During their Billboard Women in Music photo shoot, the members of aespa were seen enjoying themselves. High-pitched giggles filled the studio as Winter, Karina, Ningning, and Giselle playfully interacted, talking in silly voices and adjusting the straps on their stage outfits.
Watching the four young women in their early 20s being genuine was captivating, not only because they are one of K-pop’s most polished acts—demonstrated by their ability to immediately refocus when the photographer was ready—but also due to aespa’s unique concept. The group from SM Entertainment debuted in 2020 as K-pop’s first act to feature both human and virtual members, pairing each member with an AI avatar as part of a cyberpunk musical universe characterized by dark, 808-driven hyperpop and edgy-chic fashion.
Since then, aespa has turned this niche into significant crossover success. In November, their mini-album “Whiplash” made them the first K-pop girl group with six projects reaching the Billboard 200 top 50. They also recently concluded their second global arena tour, earning a reputation as one of the genre’s “most adventurous and contemporary” groups, as described by their “Over You” collaborator Jacob Collier in a January interview with Billboard.
Looking ahead, the group, awarded Billboard Women in Music’s Group of the Year for 2025, aims to showcase something potentially more subversive: their authentic selves. “We’re not actual AI; we do have days where we don’t feel the best,” Giselle shared as the group relaxed on a couch. “Our storyline can be fun to follow, but I want fans to admire aespa for our human traits, too.”
