For one night only, aespa returned to Los Angeles for a show-stopping performance at the Kia Forum. The K-pop quartet – composed of Karina, Winter, Giselle and Ningning – had the entire venue roaring with cheers and howls for two and a half hours. In just a few years, aespa has become one of the most in-demand girl groups in South Korea. Last year the group was on a roll and released a lot of new music that garnered critical acclaim, including their first studio Armageddon, Whiplash (EP) and their first solo songs in Synk: Parallel Line. As a result of their success, the group earned the MAMA Award for Best Female Group at the end of 2024.
The group's innovative visuals and bombastic music have made them stand out above the rest. The group is known for popularizing the metaverse concept. The group's name, aespa, combines the English initials "avatar," "experience" and "aspect" to symbolize the idea of "meeting another self and experiencing the new world." The group has been pushing the envelope of creativity by creating their own AI avatars called the æs and helping introduce Naevis – a virtual idol created by their entertainment company SM Entertainment as part of the company's SM Culture Universe. As the group’s popularity grows, so do their demands as their North American tour SYNK: PARALLEL LINE tour sold out instantly in a few cities.
Lights went down at exactly 8 pm at the Kia Forum to the sounds of “Welcome To MY World” – the perfect song to hype up the crowd. Bringing the “Drama,” the group made their grand entrance appearing behind some screens wearing frilly white dresses. Their group of dancers joined next and seamlessly glided through the theatrical beats of the music. Aespa started the night strong performing some of their most popular songs right off the gate from “Black Mamba” to the bombastic hit “Supernova.” The group delighted fans with 24 songs, opting to chat less with the fans and more on delivering an entertaining show filled with all their hits. Choreography for each song was elaborate and elevated each performance - the dramatic leg drops from “Black Mamba” and the elbow raises from “Whiplash” got the biggest cheers.
Throughout the night, Karina, Winter, Giselle and Ningning each took turns sharing the spotlight and showcasing their talents. The girls aren’t confined to specific roles, each being good at singing and dancing. Together the group is an unstoppable force. Yes, most K-pop groups use backtracks during live performances, especially on choreography-heavy songs but aespa used it sparingly that night. Their powerhouse vocals were easy to identify and they sounded great. Winter and Ningning have the strongest vocals, they effortlessly belted out high notes that earned loud howls from their fans. Towards the middle of their set, each member performed a solo song. Giselle started off the segment with the sultry R&B track “Dopamine,” Karina showed off her impressive dance moves with “UP,” Ningning melodic vocals for “Bored” caught everyone’s attention and Winter ended on a high note by performing “Spark” with euphoric visuals and choreography.
During one of the group’s breaks Naevis made a surprise appearance and performed “Done.” It was interesting to see how they brought the AI to life through the screens, it almost felt like we were witnessing a real person perform on stage. Keeping the night interesting, the group had a few costume changes. The most memorable one being their baggy jeans and pink hoodies - an homage to their song “Pink Hoodie.”
Aespa’s music is filled with witty lyrics and catchy choruses that work well in live performances. Songs like “Spicy” and “Next Level” felt like a singalong as everyone in the venue loudly sang along to each and every word. The night concluded with an encore performance of “ænergy,” “Just Another Girl” and “Life’s Too Short.”
For more on aespa, visit aespa.com.
Photo Credit: Andy Keilen/Kia Forum photos
