Producer Interview: PK and Patricia Battani on "Illusion" by aespa

Patricia Battani is a singer, songwriter, and John-Lennon-Award-winning vocal producer. Currently, she composes music for television, films, and other artists, while also recording herself for Netflix and Lifetime movies. PK is a multi-platinum selling, Grammy-nominated music producer, songwriter, and entertainment composer. Notably, he has worked with Toni Braxton, Chris Brown, and 2Chainz. He is also known within the K-pop sphere for his work with SHINee, Taemin, and NCT. With both having such prolific resumes, I thought it was quite interesting that they collaborated with aespa, an act known for very cutting-edge music. I was curious as to how that came to be, as well as how "Illusion" was produced, so I decided to contact them on a whim. And they actually got back to me! So thank you to both PK and Tricia for this interview opportunity. And of course, thank you to each and every MY (aespa's fandom name) who submitted questions for the interview through Reddit and Instagram (questions may have been combined or truncated for clarity).

aespa's unconventional oeuvre should come as a surprise to no one. The group hails from SM Entertainment, a K-pop label specifically known for its progressive, trend-setting music. From the song-splicing, power-heavy reaches of SHINee, to the dual-sided pop and R&B gimmicks of Red Velvet, aespa comes from a historical line of unorthodox artists who have continually challenged traditional music norms through the decade. aespa themselves have been acclaimed for bringing EDM-infused hyperpop into the K-pop landscape. But much of this idiosyncrasy is all thanks to SM Entertainment's producers. From Yoo YoungJin in their Korean home ground, to Cazzi Opeia and Ellen Berg all the way in Sweden, to Kirsten Collins and Adrian McKinnon in the US-- SM's global curation of talented composers has long set the stage for their legendary artists. And perhaps PK and Tricia are their next signature producers?

To start things off, how did you even end up working with aespa and SM Entertainment? 

PK: I’ve worked with SM for about seven years - with NCT, Taemin, Shinee, and others.  (Check out "Truth" by Taemin, and "First Love" by NCT 127)

Tricia: PK and I have been writing and pitching our songs to SM for a few years. We’ve had several of them put on hold, but this was the first one to go through.

What are each of your creative processes in writing and producing a song? Was this a self-creation, or did SM Entertainment contact you? If so, were you given any briefs on what they wanted? 

Tricia: PK knew they were looking for songs, so we started creating one. We try not to worry too much about following exact briefs - just because we don’t want to cut off creativity - but at the same time, we want to respect what the label is looking for, so it tends to be a combination of both. PK was creating the music from scratch, while I was looking through my list of song ideas. We collectively agreed that “Dessert” matched the energy of the track. I recorded our melody ideas, we picked our favorites, put words to them, added backgrounds and adlibs, and voilá!

What was the overall inspiration for the song? You've mentioned that the song was previously called 'Dessert'-- were the lyrics not originally about Illusions?

Tricia: It was a confident, flirty song about being a delicious, enticing dessert, and “Illusion” was born from that. We created the song in a few hours - it flowed right out of us.

Interesting, so the entire theme was altered to fit aespa's concept. Were you surprised or disappointed by that? 

PK: They wanted us to format it differently since it was for a group and not a solo artist. 

Tricia: As a songwriter, you can never be “married” to anything you create. It’s key to stay open and be willing to adjust anything in order to fit the artist. The whole point is for them to relate to it, make it their own, and give it a heartbeat. 

What was your initial reaction to hearing aespa was going to release the song? Did you know about the group beforehand? (@giguch on Instagram)

PK: It was exciting, because we knew of Aespa and that they’d come out the gate poppin’.

Tricia: I cried. I was so honored to have their next single. We’d been working so hard for so long - it was a beautiful moment to have that news come. 

 (Image credits to SM Entertainment and Apple Music. L: "Illusion" lyric video. R: Promotional images from Apple Music's 'Up Next.')

