Annotated lyrics — pink lines have K-pop slang & culture notes (tap to read). Or highlight any line to add your own.
한국어 (Korean)
English Translation
[Verse 2: Giselle, Ningning]
[Verse 2: Giselle, Ningning]
I'm not an it girl, more like a hit girl
I'm not an it girl, more like a hit girl
Mafia ties going back to the old world
Mafia ties going back to the old world
Fear in their eyes, I'm always watching
Fear in their eyes, I'm always watching
Call me the reaper, I'm knock, knock, knocking
It's me, it's me, a little baddie
It's me, it's me, a little baddie
Just 'cause I'm pretty doesn't mean I don't do hard things
Just 'cause I'm pretty doesn't mean I don't do hard things
Hard things, make me feel like a thunder
Hard things, make me feel like a thunder
Let me think, 뭐를 하든 I will like it, like it
Let me think, whatever I do, I will like it, like it
[Chorus: Winter, Giselle, Karina]
[Chorus: Winter, Giselle, Karina]
Sharp eyes, fierce look
Sharp eyes, fierce look
Real bad business, that's dirty work (Yeah)
Real bad business, that's dirty work (Yeah)
Real bad business, that's dirty work (Yeah)
Real bad business, that's dirty work (Yeah)
Real bad business, that's dirty work
Real bad business, that's dirty work
Hold tight, get tough
Hold tight, get tough
Real bad business, that's dirty work (Dirty work)
Real bad business, that's dirty work (Dirty work)
Real bad business, that's dirty work (Yeah)
Real bad business, that's dirty work (Yeah)
Real bad business, that's dirty work (Na)
Real bad business, that's dirty work (Na)
[Bridge: Karina, Giselle, Winter, Ningning]
[Bridge: Karina, Giselle, Winter, Ningning]
We don't see you as a threat
We don't see you as a threat
Thin little rules, nothing but a pane of glass
내 맘대로 해, 깨트려 내
Do it my way, I'll shatter it
쉽게 난 두 발로 그 위를 pass, yeah
I easily walk right over it on both feet, yeah
Kick up the dust, let 'em talk about it
Kick up the dust, let 'em talk about it
Crawl out the mud, let 'em know about it
Crawl out the mud, let 'em know about it
번뇌를 깨우는 음률 속에
In the melody that stirs up desire
두 눈을 봐, well, you already found it
Look me in the eyes, well, you already found it
[Refrain: Karina, Ningning, Winter, Giselle]
[Refrain: Karina, Ningning, Winter, Giselle]
Drop it low, low, low, low, low, low
Drop it low, low, low, low, low, low
Work it out, work it out
Work it out, work it out
Drop it low, low, low, low, low, low
Drop it low, low, low, low, low, low
Work it out, work it out
Work it out, work it out
Drop it low, low, low, low, low, low
Drop it low, low, low, low, low, low
Work it out, work it out
Work it out, work it out
Drop it low, low, low, low, low, low
Drop it low, low, low, low, low, low
Work it out, work it out (Work it)
Work it out, work it out (Work it)
[Chorus: Karina, Winter, Giselle]
[Chorus: Karina, Winter, Giselle]
Sharp teeth, bite first
Sharp teeth, bite first
Real bad business, that's dirty work (Dirty work)
Real bad business, that's dirty work (Dirty work)
Real bad business, that's dirty work (Dirty work; Yeah)
Real bad business, that's dirty work (Dirty work; Yeah)
Real bad business, that's dirty work (Yeah)
Real bad business, that's dirty work (Yeah)
Bold eyes, cold stare
Bold eyes, cold stare
Real bad business, that's dirty work
Real bad business, that's dirty work
Real bad business, that's dirty work (Yeah)
Real bad business, that's dirty work (Yeah)
Real bad business, that's dirty work
Real bad business, that's dirty work
[Outro: All, Ningning, Karina, Giselle]
[Outro: All, Ningning, Karina, Giselle]
Work (Work), work (Work), work (Work), work (Work; Yeah)
Work (Work), work (Work), work (Work), work (Work; Yeah)
(Work) Work, work, work
(Work) Work, work, work
Real bad business, that's dirty work (Dirty work; Work it out, work it out)
Real bad business, that's dirty work (Dirty work; Work it out, work it out)
Real bad business, that's dirty work (Work it out)
Real bad business, that's dirty work (Work it out)
Work, work, work, work (Yeah)
Work, work, work, work (Yeah)
Work, work, work
Work, work, work
Real bad business, that's dirty work (Work it out, work it out)
Real bad business, that's dirty work (Work it out, work it out)
Real bad business, that's dirty work (Work it out)
Real bad business, that's dirty work (Work it out)
Fan Annotations (2)
“yalpakhan rule, dda-win han gyeop-eui glass” 얄팍한 rule, 따윈 한 겹의 glass
"얄팍한" (yalpakhan) means "thin" or "shallow/flimsy," so the line reads "flimsy rules — nothing but a single pane of glass," a power move that frames the rules others impose as fragile enough to shatter underfoot. The mid-phrase Korean-English switch is typical of aespa's code-switching style. "Dirty Work" was released June 27, 2025 as a single album, with lyrics by Jeong Mul-hwa (Jamfactory) and music by Evan Blair, Taylor Upsahl, Elijah Noll and Imlay (Wikipedia).
CCDMX_Valeria🇲🇽 Mexico City
“Call me the reaper, I'm knock, knock, knocking” Call me the reaper, I'm knock, knock, knocking
"Call me the reaper, I'm knock, knock, knocking" leans on the Grim Reaper as an image of inevitable, swaggering menace — death personified comes knocking, and here the narrator claims that role. The repeated "knock, knock, knocking" is a familiar English-lyric cadence (the same phrasing as the classic "knockin' on heaven's door"), flipped from a plea into a threat. "Dirty Work" reached #5 on the Billboard Global 200 and topped South Korea's Circle Album Chart (Wikipedia).
YYolanda_Suga_stan🇲🇽 Mexico City
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