles
First-half lists + Publisher Year Listicle Placement Billboard 2024 The 20 Best K-Pop Songs of 2024 (So Far): Critic's Picks 2nd Dork Dork's Best Songs of 2024 (So Far) rowspan="2" NME The 15 best K-pop songs of 2024 – so far
Year-end lists + Publisher Year Listicle Placement Billboard 2024 The 25 Best K-Pop Songs of 2024: Staff Picks 1 Dazed The 50 best K-pop tracks of 2024 rowspan="4" Idology 16 Best Songs of 2024 Best Music Videos of 2024 IZM 2024 Domestic Single of the Year NME The 50 Best Songs of 2024 9 The 25 Best K-pop Songs of 2024 1 Paste The 20 Best K-Pop Songs of 2024 9 Rolling Stone India 10 Best K-pop Songs of 2024 Stereogum The Top 40 Pop Songs Of 2024 7
Track listing Digital download and streaming "Supernova" – 2:58
Digital download and streaming – iScreaM Vol.33: Supernova / Armageddon Remixes "Supernova" (Grimes remix) – 3:47 "Armageddon" (Flava D remix) – 4:07 "Armageddon" (2Spade remix) – 3:08 "Armageddon" (Mount XLR remix) – 3:16 "Supernova" – 2:58 "Armageddon" – 3:16
Digital download and streaming – Re:Works "Supernova" (Kenzie Re:Works) – 3:32 "Supernova" – 2:58
Credits and personnel Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.
Studio SM Wavelet Studio – recording SM Yellow Tail Studio – digital editing SM Blue Ocean Studio – mixing 821 Sound – mastering
Personnel SM Entertainment – executive producer Aespa – vocals, background vocals Kenzie – lyrics, composition, vocal directing Paris Alexa – composition, lyrics, background vocals Dem Jointz – composition, arrangement Noh Min-ji – recording, digital editing Kang Eun-ji – recording Kim Cheol-sun – mixing Kwon Nam-woo – mastering
Charts
Weekly charts + Chart (2024) Peakposition Argentina (Argentina Hot 100) 50 Egypt (IFPI) 5 Hong Kong (Billboard) 1 Indonesia (ASIRI) 11 Indonesia (Billboard) 10 Japan (Japan Hot 100) 25 Japan Combined Singles (Oricon) 24 Malaysia (Billboard) 6 Malaysia International (RIM) 5 Netherlands (Global Top 40) 17 New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ) 12 Nigeria Bubbling Under Top 100 (TurnTable Top 100) 4 Nigeria Streaming (TurnTable Top 100) 87 Singapore (RIAS) 6 South Korea (Circle) 1 Taiwan (Billboard) 2 UK Singles Sales (OCC) 33 US World Digital Song Sales (Billboard) 5
Monthly charts + Chart (2024) Position South Korea (Circle) 1
Year-end charts + Chart (2024) Position Global 200 (Billboard) 139 Japan (Japan Hot 100) 99 South Korea (Circle) 1
+ Chart (2025) Position South Korea (Circle) 20
Certifications
Release history + Region Date Format Version Label Various May 13, 2024 Original September 20, 2024 Grimes remix October 7, 2024 Re:Works
Notes
See also List of Circle Digital Chart number ones of 2024 List of Inkigayo Chart winners (2024) List of M Countdown Chart winners (2024) List of Music Bank Chart winners (2024) List of Show! Music Core Chart winners (2024)
References