Composed by Yoo Young-jin, Adam McInnis, Mario Marchetti, and Sophie Curtis, the track is described as a dance and hip hop song with an upbeat new jack swing bridge.

The song is a continuation of the group's story from their debut single "Black Mamba", telling their journey into the fictional Kwangya universe to search for the aforementioned "evil".

On May 4, 2021, South Korean news outlet Ilgan Sports reported that the Aespa was in the final stages of preparation for their much-anticipated comeback.

[9] In addition, SM Entertainment's founder and producer Lee Soo-man helped Aespa add a "distinctive color to the song".

[13] Musically, "Next Level" is a dance and hip hop song with a "groovy" rap and an "energetic" bass riff, showcasing Aespa's "powerful voice and variety".

[2] Divyansha Dongre of Rolling Stone India called the song an "energetic EDM anthem", while noting the "switch in composition and arrangement to match the group’s unique style".

[18] The lyrics detail the group's journey into a fictional universe, Kwangya, in search of an evil being called the Black Mamba.

[21] Hugh McIntyre of Forbes noted the tune for bringing Aespa to the upper half of the ranking chart for the first time, further adding that "it helps them join a very exclusive club of some of the most successful girl groups from South Korea".

[69] Aespa revealed that SM Entertainment founder Lee Soo-man directed their performance video from choreography, composition, stage movement, camera work, outfits, and gestures.

[70] The music video tells a story of venturing out to wilderness to find "Black Mamba", the antagonist that's threatening and interfering with "Synk" which is the connection between themselves and the "ae".

[71][72] Following the music video's release, writer Moon Wan-sik of StarNews noted the "colorful CGs and intense performances".

[73] Patti Sunio of South China Morning Post described the music video for being a "visual treat that not only showcases Aespa's bold fashion styles" further praising the group for their "versatile vocals and power choreography".

[74] Divyansha Dongre of Rolling Stone India noted its "fresh and vibrant with colorful cinematography blended with futuristic VFX" music video that is elevating the appeal of the track.

[77] For the performance, choreography by Kiel Tutin, Jojo Gomez, Rozalin, Lee Ba-da, Jeon Yeo-jin, Redlic, and Rian was commissioned.

[103] On September 13, a 33-second music video teaser for "Next Level (Habstrakt Remix)" was uploaded on the official SM Town channel.

[105][106][107] A live video for "Next Level (Lionclad Remix)" was released on ScreaM Record's official YouTube channel on September 20.