PK and Tricia's success with releasing "Illusion" with aespa comes in conjunction with a plethora of other achievements.  Within a mere 10 days, the song has seen 5 million streams, while the Girls album has surpassed 1 million stock pre-orders (as of June 11th, 2022). And this is no random feat. "Illusion" arrives at the heels of Savage and "Next Level," some of K-pop's biggest hits off the past two years. Neither is it just the riding off the coattails of its predecessors-- "Illusion's slinky, dark feel makes it a standout in aespa's rather explosive discography. Many even theorize that it comes from the viewpoint of the Black Mamba, the villain in aespa's fictional storyverse. "Illusion" is cool, confident, and understated, but somehow filling and euphoric at the same time. The overall soundscape is very futuristic and polished, yet the girls' vocals add a sinister touch. According to PK,"Illusion" would fall under the gutter pop genre. And the song also has many elements indicative of hyper pop, namely a range of eccentric percussion, from the signature distorted 808, to hi-hats and electric, woodblock-like clicks. The lyrics are eye-catching, almost creepy, a quality only intensified by sound effects like sirens and slurping.

Many people love how intense the intro is-- is there any intention behind the songwriting here? And is that an actual siren, or a synthesizer? (u/True_Shake2216 on Reddit)

PK: We wanted a distorted 808 over a [real] tornado siren, because it gave an apocalyptic feel. 

Who wrote the "Yummy Yummy in my Tummy Tummy" line? Looks like it's a hit! (u/True_Shake2216 on Reddit)

Tricia: PK did! I started saying something like, “Mmm mmm yummy yummy” and he goes, “Why don’t you say, “I’ll be yummy yummy yummy in your tummy tummy tummy?” And that’s what I did. 

PK: I’d just watched the movie “Punisher: War Zone” and a guy said that line during a violent scene. (https://youtu.be/CS59isXSZvA)

This is probably the most-asked question: who got the idea to use the slurping sound? And who did the slurp?

Tricia: I’d heard it in my head and recorded it for fun. I wasn’t sure if they’d keep it, but when they did, I smiled so big. I’m not sure which of the girls it is, though. 

What is happening during the will o' wisp" part-- is that vocal chopping? (u/bxbysxn on Reddit)

PK: That’s all of them singing with a filter on it. 

How did the pre-chorus of the song come to be? It's a lot more melodic than the rest of the song.

PK: We wanted the drop in the chorus to hit hard, so we created a sweet contrast for the pre. 

Tricia: We felt it was the perfect moment to show off some pretty melodies, right before slapping them with that sassy chorus. 

(Image credits to Apple Music and SM Entertainment. L: Promotional images from Apple Music's 'Up Next.' R: "Illusion" album cover.)

Which part of the song are you most proud of? (u/dreamworld_catcher on Reddit) And which part was the hardest to write/ finalize? (@synkingin on Instagram)

PK: We’re proud of the whole song. 

Tricia: I definitely enjoyed the way each girl put their own sauce on the verses. It breathed life into the song in a special way that only they could do. I also love the way they approached the bridge and the chorus adlibs at the end.

What is your method to find inspiration when working with an artist with a unique sound and concept like aespa? (u/dreamworld_catcher on Reddit) When you produce music for others, how do you take into account the different tonal qualities of each member? (@ambar.sky on Instagram)

PK: Tricia can impersonate almost anyone, so it’s easy for her to pull off sounding like a girl group.

Tricia: We do our research on the artist and then create a song we would like if we were them. If you listen to my single “Yes or Yes” (produced by PK) from the Netflix Film ‘Feel the Beat’ - the film originally wanted a girl group, so I pretended to be one. They chose our song, and I don’t think they ever realized it was just me. You’ll hear my voice change throughout the song as if I’m different girls. I apply that approach to our K-pop creations. 

"Illusion" follows aespa's concept of digitalism and uses very little, if any, traditional instrumentation. Was that restrictive, or was it liberating-- is it just your style? (u/Red_sparow on Reddit)

PK: When I produced Chris Brown’s “Fine China,” it was all organic sounding, so it just depends on the record. It’s refreshing doing all organic music AND going straight digital. Either way, it’s all in the box. 

Illusion is interesting in that is it refreshing and sleek, yet not overpacked. How do you maintain a sense of satisfaction with such a sound? (u/Electra899 on Reddit)

PK: Mixing in EDM elements with trap is always fun and satisfying. 

Tricia: PK is the best producer in the world, in my opinion. He’s everyone’s dream come true to work with. He knows exactly what works and what doesn’t. 

Can we hope to see you working with aespa again in the future?

PK: Yes, absolutely. 

Tricia: We’re going to Aespa’s show in Los Angeles in a couple of weeks and can’t wait to see the girls! 

aespa's 2nd pre-release single, "Life's Too Short," comes out June 24th. Their 2nd mini-album Girls drops July 8th-- pre-order here. In the meantime, listen to "Illusion," out on all streaming platforms!