Welcome to My World (Aespa song)

"Welcome to My World" is a song recorded by South Korean girl group Aespa featuring Naevis. Written by Ellie Suh, Hyun Ji-won, and Danke alongside Mich Hansen, Jacob "Ubizz" Uchorczak, Celine Svanbäck, and Patrizia Helander, it was released as a pre-release single for their third extended play My World by SM Entertainment on May 2, 2023.

"Welcome to My World"
Single by Aespa featuring Naevis
from the EP My World
Language	Korean English
Released	May 2, 2023 (2023-05-02)
Genre	Alternative pop
Length	3:27
Label	SM Warner Dreamus
Composer(s)	Mich Hansen Jacob Uchorczak Celine Svanbäck Patrizia Helander
Lyricist(s)	Ellie Suh (153/Joombas) Hyun Ji-won Danke (Lalala Studio)
Aespa singles chronology
"Hold on Tight" (2023) "Welcome to My World" (2023) "Spicy" (2023)
Music video
"Welcome to My World" on YouTube

Background and release

On February 16, 2023, Lee Sung-soo released a 30-minute video stating: "Lee Soo-man was the reason why Aespa's music has been delayed" and that the group was supposed to release new music on February 20. Moreover, he added that Soo-man wanted to start "injecting environmentalist motifs of tree-planting and sustainability into songs" which were eventually later scrapped as they "did not fit the world of Aespa" and made the group "upset".^[1] On March 16, SM Entertainment announced that Aespa would be releasing a record in early May.^[2] On April 17, it was announced that the group's third extended play titled My World, and containing six tracks, would be released on May 8. It was also announced that "Welcome to My World" would be pre-released on May 2.^[3] On April 26, it was revealed that Naevis, the AI character in Aespa's SMCU storyline, would featured in "Welcome to My World" as a virtual artist.^[4] The song alongside its music video was released on May 2.^[5]

Composition

"Welcome to My World" was written by Ellie Suh (153/Joombas), Hyun Ji-won, and Danke (Lalala Studio), composed and arranged by Mich Hansen, and Jacob "Ubizz" Uchorczak with Celine Svanbäck, and Patrizia Helander participating in the composition.^[6] It was described as a "dreamy" and "majestic" pop and alternative pop song characterized by "guitar riff and orchestra" with lyrics about "inviting Naevis [and the listener] to the music world of Aespa".^[7][8][9] "Welcome to My World" was composed in the key of G major, with a tempo of 152 beats per minute.^[10]

Music video

The music video portrays the members "taking a road trip to a forest and connect with nature" with "a mysterious aura [following] them [throughout] their journey", later revealed to be Naevis, "a personified AI system from the group's [world]".^[11]

Commercial performance

"Welcome to My World" debuted at number 122 on South Korea's Circle Digital Chart in the chart issue dated April 30 – May 6, 2023;^[12] on its component charts, the song debuted at number 34 on the Circle Download Chart,^[13] number 157 on the Circle Streaming Chart,^[14] and number 162 on the Circle BGM Chart.^[15] In the following week, it ascended to number 64 on the Circle Digital Chart,^[16] and number 68 on the Circle Streaming Chart.^[17] In Singapore, the song debuted at number 26 on the RIAS Top Regional Chart in the chart issue dated May 5–11, 2023.^[18] In Vietnam, the song debuted at number 27 on the Billboard Vietnam Hot 100 in the chart issue dated May 18, 2023.^[19]

Critical reception

On NME's midyear list of the best K-pop songs of 2023, Abby Webster wrote that the song "set the tone with a perfected alchemy of hard and soft (or, in their parlance, salty and sweet)" and called it "a welcome oasis in their digital terrain".^[20]

Year-end lists for "Welcome to My World"

Critic/Publication	List	Rank	Ref.
Business Insider	The best K-pop songs of 2023	3	[21]
Dazed	Top 50 best K-pop tracks of 2023	13	[22]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from EP's liner notes.^[23]

Studio

• SM Yellow Tail Studio – recording, digital editing
• Seoul Studio – recording
• SM Starlight Studio – digital editing
• Doobdoob Studio – digital editing
• SM Concert Hall Studio – mixing
• 821 Sound – mastering

Personnel

• SM Entertainment – executive producer
• Aespa – vocals, background vocals
• Ellie Suh (153/Joombas) – lyrics
• Danke (Lalala Studio) – lyrics
• Hyun Ji-won – lyrics
• Mich Hansen – composition, arrangement
• Jacob "Ubizz" Uchorczak – composition, arrangement
• Celine Svanbäck – composition
• Patrizia Helander – composition
• Kriz – vocal directing, background vocals
• Goldbranch – orchestral recording, orchestral arrangement, orchestral programming
• SM Classics Town Orchestra – orchestration
• Moon Jung-jae – piano, orchestral recording
• Lee Jong-han – orchestral programming
• Noh Min-ji – recording, digital editing
• Jeong Ki-hong – recording
• Choi Da-in – recording
• Lee Chan-mi – recording
• Jeong Yoo-ra – digital editing
• Jang Woo-young – digital editing
• Nam Koong-jin – mixing
• Kwon Nam-woo – mastering

