aespa Reimagines S.E.S’s Hit ‘Dreams Come True’

K-pop monster rookie girl group aespa revealed a revamped version of S.E.S’s 1998 hit “Dreams Come True.” 

Produced, conceptualized and choreographed by one of the most successful and influential Korean entertainers, BoA, aespa’s version reimagines the track with strong hip-hop and trap influences. This new version of the Nineties pop track draws on aespa’s youthfulness and contemporary style to build a soundscape that pays homage to S.E.S’s artistry whilst also showcasing the vocal prowess of the girl group. 

With choreography being one of aespa’s biggest strengths, the fresh soundscape gives them room to play around with smooth moves, complementing the urban ensemble of the track. Taking the remastering step further, aespa has introduced a brand new verse, setting up the narrative for what’s about to follow and possibly what motivated the team to conceptualize the track: “Yeah, get it on nah Get it on nah/ Let’s bring back to Nineties.”

Though the version comes with a revamped soundscape, the holographic butterflies and wings from the original version have been retained. The sets are futuristic and flamboyant (another aespa staple), altering between three sets — a scenic floral set-up, a street-styled contemporary space and an advanced skyscraper design where the metaverse girl group’s ‘ae’ (digital alter egos) join them in the concluding verse of the track. 

The song is part of YouTube and  SM Entertainment’s Remastering Project, which is a technology-driven approach aimed at reintroducing classic hits that laid out the foundation of K-pop. By elevating the quality of more than 300 K-pop music videos and audio tracks to a format suitable for today’s digital platforms, veteran K-pop acts such as H.O.T., BoA, S.E.S are more accessible to fans. 

In other news, aespa also created waves at this year’s Melon Music Awards, taking home the Record of the Year (daesang), New Artist of the Year (Female), ‘Best Group’ (female) and a bongsang (Top 10 artists).