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.

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". On March 16, SM Entertainment announced that Aespa would be releasing a record in early May. 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. 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. The song alongside its music video was released on May 2.

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. 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". "Welcome to My World" was composed in the key of G major, with a tempo of 152 beats per minute.

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]".

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; on its component charts, the song debuted at number 34 on the Circle Download Chart, number 157 on the Circle Streaming Chart, and number 162 on the Circle BGM Chart. In the following week, it ascended to number 64 on the Circle Digital Chart, and number 68 on the Circle Streaming Chart. In Singapore, the song debuted at number 26 on the RIAS Top Regional Chart in the chart issue dated May 5–11, 2023. In Vietnam, the song debuted at number 27 on the Billboard Vietnam Hot 100 in the chart issue dated May 18, 2023.

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".

Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from EP's liner notes.

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