Pioneering the Wasteland: aespa, Every Day is 'Next Level' [★22nd Anniversary] ③

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

[Editor’s Note] Fourth-generation K-pop idol groups have emerged as the new leaders of the global music market with dazzling achievements. Not content to simply inherit the global influence built by first-generation pioneers like BTS, they are expanding it in their own unique ways, broadening the horizons of K-pop. Particularly noteworthy is that they rose to stardom rapidly, achieving remarkable results within a relatively short period after debut. This demonstrates that K-pop has evolved beyond being merely the success of a few artists into a sustainable global music genre that transcends generations. To mark its 22nd anniversary, StarNews explores the past, present, and future of fourth-generation K-pop idol groups that are making dazzling impacts in the global music market.

There is a fourth-generation idol group that has conquered both the unknown wasteland and the vast multiverse. This is the story of aespa (aespa: Karina, Winter, Giselle, Ningning), which has etched its identity through its own unique grammar.

Since debut, aespa has built an original worldview centered on coexisting with digital avatars called "ae" in the virtual world known as KWANGYA. Going beyond this, they have expanded their worldview into a multiverse, walking a unique path that bridges the virtual and the real. This radical concept delivered a fresh shock to the public and has become the foundation, original intention, and driving force behind aespa's consistent career highs over the past seven years.

aespa debuted on November 17, 2020, with their debut single "Black Mamba" during the COVID-19 pandemic. They are also the team that brilliantly opened the door of the SM Culture Universe (SMCU) project, whose motto is "Meeting a virtual alter ego avatar to experience something new." At debut, they garnered significant attention with a grand adventure narrative about communicating with their own avatars, ae, while battling the villain "Black Mamba" who tries to disrupt their connection.

"Black Mamba" was a powerful dance track built on signature synth sounds and intense bass, featuring a catchy hook that stood out as their debut song. Proving the intense interest it generated, the music video for "Black Mamba" recorded 21 million views on YouTube within 24 hours of its release, achieving the highest 24-hour view count in history for a K-pop debut music video. Furthermore, on January 8 of the following year at around 5:35 a.m., it broke through 1 million won views—a remarkable feat accomplished just 51 days and 12 hours after the video's release, marking the shortest time ever recorded for a K-pop group's debut music video to reach this milestone.

Due to the intensity of their worldview, they were also evaluated as the most experimental team among fourth-generation groups. To increase public understanding, explanations of aespa's worldview were inevitably required, and at times, this point was even perceived as an obstacle to fully enjoying aespa's music.

However, aespa has consistently proven through every album that "experimental" in the realm of popular music does not necessarily carry a negative connotation. After their final showdown with "Black Mamba," they secured both public appeal and fan support simultaneously with hit songs featuring distinct personalities such as "Next Level," "Savage," "Spicy," "Supernova," "Armageddon," and "Whiplash," standing tall as the representative leaders of the fourth generation.

The adjective that defines aespa is "sour." From their mega-hit song "Next Level" released in 2021, followed by "Savage," "Supernova," and "Armageddon," aespa's musical lineage is steeped in a cold and sharp sensation. While they have occasionally built diverse charms through songs of other genres, there is consensus that the "essence" of aespa's sound is sourness.

Especially, with "Next Level" as the catalyst that sparked the nationwide "Ddud Dance" craze, aespa perfectly captured both the public and their fandom. At the 'Asia Artist Awards 2021' (AAA 2021), they were honored with a triple crown, including the Grand Prize equivalent "Stage of the Year," as well as awards for "Hot Trend" and "New Artist."

Having been reborn as a grand prize-winning artist through 'AAA 2021,' aespa stated in an exclusive interview with StarNews after the ceremony: "We are a team with such a unique concept, weren't we? We were quite worried and curious about how people would receive and interpret 'Next Level.' It seems we gained attention from the start because of our unique worldview. The fact that many people paid close attention to us was a great source of strength."

"Next Level" also brought aespa the joy of a global career high. With this song, they broke the record for the highest chart position by a K-pop girl group on the Billboard 200 and were ranked 45th on NME's list of "The 50 Best Songs of 2021," achieving a dazzling career high.

