aespa - Next Level Lyrics (Hangul / Romanized / English Translation) & Vocabulary Notes

🎬 Official Music Video / Audio Player — Press play to listen while learning the lyrics below!

SM Culture Universe Anthem

Released in May 2021, "Next Level" became a viral cultural phenomenon across South Korea and the globe. Featuring intoxicating hip-hop grooves, addictive hook choreographies, and an iconic jazz-funk beat switch mid-song, the track follows aespa's quest into the metaverse of KWANGYA to restore harmony between humans and their digital avatars.

[Verse 1]

I'm on the Next Level Yeah

절대적 룰을 지켜

Jeoldaejeok rureul jikyeo

Follow the absolute rules

내 손을 놓지 말아

Nae soneul noji mara

Don't let go of my hand

결속은 나의 무기

Gyeolsogeun naui mugi

Solidarity is my weapon

광야로 걸어가

Gwangyaro georeoga

Walking into KWANGYA

알아 네 Home ground

Ara ne Home ground

I know it's your home ground

위협에 맞서서

Wihyeobe masseoseo

Standing up against the threats

제껴라 제껴라 제껴라

Jekkyeora jekkyeora jekkyeora

Cast them aside, surpass them, knock 'em down

📚 Section Vocabulary & Notes:

• * 절대적 (Jeoldaejeok): Absolute / Unconditional — refers to inviolable principles or universal rules.
• * 결속 (Gyeolsok): Solidarity / Unity / Bond — representing the unbreakable link between aespa and their ae-avatars.
• * 광야 (Gwang-ya): Wilderness / Expanse — In the SMCU (SM Culture Universe), KWANGYA is the boundless virtual realm beyond the real world.
• * 제껴라 (Jekkyeora): Slang imperative form of '제치다' (jechida), meaning to overtake, surpass, push past, or knock out rivals.

[Pre-Chorus]

상상도 못한 Black out

Sangsangdo mothan Black out

An unimaginable blackout

유혹은 깊고 진해

Yuhogeun gipgo jinhae

Temptation runs deep and potent

(Too hot too hot)

맞잡은 손을 놓쳐

Matjabeun soneul nochyeo

Losing hold of our clasped hands

난 절대 포기 못해

Nan jeoldae pogi mothae

I will never give up

📚 Section Vocabulary & Notes:

• * 유혹 (Yuhok): Temptation / Allure — describes the deceptive traps set by Black Mamba.
• * 맞잡은 (Matjabeun): Clasped / Held mutually — from '맞잡다', holding each other's hands firmly together.
• * 포기 못해 (Pogi mothae): Cannot surrender / Cannot give up ('포기' = surrender, '못하다' = cannot).

[Chorus]

I'm on the Next Level

저 너머의 문을 열어

Jeo neomeoui muneul yeoreo

Open the doorway that lies beyond

Next Level

널 결국엔 내가 부셔

Neol gyeolgugen naega busyeo

In the end, I will crush and shatter you

Next Level

KOSMO에 닿을 때까지

KOSMOe daheul ttaekkaji

Until I reach KOSMO

Next Level

제껴라 제껴라 제껴라

Jekkyeora jekkyeora jekkyeora

Cast them aside, surpass them, knock 'em down

📚 Section Vocabulary & Notes:

• * 너머 (Neomeo): Beyond / Over — indicating an unexplored realm on the other side of a boundary.
• * 부셔 (Busyeo): Colloquial form of '부숴' (from '부수다', to smash/shatter/destroy).
• * KOSMO: In aespa's lore, KOSMO is the transcendent dimension of enlightenment beyond KWANGYA that can only be reached by conquering trials.

[Post-Chorus]

La la la la la la

La la la la la la

La la la la la la

La la la la la

📚 Section Vocabulary & Notes:

• * Chanting Hook: This hypnotic melodic chant serves as the musical transition anchor between the aggressive hip-hop groove and the cinematic beat shift.

