aespa’s sixth mini-album Rich Man drops September 5, 2025, with six tracks lined up. It’s a record that redefines what it means to be “rich”. Steering away from money and status into self-worth, confidence, and independence.
Breaking Down the Tracks
The title track makes the mission statement loud and clear. Just like I suspected, Rich Man isn’t about finding one. It’s about being one. Gritty electric guitar riffs and band instrumentation carry the chant of self-love. “I am enough as I am. I am a Rich Man”. Drift and Bubble are more playful, teasing aespa’s more experimental pop side.
Count On Me is a dreamy R&B song with heartfelt lyrics about enduring pain for someone you love. Angel #48 is a pop track about destiny and finding a perfect partner. The song’s title is inspired by the angel number 48, which signifies stability, blessings with a bright future on the horizon.
To The Girls lands as a mid-tempo pep talk, urging listeners to believe in themselves and keep pushing forward.
The Cohesion Question
Together, the tracklist looks like aespa is aiming for both range and cohesion. It’s something listeners have wanted since their debut days.
aespa’s discography has been a rollercoaster of sounds. Their first mini album Savage made that variety feel like a unified story. Each track had a different vibe but fit together like a tightly cut puzzle. Since then, cohesion has slipped with albums like Girls, My World, Drama. Even Armageddon felt like a playlist assembled by SM Entertainment without much thought towards how the music sounds together.
Will Rich Man Finally Break The Cycle?
On the one hand, the themes of self-love, empowerment, emotional honesty feel consistent on Rich Man. Yet, I’m basing this on the sampler. There’s hints at aespa pulling from hip-hop, R&B, and pop all at once. There’s a risk of ending up with the same issue of songs not fitting together. The hope is that this time, the diversity of the music can connect under a strong narrative thread.
At its core, Rich Man is aespa flipping the script from materialism to identity. Instead of chasing status they’re coming into their own. It’s a bold move that reflects aespa’s growth.
If the album sticks the landing, it could redefine aespa’s legacy. For the first time since Savage was released, they’d finally have a body of work that stands on its own as a cohesive statement.
If not? Well, fans will still blast Rich Man for its message: you don’t need a rich man when you already are one.