Remarkable achievements did not stop there. Their second mini-album "Girls," released in 2022, shattered the pre-order record for K-pop girl groups with 1.61 million copies sold, and achieved the first-ever million-selling debut week for a K-pop girl group with 1.42 million copies sold in its first week (based on Circle Chart). Their third mini-album "MY WORLD," released in May 2023, broke the record for the highest debut sales by a K-pop girl group with 1.69 million copies, and their fourth mini-album "Drama," released in November of the same year, recorded 1.13 million copies in its debut week, securing the title of three consecutive million-sellers.

The pinnacle of their career was achieved with their first full-length album "Armageddon," released in 2024. With this album, they wrote a historic record by holding the number one spot on Melon for the longest duration and achieving a perfect all-kill (PAK) across all music charts. They also won the "Group of the Year" award at "Billboard Women in Music 2025," delivering overwhelming results.

The sharp sour taste transformed into a thrilling citrus flavor through their second full-length album "LEMONADE," released last May. The album includes 11 tracks in total, featuring the title track of the same name along with "WDA" (Whole Different Animal), "Switchblade," "SHAKIN'," "Bite," and "Roll." With an addictive electronic dance song driven by synth bass sounds as the title track, they targeted the summer music scene.

The public did not stop applauding aespa's new and clever transformation. This album sold 1.03 million copies, marking their eighth consecutive million-seller achievement following their second mini-album "Girls," third mini-album "MY WORLD," fourth mini-album "Drama," first full-length album "Armageddon," fifth mini-album "Whiplash," single "Dirty Work," and sixth mini-album "Rich Man." Additionally, they entered the Billboard 200 at number nine, achieving their third top-10 entry overall. They also made their debut on the UK Official Singles Chart and reached number 13 on France's SNEP Top Albums Chart, showcasing their presence across various major global charts.

However, it is worth noting the mixed evaluations regarding "Dirty Work" and "Rich Man," released in June and September of last year respectively. These may offer clues to bridging the gap between what the public and fandom expect from aespa and aespa's future direction.

"Dirty Work" and "Rich Man" feature a restrained dark energy rather than aespa's signature futuristic concept. Embracing this new image, "Dirty Work" surpassed 1.01 million pre-orders, while "Rich Man" exceeded 1.11 million pre-orders. In particular, "Rich Man" achieved top-10 status in 29 regions on the iTunes Top Albums Chart and topped both the overall and EP digital album sales charts on China's QQ Music, earning "Platinum" certification (sales exceeding 1 million yuan), demonstrating exceptional performance on global charts.

However, apart from their chart achievements, evaluations regarding music and performance have been somewhat mixed. While it is welcome that they attempted to break away from their existing concept and pursue new changes, opinions began to emerge that the songs themselves and their performances lacked impact.

Amid this sense of disappointment, aespa's performance on the US ABC morning program "Good Morning America" immediately after releasing "Rich Man" quickly sparked controversy over their skills. Criticisms poured in regarding the low level of completion for a stage performed by only the four members without dancers, the casual approach of not modifying choreography that required dancers, and the members appearing to perform independently. Among these, the most criticized aspect was lip-syncing, leaving behind regret that they failed to fully capitalize on the opportunity to appear on a US broadcast stage.

Nevertheless, it is impossible not to note that aespa continues to steadily rise. Their mere presence alone is significant, as they consistently achieve results on the global stage based on strong support from domestic and international fandoms. Furthermore, they have also entered Gocheok Dome. On the 7th and 8th of this month, aespa held "SYNK:COMPLaeXITY" at Seoul's Gocheok Sky Dome, launching their fourth world tour with a spectacular opening. Over two days, 35,000 attendees filled the venue to capacity. This marked only the second time since BLACKPINK in 2023 that a domestic girl group held a solo concert at Gocheok Dome, once again imprinting aespa's influence and reach.

A music industry official stated: "aespa is a solid team where music, worldview, and visuals are organically interconnected. They have absorbed the legacy of SMP (SM Music Performance) in their own unique colors. While there was some division in public reception regarding the songs released last year, they seem to have captured both trendiness and mass appeal through their second full-length album 'LEMONADE'."

The official continued: "Having shown a new side and achieved great success with 'LEMONADE,' public interest will naturally turn toward aespa's next step. It is time for aespa, who break frameworks to pursue novelty while also maintaining their unique musical identity, to narrow the gap between these two aspects and build an even more solid discography."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original