[Verse 2: Beat Switch]

I see the NU EVO.

적대적인 고난과 슬픔은

Jeokdaejeogin gonangwa seulpeumeun

Hostile hardships and sorrows

널 더 Popping 진화시켜

Neol deo Popping jinhwasikyeo

Only make you evolve even more popping

That's my naevis It's my naevis

You lead, we follow

감정들을 배운 다음

Gamjeongdeureul baeun daeum

After learning human emotions

📚 Section Vocabulary & Notes:

• * NU EVO: Stylized shorthand for "New Evolution" (New Era / New Evolution).
• * 적대적 (Jeokdaejeok): Hostile / Antagonistic ('적대' = hostility + '적' suffix).
• * 진화시켜 (Jinhwasikyeo): Causes to evolve / Makes evolve (from '진화시키다').
• * naevis (나이비스): The AI guide character within the SMCU storyline that assists aespa and their ae-avatars in opening portals and traversing dimensions.

[Bridge: Dance Break & Vocals]

Watch me while I make it out

Watch me while I work it out

Watch me while I make it out

Watch me while I work it out

Work it work it work it out

감당할 수 없는 절망도

Gamdanghal su eomneun jeolmangdo

Even unbearable despair

내 믿음을 깨지 못해

Nae mideumeul kkaeji mothae

Cannot shatter my faith

더 아픈 시련을 맞아도

Deo apeun siryeoneul majado

Even if I face more painful ordeals

난 잡은 손을 놓지 않을게 Oh

Nan jabeun soneul noji aneulge Oh

I will never let go of the hand I'm holding, oh

📚 Section Vocabulary & Notes:

• * 감당할 수 없는 (Gamdanghal su eomneun): Unbearable / Beyond one's capacity to endure ('감당하다' = to handle/manage).
• * 절망 (Jeolmang): Despair / Hopelessness.
• * 시련 (Siryeon): Ordeal / Trial / Tribulation.
• * 놓지 않을게 (Noji aneulge): I will not let go (expressing a firm promise to the listener).

[Verse 3: Warning & Lore]

절대로 뒤를 돌아보지 말아

Jeoldaero dwireul doraboji mara

Never turn back to look behind you

광야의 것 탐내지 말아

Gwangya-ui geot tamnaeji mara

Do not covet the things of KWANGYA

약속이 깨지면

Yaksogi kkaejimyeon

If the promise is broken

모두 걷잡을 수 없게 돼

Modu geotjabeul su eopge dwae

Everything will spiral out of control

언제부턴가 불안해져 가는 신호

Eonjebuteonga buranhaejyeo ganeun sinho

A signal that has grown uneasy from some point on

널 파괴하고 말 거야

Neol pagwoehago mal geoya

It will ultimately destroy you

(We want it)

Come on

Show me the way to KOSMO Yeah

📚 Section Vocabulary & Notes:

• * 탐내지 말아 (Tamnaeji mara): Do not covet / Do not desire greedily ('탐내다' = to lust after or covet).
• * 걷잡을 수 없게 돼 (Geotjabeul su eopge dwae): Becomes uncontrollable / Spirals out of hand ('걷잡다' = to hold in check, bring under control).
• * 파괴하고 말 거야 (Pagwoehago mal geoya): Will end up destroying ('-고 말다' indicates an unavoidable or final result).

[Verse 4: Rap & Storyline Climax]

Black Mamba가 만들어낸 환각 퀘스트

Black Mambaga mandeureonaen hwangak kweseuteu

The hallucination quest conjured by Black Mamba

aespa, ae를 분리시켜놓길 원해 그래

aespa, aereul bullisikyeonohgil wonhae geurae

It wants to tear aespa and ae apart, yes it does

중심을 잃고 목소리도 잃고 비난받고

Jungsimeul ilko moksorido ilko binanbatgo

Losing balance, losing my voice, facing criticism

사람들과 멀어지는 착각 속에

Saramdeulgwa meoreojineun chakgak soge

Trapped in illusions of drifting away from people

naevis 우리 ae, ae 들을 불러봐

naevis uri ae, ae deureul bulleobwa

naevis, call out to our ae, our avatars!

aespa의 Next Level P.O.S를 열어봐

aespa-ui Next Level P.O.Sreul yeoreobwa

Open up aespa's Next Level P.O.S portal!