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for "Welcome to My World" Chart (2023) Peak position Singapore Regional (RIAS)[18] 26 South Korea (Circle)[16] 64 Vietnam (Vietnam Hot 100)[19] 63

Monthly charts Monthly chart performance for "Welcome to My World" Chart (2023) Position South Korea (Circle)[24] 92

Release history

Release history for "Welcome to My World"

Region	Date	Format	Label
Various	May 2, 2023	Digital download streaming	SM Warner Dreamus

References

1. Chin, Carmen (February 17, 2023). "SM Entertainment CEO alleges Lee Soo-man delayed release of new aespa music with insistence on lyrics about sustainability". NME. Archived from the original on March 18, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
2. Oh, Yoon-joo (March 16, 2023). "SM "에스파, 5월 컴백 목표로 준비 중" [공식입장]" [SM "Aespa, preparing for a comeback in May" [Official Position]] (in Korean). My Daily. Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023 – via Naver.
3. Yoon, Sang-geun (April 17, 2023). "에스파가 돌아온다! 5월 8일 'My World' 컴백 확정[공식]" [Espa is back! May 8th 'My World' comeback confirmed [Official]] (in Korean). MT Star News. Archived from the original on April 24, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023 – via Naver.
4. Jeong, Bit (April 26, 2023). "에스파, 나이비스 콜링했다...선공개곡 '웰컴 투 마이 월드' 피처링" [Aespa, Naevis called...Featured in the pre-release song 'Welcome to My World'] (in Korean). Sports Chosun. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023 – via Naver.
5. Jo, Hye-jin (May 2, 2023). "'AI'도 초대한 에스파의 세계관 시즌2, '웰컴 투 마이 월드'" [Aespa's Worldview Season 2 Invited by 'AI', 'Welcome to My World'] (in Korean). X-port News. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023 – via Naver.
6. "My World" (in Korean). Dreamus. SM Entertainment. May 2, 2023. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023 – via Melon.
7. Koh, Seung-ah (April 19, 2023). "에스파, 광야 떠나 리얼 월드로...카리나·닝닝의 압도적 비주얼" [Aespa, leaving the wilderness to the real world...Overwhelming visuals of Karina·Ningning] (in Korean). News1. Archived from the original on April 30, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023 – via Naver.
8. Jo, Hye-jin (April 27, 2023). "광야 떠난 에스파의 'My World', 기대 포인트 셋" [Aespa's 'My World' left in the wilderness, three points to look forward to] (in Korean). X-port News. Archived from the original on April 30, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023 – via Naver.
9. Gatewood, Payton (April 26, 2023). "Aespa Ditches the Metaverse for the 'Real World'". Paper. Archived from the original on April 28, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
10. "Key & BPM for Welcome to My World by Aespa featuring Naevis". Tunebat. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
11. Yeo, Gladys (May 2, 2023). "Aespa drop music video for pre-release single 'Welcome to My World'". NME. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
12. "Circle Digital Chart – Week 18 of 2023". Circle Chart (in Korean). April 30 – May 6, 2023. Archived from the original on May 20, 2023. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
13. "Circle Download Chart – Week 18 of 2023". Circle Chart (in Korean). April 30 – May 6, 2023. Archived from the original on May 20, 2023. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
14. "Circle Streaming Chart – Week 18 of 2023". Circle Chart (in Korean). April 30 – May 6, 2023. Archived from the original on May 20, 2023. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
15. "Circle BGM Chart – Week 18 of 2023". Circle Chart (in Korean). April 30 – May 6, 2023. Archived from the original on May 20, 2023. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
16. "Circle Digital Chart – Week 19 of 2023". Circle Chart (in Korean). May 7–13, 2023. Archived from the original on May 18, 2023. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
17. "Circle Streaming Chart – Week 19 of 2023". Circle Chart (in Korean). May 7–13, 2023. Archived from the original on May 18, 2023. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
18. "RIAS Top Charts – Week 19 (May 5–11, 2023)". Recording Industry Association Singapore. May 5–11, 2023. Archived from the original on May 20, 2023. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
19. "Billboard Vietnam Hot 100 – Week of May 18, 2023". Billboard Vietnam (in Vietnamese). May 18, 2023. Archived from the original on May 20, 2023. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
20. "The 15 best K-pop songs of 2023 – so far". NME. June 28, 2023. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
21. Haasch, Palmer (December 26, 2023). "The best K-pop songs of 2023, ranked". Business Insider. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
22. Glasby, Taylor (December 15, 2023). "From Jung Kook to NewJeans and aespa, we look back on the K-pop tracks that ruled the last 12 months". Dazed. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
23. Aespa (2023). My World (photobook). South Korea: SM Entertainment; Dreamus. Credits.
24. "Digital Chart – May 2023". Circle Chart (in Korean). Retrieved June 8, 2023.