aespa

aespa is a four-member South Korean girl group formed by SM Entertainment, consisting of Karina, Giselle, Winter, and Ningning. The group debuted on November 17, 2020 with the single "Black Mamba," which set a then-record for the most music video views in 24 hours for a K-pop group debut.^[1]

Their name blends the letter "ae" (representing Avatar X Experience) with the word "aspect," conveying the idea of meeting another self and experiencing a new world. Each member has a virtual AI counterpart called an "ae," and the group built their early discography around an elaborate metaverse narrative in which digital and physical realities intersect and collide.^[1]

aespa are widely credited with helping popularize both the metaverse concept and hyperpop production aesthetics within K-pop. Key milestones in their career include "Next Level" (2021), which peaked at #2 on the Circle Digital Chart and won Song of the Year at the 19th Korean Music Awards; their EP Savage (2021), which debuted at #20 on the Billboard 200 and was the highest-charting debut album by a K-pop girl group on that chart at the time; and "Supernova" (2024), which topped the Circle Digital Chart for eleven weeks and won Song of the Year at both the 2024 MAMA Awards and the 2024 Melon Music Awards.^[1]

Their 2024 single "Whiplash" became their first top-ten Billboard Global 200 hit, peaking at #8, while "Dirty Work" (2025) entered the top five of the same chart. In March 2026, aespa released their first Japanese digital single "Attitude," written as the opening theme for the Weekly Shonen Jump anime Kill Blue. The release preceded their first-ever Japanese dome tour, with dates at Kyocera Dome Osaka and Tokyo Dome in April 2026.^[2]