이건 REAL WORLD 깨어났어

Igeon REAL WORLD kkaeeonasseo

This is the REAL WORLD, we have awakened

We against the villain

What's the name?

Black Mamba

📚 Section Vocabulary & Notes:

• * 환각 (Hwan-gak): Hallucination / Illusion — refers to the mental illusions Black Mamba uses to poison the connection between humans and their ae avatars.
• * 분리시켜놓다 (Bullisikyeonota): To sever and isolate / To pull apart ('분리하다' = to separate + '놓다' = auxiliary expressing keeping in a state).
• * P.O.S (Port of Soul): The dimensional portal in the SMCU narrative that connects the Real World with KWANGYA and FLAT.
• * 깨어났어 (Kkaeeonasseo): Awakened / Snapped back to reality (from '깨어나다').

[Pre-Chorus 2]

결국 난 문을 열어

Gyeolguk nan muneul yeoreo

In the end, I open the door

그 빛은 네겐 Fire

Geu bicheun negen Fire

That light will be fire to you

(Too hot too hot)

난 궁금해 미치겠어

Nan gung-geumhae michigesseo

I'm dying of curiosity

이다음에 펼칠 Story

Ida-eume pyeolchil Story

The story that will unfold next

Huh

📚 Section Vocabulary & Notes:

• * 네겐 (Ne-gen): Contraction of '너에게는' (neo-ege-neun), meaning 'To you / For you'.
• * 궁금해 미치겠어 (Gung-geumhae michigesseo): Colloquial idiom meaning 'I'm dying to know' or 'I'm going crazy with curiosity' ('궁금하다' = curious + '미치겠다' = going crazy).
• * 펼칠 (Pyeolchil): To unfold / To unravel (future modifier form of '펼치다').

[Chorus]

I'm on the Next Level

저 너머의 문을 열어

Jeo neomeoui muneul yeoreo

Open the doorway that lies beyond

Next Level

널 결국엔 내가 부셔

Neol gyeolgugen naega busyeo

In the end, I will crush and shatter you

Next Level

KOSMO에 닿을 때까지

KOSMOe daheul ttaekkaji

Until I reach KOSMO

Next Level

제껴라 제껴라 제껴라

Jekkyeora jekkyeora jekkyeora

Cast them aside, surpass them, knock 'em down

📚 Section Vocabulary & Notes:

• * 내가 (Nae-ga): "I (subject)" — contrasted with '네가' (pronounced 'ni-ga', meaning 'you'). Used here as a defiant declaration of personal power.
• * 결국엔 (Gyeolgugen): Eventually / In the end ('결국' = result/end + '엔' contraction of '에는').

[Outro]

I'm on the Next Level

더 강해져 자유롭게

Deo ganghaejyeo jayuropge

Growing stronger and fully free

Next Level

난 광야의 내가 아냐

Nan gwangya-ui naega anya

I am no longer who I was back in KWANGYA

Next Level

야수 같은 나를 느껴

Yasu gateun nareul neukkyeo

Feel the beast awakening inside me

Next Level

제껴라 제껴라 제껴라

Jekkyeora jekkyeora jekkyeora

Cast them aside, surpass them, knock 'em down

Huh

📚 Section Vocabulary & Notes:

• * 강해져 (Ganghaejyeo): To become stronger (from '강하다' + '-어지다' expressing transformation).
• * 야수 (Yasu): Beast / Wild animal — metaphorically representing fierce, untamed power and inner confidence.
• * 느껴 (Neukkyeo): Imperative / Present form of '느끼다' (to feel/sense).

✨

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