Aya (song)
{{Short description|2020 single by Mamamoo}}
{{Infobox song
|name=Aya
|cover=
|alt=
|type=Single
|artist=Mamamoo
|EP=Travel
|language=Korean
|released=November 3, 2020
|recorded=2020
|studio=RBW Studio
|genre={{hlist|K-pop}}
|length={{Duration|m=3|s=31}}
|label=RBW
|composer={{hlist|Kim Do-hoon|Lee Sang-ho|Mingkey}}
|lyricist={{hlist|Kim Do-hoon|Lee Sang-ho|Moonbyul}}
|chronology=Mamamoo
|prev_title=Dingga
|prev_year=2020
|year=2020
|next_title=Where Are We Now
|next_year=2021
| misc = {{External music video
| type = single
| 1 = {{YouTube|UoI9riNffEU|"Aya"}}
}}
}}
"Aya" (stylized in all caps) is a song by South Korean girl group Mamamoo. It was released on November 3, 2020, as the second single from the group's tenth extended play (EP), Travel. Released by RBW, was written by Kim Do-hoon, Lee Sang-ho, and Moonbyul and produced by the former two alongside Mingkey. A Japanese-language version of the song was released in January 2021.
Background and release
In October 2020, Mamamoo's record label RBW announced that the group would be making a comeback in November with their tenth mini-album Travel. On October 6, the EP, its title, the cover, and a release date were announced through Mamamoo's official social media accounts.{{cite web|date=October 6, 2020|title=Comeback announcement|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/CGAZ5qNlyKn/|accessdate=November 3, 2020|website=|publisher=Instagram}} The promotional roll-out was announced on October 11, consisting of two singles as well as several picture and video teasers.{{cite web|date=October 11, 2020|title=Promotional roll-out announcement|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/CGNR3unFfCJ/|accessdate=November 3, 2020|website=|publisher=Instagram}} The EP's first and only pre-release single, "Dingga", was released on October 20.{{cite web|title=Dingga - Single by Mamamoo|url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/dingga-single/1536553134|website=Apple Music|access-date=June 26, 2022}} On October 27, a music video teaser was released via the group's official YouTube channel.{{cite web|title=MAMAMOO Releases Intense Teaser for "AYA" |url= https://www.kpopstarz.com/articles/295472/20201028/mamamoo-releases-intense-teaser-aya.htm |date=October 28, 2020|website=KpopStarz}} "Aya" was released in tandem with its parent EP on November 3, 2020.{{cite web|title=Travel - EP by Mamamoo|url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/travel-ep/1538554407|website=Apple Music|date=November 3, 2020|accessdate=June 26, 2022}}
The Japanese-language version of the song was released by Victor Entertainment on January 26, 2021, as the second single from the Japan edition of Travel.{{Cite web|date=January 26, 2021|title=Aua -Japanese Ver.- by MAMAMOO on Spotify.|url= https://open.spotify.com/track/2OoEcQijmbPLFx833btFui |access-date=June 26, 2022|website=Spotify}}
Composition
Musically, "Aya" is a pop and K-pop song with influences of Arabic music.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}{{Cite web |last=MAMAMOO |first= |date=October 31, 2020 |title=[트랙리스트] 'TRAVEL' 라이브 트랙리스트 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WATaxfzov68 |website=YouTube}} The song is composed at an average tempo of 90 beats per minute in the key of A minor. "Aya" follows a chord progression of Am-E-F-C for most of the song followed by Am-E during the outro section.{{cite web|url= https://www.chordzone.org/2020/11/mamamoo-%EB%A7%88%EB%A7%88%EB%AC%B4-aya-%EA%B8%B0%ED%83%80-%EB%B0%8F-%ED%94%BC%EC%95%84%EB%85%B8-%EC%9A%A9-%EC%BD%94%EB%93%9C-%EB%B0%8F-%ED%83%AD-chords-and-tabs-for-guitar-and-piano.html|title= MAMAMOO (마마무) – Aya 기타 및 피아노 용 코드 및 탭 Chords And Tabs For Guitar And Piano|accessdate=June 26, 2022|website=ChordZone}}
Promotion
In order to promote "Aya" and its parent EP Travel, Mamamoo performed in their own hour-long comeback show, titled "Monologue," which aired on South Korean music television channel Mnet on November 3, 2020. The broadcast featured several Mamamoo performances, interspersed with monologues from the members. The "Monologue" show served as one of the prizes the group has received from winning the competition show Queendom the year prior.{{cite web|date=November 3, 2020|title=Mamamoo on 'Monologue'|url=https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2020/11/03/entertainment/kpop/Mamamoo-Mnet-Monologue/20201103172300404.html?detailWord=|accessdate=November 3, 2020|publisher=Korea JoongAng Daily}} The group first performed it on a music show on November 5, performing the song on Mnet's M Countdown.{{cite web|url= https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7CBswLus6LM|title= [MAMAMOO - AYA] Comeback Stage M COUNTDOWN 20201105 EP.689 Mnet 201105 방송|date=November 5, 2020|access-date=June 26, 2022|publisher=Mnet}}
