aespa has nothing left to prove

K-pop

Published: 01 Jul. 2024, 16:47 Updated: 01 Jul. 2024, 18:32

aespa has nothing left to prove

Girl group aespa kicked off its second world tour, ″Synk: Parallel Line,″ on Saturday and Sunday at the Jamsil Indoor Stadium in Songpa District, southern Seoul. [SM ENTERTAINMENT]

aespa’s Sunday “Synk: Parallel Line” concert celebrated the group's achievements and resilience in the wake of a rocky 2023. But the highlight came when the members unveiled and performed solo stages, giving fans a glimpse into their — perhaps more independent — future.

The quartet had a lot to prove with its 2023 “Synk: Hyper Line” world tour, during which it unveiled 11 unreleased songs. Only four popped up this past Sunday, reflecting a group more comfortable in its position and style than it was a year ago.

Karina performed “UP,” a dance and hip-hop mix; Winter performed dreamlike EDM number “Spark”; Giselle performed “Dopamine,” an R&B track while Ningning performed R&B and dance score “Bored.” The quartet's 26-track set list also included recent hits such as “Supernova” and “Regret of the Times,” as well as debut track “Black Mamba” and other hits from its latest full-length Korean album, “Armageddon.”

“The solo stages that we just performed are ever so special because all four members were diligently involved in the production of each track,” aespa’s Karina said after performing her solo track at Sunday’s “Synk: Hyper Line” concert at the Jamsil Indoor Stadium in Songpa District, southern Seoul. Karina was the sole lyricist for solo track “Up,” which she characterized as “old-school hip-hop, because the other members went for a trendier-feeling song.

“We don’t know when we will hold our next concert,” Karina added, “but we will prepare more new songs to perform, so I hope you look forward to it.”

“'Dopamine' is a song that I’ve worked on from the ground up,” said Giselle, who worked on the “concept, lyrics and sound” of “Dopamine.”

“My last solo track was about being cool and strong while it's more chill this time,” said Ningning, who also credited for the lyrics and songwriting of her solo number. “It’s closer to the side of myself that I wanted to show you guys.”

Winter, who was involved in the songwriting of “Spark” and helped design the camerawork, said its lyrics “mean that we can burn together, even with a small spark of fire.”

“I have MY [aespa’s fans] written on my custom in-ear headsets and microphone,” she said during her stage.

Girl group aespa kicked off its second world tour ″Synk: Parallel Line″ on Saturday and Sunday at the Jamsil Indoor Stadium in Songpa District, southern Seoul. [SM ENTERTAINMENT]

aespa spent early 2023 embroiled in a battle between HYBE and Kakao over the acquisition of its agency, SM Entertainment. The group's first full-length album, which was slated for an early 2023 release, was canceled and pushed back indefinitely after SM Entertainment's Lee Soo-man ordered the group to sing a song about sustainability and “planting trees.” “Synk: Hyper Line,” held on Feb. 25 and 26, became a high-stakes affair — an opportunity to prove that the band would emerge from the turbulent period intact.

But aespa rocked 2023. Its first world tour spanned 21 cities in 11 nations around the world, including such venues as London's 02 Arena, New York's Barclays Center and Japan's Tokyo Dome, attracting 47,000 Japanese MYs to each date. aespa’s third EP, “My World,” became the most-sold K-pop girl group album in the first week of its May 2023 release. The group collaborated with the hit mobile video game Pokémon Go and participated in the soundtrack of Apple original film “Tetris” (2023). It finally released its long-awaited full-length album “Armageddon” this May.

Girl group aespa kicked off its second world tour, ″Synk: Parallel Line,″ on Saturday and Sunday at the Jamsil Indoor Stadium in Songpa District, southern Seoul. [SM ENTERTAINMENT]

The difference was tangible at Sunday's show. The four members were more relaxed onstage than they were a year ago, improvising and doing impromptu performances onstage. All four members' vocals were steady and solid.

Girl group aespa kicked off its second world tour, ″Synk: Parallel Line,″ on Saturday and Sunday at the Jamsil Indoor Stadium in Songpa District, southern Seoul. [SM ENTERTAINMENT]

Songs “Trick or Trick” (2023), “Set The Tone,” “Next Level” (2021) and “Armageddon” saw rock-inspired remix performances while a live band lent a classic vibe to “aenergy” (2021).

SM Entertainment's unreleased virtual artist naevis also appeared onstage. The audience was confused at first, but many ultimately warmed up to its fairly realistic movements. naevis will debut this quarter.

“We started preparing for the concert right after we finished promoting ‘Armageddon,’ and we really didn’t have much time to prepare for it,” Ningning said. “But we, our company and all the staff, tried hard to perform a good stage.”

“We still have a lot to show, so I think it’s worth looking forward to our future,” Winter said.

“You’ve seen many sides of aespa with this concert, but you’ve seen nothing.”

Girl group aespa kicked off its second world tour, ″Synk: Parallel Line,″ on Saturday and Sunday at the Jamsil Indoor Stadium in Songpa District, southern Seoul. [SM ENTERTAINMENT]