aespa is the New Black (Pink): 5 Things You Need to Know About the Fiercest New Girl Group in the Game

MUSIC 2021

aespa is the New Black (Pink): 5 Things You Need to Know About the Fiercest New Girl Group in the Game

 

by Tara Finley

VOICE

April 1, 2021

(SM Entertainment)

 

There’s nothing we love more than a fierce group of female artists. aespa has taken the world by storm for their strong message of girl power and even stronger vocals. With their debut music video “Black Mamba” recently surpassing a staggering 100 million views, aespa is on every music lover’s radar. New to the band? Here are five fast facts you should know:

 

They’ve already broken records

 

Their debut music video for the recent single “Black Mamba” surpassed 21 million views in the first 24 hours of its release, making the most-viewed debut music video by a K-pop group in that period of time. It soon broke another record as the fastest debut music video to surpass 100 million views in the history of K-pop.

 

There is a deeper meaning behind their artist name: aespa

 

The “ae” is derived from the words “avatar and experience” and combined with the word “aspect” (meaning two sides) to get “aespa.” This symbolizes “meeting another self and experiencing the new world.”

 

Each member has a virtual avatar counterpart

 

The girls all have their own digital avatars, which they call “ae,” created from each member’s personal data in the virtual world and that can be “recalled” into the real world. The group consists of four members: KARINA, WINTER, GISELLE, and NINGNING, and their four respective avatars (referred to as ae-KARINA, ae-WINTER, ae-GISELLE, and ae-NINGNING).

 

They have been climbing the global music charts

 

“Black Mamba” charted in 95 countries around the world, reaching No. 5 on Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales chart and No. 1 on China’s QQ Music Charts—a testimony to the group’s international influence.

 

They have dipped their toes into the fashion world

 

Earlier this year, the group became the first K-pop artist to be named global brand ambassadors for Givenchy. This honor also marks the first time an entire group, not an individual, has been chosen as brand ambassadors for a fashion label. ❖