=Music video=
The official music video was released to Mamamoo's official YouTube channel and the 1theK distribution channel on November 3, 2020. Described as a "180-degree flip" from their previous single and music video for "Dingga", the video received positive reception for showing the group's "alluringly fierce side".{{Cite web|last=Rossly|first=KD|date=November 4, 2020|title=MAMAMOO Glows in Alluring Music Video for "AYA|url=https://www.hellokpop.com/kpop/mamamoo-music-video-aya/|access-date=May 16, 2021|website=HELLOKPOP}} As of June 2022, the music video has a combined total of 98.75 million views and 2.26 million likes on both channels.{{cite web|title=[MV] Mamamoo - Aya (1theK)|url= https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jD_qe-ew-O0}}{{cite web|title=[MV] Mamamoo - Aya (Mamamoo channel)|url= https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UoI9riNffEU}} A dance-focused performance video was released for the song on November 7 and has over 33 million views as of June 2022.{{cite web|title='Aya' Performance Video|url= https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bhjM12GlpMM}}
The music video for the Japanese version of the song was released on January 26, 2021, to Mamamoo's official Japan-focused channel.{{cite web|title=Mamamoo Aya -Japanese Ver.- Music Video|url= https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=x8JRUAdjJFQ|date=January 26, 2021}}
Commercial performance
In South Korea, the song debuted at number 42 on the weekly Gaon Digital Chart,{{cite web|url= http://gaonchart.co.kr/musicDigital.gaon?nationGbn=T&serviceGbn=ALL&targetTime=45&hitYear=2020&termGbn=week|title=2020년 45주차 Digital Chart|access-date=June 26, 2022}} peaking at number 37 the following week.{{cite web|url= http://gaonchart.co.kr/musicDigital.gaon?nationGbn=T&serviceGbn=ALL&targetTime=46&hitYear=2020&termGbn=week|title=2020년 46주차 Digital Chart|access-date=June 26, 2022}} The song also peaked at number 21 on the Billboard K-pop Hot 100, remaining on the chart for 15 total weeks.{{cite web|title=Mamamoo Chart History: K-pop Hot 100|url= https://www.billboard.com/artist/mamamoo/chart-history/wdt/|access-date=June 26, 2022|website=Billboard}} Outside of South Korea, "Aya" peaked at number 27 in Singapore{{cite web|url=https://www.rias.org.sg/rias-top-charts/|title=RIAS International Top Charts - Week 46|publisher=Recording Industry Association (Singapore)|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117081931/https://www.rias.org.sg/rias-top-charts/|archive-date=November 17, 2020}} and number 17 on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/mamamoo/chart-history/wdt/|title=Mamamoo Chart History: World Digital Song Sales|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=August 7, 2019|archive-date=December 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201206234030/https://www.billboard.com/music/mamamoo/chart-history/WDT|url-status=live}}
Accolades
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+Music program awards ! width="80" | Network ! width="160" | Program ! width="140" | Date ! {{abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |
| Mnet
| November 19, 2020 |
Charts
{{col-start}}
{{col-2}}
= Weekly charts =
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+Weekly chart performance for "Aya" ! Chart (2020) ! Peak |
| scope="row" | Singapore (RIAS)
| 27 |
|---|
| scope="row" | South Korea (Gaon)
| 37 |
| scope="row" | South Korea (K-pop Hot 100)
| 21 |
| scope="row" | US World Digital Song Sales (Billboard)
| 17 |
= Monthly charts =
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+Monthly chart performance for "Aya" !Chart (2020) !Peak |
| scope="row" |South Korea (Gaon){{Cite web|title=2020년 11월 Digital Chart|url=http://gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/chart/online.gaon?nationGbn=T&serviceGbn=ALL&targetTime=11&hitYear=2020&termGbn=month|access-date=September 7, 2021|website=Gaon Music Chart}}
| 42 |
|---|
{{col-end}}
Release history
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+Release history for "Aya" !Region !Date !Format !Version !Label !Ref. |
| scope="row" |Various
|November 3, 2020 | rowspan="2" |{{hlist|Digital download|streaming}} |Korean |
|---|
| scope="row" |Japan
|January 26, 2021 |Japanese |Victor Entertainment |