Aespa is a south Korean girl group that was formed under SM entertainment with members Karina (Yu Jimin), Giselle (Aeri Uchinaga), Winter (Kim Min Jeong) and Ningning (Ning Yizhuo). According to a well-renowned KPOP site, Kprofiles, this powerhouse debuted on November 17, 2020, with the digital single “Black Mamba.” Almost immediately, the four members dominated the industry, and quickly became a main topic of the fourth generation of Korean pop music. Their booming success was not only because of their beautiful visuals, outstanding vocals and well-rounded talent, but also because of their fun and refreshing sci-fi/AI concept the girls brought, which was a unique one to say the least. 

  Listening to Aespa is truly a journey. They travel through various genres but somehow always stay true to their concept. If you would love to listen to an artist who checks off all terms of versatility, talent, engagement, constant releases, and entertaining members who love to interact with their audience, Aespa is undoubtedly the group for you. 

  In Kwangya, the fictional sci-fi universe the group lives in, there are two vital characters apart from the members themselves. Their names are Naevis and Black Mamba. Naevis is an AI avatar that assists the girls on their journey to escape their alternate universe and enter the real world. She is also a mentor, who helps the girls with their assigned power and motivates them through their challenges. On the other hand, Black Mamba is the main antagonist of their story. In their first ever music video, Black Mamba possesses the leader of Aespa, Karina. This unfolds in their later music videos. 

  Besides the group’s entrancing image, other factors that make Aespa stand out from others are their visuals, vocals, well-rounded talents, unique personalities, and creativity. As a KPOP fan, I don’t really care for visuals whatsoever. But regardless of how I think, I truly believe the members of Aespa are extremely beautiful women. Member Karina (Yu Jimin) is an it-girl of Korea and has over twenty-one million followers on Instagram. She is well-recognized for her beauty.  

  Member Winter (Kim Min Jeong) is also praised for her visuals. She’s on countless posters and advertisements in Korea and has over eleven million followers.  

  Member Giselle (Aeri Uchinaga) is popular in Korea as well as Japan, as she is half Korean and half Japanese. Her popularity has increased since their first Japanese release “Hot Mess.” Aeri Uchinaga has eight million followers.  

  Finally, member Ningning (Ning Yizhuo) is recognized in both Korea and China for her Chinese heritage. She’s an it-girl of China and heavily praised in both countries, having also earned over eight million followers. 

  Aespa are globally praised for their well-rounded talent. All members of the group check off all those requirements: vocals, dancing, rap, stage presence, and composition. Leader Karina is a main dancer, lead vocalist, and lead rapper. She has self-written a few songs, an example being “Up!” which she performs at concerts, and has the strongest stage presence among the members. 

  Member Giselle, the main rapper and sub vocalist, is an above average dancer (although not having an official dance position within the group), who has the most composition credits out of the members, two examples being “Dopamine” and “Too Hot 4 U” which are both concert songs. She also has strong stage presence that is often praised.  

  Member Winter, a main vocalist and lead dancer, has impressive rap skills for a vocalist although she does not have an official rap role. Composition credits, including her song “Spark.” Her stage presence has significantly improved from her debut.  

   The last member Ningning, although being the youngest, is regarded as a “secret weapon of SM Entertainment.” She is the main vocalist with above average dance skills, catchy rap and composition credits, an example being her song titled “Bored.” She is the second strongest member in the stage presence department. 

  Apart from Naevis and Black Mamba, the girls have their own AI versions of themselves. The characters’ names are a mesh of the members’ names but with AE in the front. For example, “AE-Giselle.” The AI members are meant to be the embodiment of the girls in Kwangya. They come with the individual powers all four have. 

  It is believed that the quartet never truly escaped Kwangya. This has not been confirmed nor denied; however, it is a plausible theory. The girls are never physically and visually out of the AI universe until four title track music videos and two single releases later. The first time we see the group in planet Earth is in their music video titled “Spicy.” In the video, the four members are essentially living normal lives, the lives they wanted to live as young women but this “escape” backfires in their next comeback. 

  In one of their recent comebacks, and dare I say, one of their best songs, “Drama,” everything unfolds and into an all-out fight. The music video is inspired by the legendary movie series “Kill Bill” which is also one of the reasons the song got so increasingly popular, even being featured in “The Kardashians.” The song comes with a rock instrumental, strong chorus, and an enchanting bridge. In the music video, you can see Karina, who was previously possessed by the Black Mamba in their debut, fighting with all three members. In my interpretation, Ningning, the youngest member of the group, also got possessed as several telling hints are dropped out throughout the video. 

  In their most recent comeback titled “Armageddon,” their first full length album, the music video features the girls in otherworldly forms, almost as if they are in their final battle, hence the name “Armageddon.” In their other most recent song, “Supernova,” which was a prerelease for their first full album, the members have seemingly lost control of their powers on Earth. The video opens with Karina smashing a car out of pure force since she has the superpower named “Rocket Puncher.” It is believed that the girls are trying to provoke member Giselle to bring out her powers. This is a valid theory because in a particular scene, Ningning is seen setting fire to Giselle’s apartment during her birthday to provoke her.  

  In KPOP, there is a debate over the vocal talent of the idols. Some believe that the requirements to be an idol in the industry are getting lower. However, Aespa is almost never mentioned in these conversations. Vocal tiers are a vocal scale used in Korean Pop Music, the lowest being F- and the highest being S. Main vocalist Ningning is a C+ vocalist, second main vocalist Winter is a C-, lead vocalist Karina is a D+, and sub vocalist Giselle is a D. Now on the surface, this may not seem as an exceptionally vocally talented group but to give perspective, most groups’ best vocalists are an E level vocalist which is the first tier above F. When given that perspective, you can see how vocally talented all four members are, all of them being able to support high and low notes. 

  Aespa’s unique concept, extensive lore, and flavorful music is arguably one of the main reasons the group is so popular, despite having intense competition within the Korean music industry. Almost immediately after their debut, fans from all over the world were in awe. One single search on big social media platforms such as X, Instagram, Tiktok, or Threads will reveal just how much conversation there is surrounding the four prodigies. The lore keeps fans engaged, which is a difficult thing to do, as it’s known how fast the media moves on from things. Aespa is a forever popular group.