aespa

aespa is a four-member girl group under SM Entertainment who debuted on November 17, 2020 with "Black Mamba." The name blends "Avatar X Experience" with "aspect" (meaning two sides), representing the concept of "meeting another self and experiencing a new world." aespa pioneered the metaverse concept in K-pop, with each member having a virtual avatar counterpart called "æ" existing in a parallel digital world called KWANGYA. Their debut MV "Black Mamba" hit 21.4 million views in 24 hours — the most for any K-pop debut in history. By 2024, "Supernova" earned them Song of the Year at both MAMA and Melon, cementing their position at the top of the 4th generation.

aespa is a multinational girl group with members from South Korea, Japan, and China. 🎤 Karina (Yoo Jimin / Apr 11, 2000 · South Korea) — Leader, Main Dancer, Lead Rapper / 167.8 cm aespa's leader and main dancer. Known for intense performance energy and flawless stage presence. Widely called the "4th generation idol queen" for her perfect combination of visuals and performance. 🎤 Giselle (Uchinaga Aeri / Oct 30, 2000 · Japan) — Main Rapper, Vocalist / 163 cm Japanese-Korean. Fluent in Korean, English, and Japanese. Carries aespa's rap line with a uniquely emotional and charismatic style. 🎤 Winter (Kim Minjeong / Jan 1, 2001 · South Korea) — Main Vocalist, Lead Dancer / 165 cm aespa's main vocalist and a strong dancer. Her clear, powerful voice forms the musical core of the group. Featured as lead vocalist on multiple award-winning tracks including "Supernova." 🎤 NingNing (Ning Yizhuo 宁艺卓 / Oct 23, 2002 · China) — Main Vocalist, Maknae / 161 cm The youngest member from China. Widely regarded as having the widest vocal range in aespa, with powerful, resonant delivery. Fluent in Mandarin, Korean, and English.

aespa debuted on November 17, 2020, but even before their debut, SM Entertainment introduced their concept by revealing four virtual avatars — æKarina, æGiselle, æWinter, and æNingNing — the digital counterparts of each member. The group's world is built around KWANGYA, a metaverse space where the real members and their virtual æ counterparts cross paths, fighting against the villain Black Mamba to protect their world. This was the first time a K-pop group had integrated a full metaverse narrative as its core artistic identity. Debut track "Black Mamba" achieved 21.4 million views in 24 hours — a record for any K-pop debut MV. They followed with "Next Level" (2021), which dominated Korean charts, and "Savage" (2021), which made aespa the first 4th-generation K-pop group to achieve a perfect all-kill. By 2022, the EP Girls became the first girl group release to sell over one million copies in a single week.

🎵 Black Mamba (2020.11.17) — Debut Single 24-hour 21.4M views (most ever for a K-pop debut MV) 🎵 Savage (2021.10.05) — EP Title: Savage | Billboard 200 #20 (first 4th-gen K-pop girl group in Top 20) · First 4th-gen K-pop group perfect all-kill 🎵 Girls (2022.07.08) — EP Title: Girls | Billboard 200 #3 · First K-pop girl group to sell 1M+ copies in first week 🎵 My World (2023.05.08) — EP Title: Spicy | Billboard 200 #9 · 2M+ copies sold 🎵 Armageddon (2024.05.27) — 1st Studio Album Title: Supernova | Perfect all-kill · 2024 MAMA Song of the Year · 2024 Melon Song of the Year 🎵 Whiplash (2024.10.21) — EP Title: Whiplash | Billboard Global 200 #8 (aespa's first top-10 entry) 🎵 Lemonade (2026.05) — 2nd Studio Album

🏆 2021 Asia Artist Awards — Stage of the Year (Grand Prize) 🏆 2021 Melon Music Awards — Record of the Year (Grand Prize, Next Level) 🏆 2022 Golden Disc Awards — Artist of the Year 🏆 2022 Korean Music Awards — Song of the Year (Next Level) 🏆 2024 MAMA Awards — Song of the Year (Supernova) 🏆 2024 Melon Music Awards — Song of the Year (Supernova) Record for most 24-hour views for a K-pop debut MV (Black Mamba, 21.4M) · First 4th-gen K-pop group perfect all-kill (Savage, 2021) · First K-pop girl group to sell 1M+ in first week (Girls, 2022) · First K-pop group at Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (2021) · Coachella performance (2022) · First K-pop act at Governors Ball (2023) · TIME Next Generation Leaders (2022) · Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia (2022)

Fandom Name: MY (마이) MY is aespa's official fandom name, meaning "my most precious friend." Just as aespa and their virtual æ counterparts navigate a shared world together, MY are the most special companions on that journey — the real-world presence that makes the KWANGYA story meaningful.