FIRST READ · MON 7 AM ETTHE WEEKEND LEXICON · SAT 9 AM ET
aespa
- Agency
- SM Entertainment
- Fandom
- MY
- Debut
- 2020
- Generation
- 4th gen
- Members
- 4
aespa is a four-member SM Entertainment girl group made up of Karina, Winter, Giselle and Ningning. They are known for a cyberpunk, multiverse concept in which each member has a digital avatar counterpart, and for a hard-hitting, metallic pop sound that also makes room for softer turns. The group has built a strong U.S. footprint, with Billboard 200 entries, No. 1s on Top Album Sales, Coachella and Billboard Women in Music honors. A U.S. leg of their 2026 to 2027 world tour and a collaboration with Anderson.Paak give American fans plenty to follow.
How they formed
SM Entertainment put the quartet together in 2020, and they were its first new girl group since Red Velvet about six years earlier. The group debuted in November 2020 with "Black Mamba" and a metaverse-inspired concept called KWANGYA, where each member has a virtual avatar.
Personnel
In their own words
- Stevie Wonder Cited by Giselle among her wide-ranging influences. rollingstone.com
- Blink-182 Cited by Giselle; her taste leans toward rock and R&B. rollingstone.com
- Ariana Grande Cited by Giselle. rollingstone.com
- Cher A quote from Cher inspired the song "Rich Man." billboard.com
Timeline
- 2020Debut with "Black Mamba"
- 2020Second single "Forever"
Followed the debut with a softer song, showing a gentler side to the group.
- 2021Savage reaches the U.S. charts
Savage topped Billboard's World Albums chart and peaked at No. 2 on Top Album Sales, the group's first top 10 there.
- 2022Girls and first Top Album Sales No. 1
- 2022"Next Level" wins Korean Music Awards song of the year
By 2023 six aespa songs had reached the Billboard Global 200, and the group had played Coachella.
- 2023MY WORLD tops Top Album Sales
- 2024Armageddon, first full-length album
- 2024Whiplash EP and first Global 200 top 10
The October 2024 EP's title track "Whiplash" peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Global 200, the group's first top 10 there.
- 2024MAMA Awards song of the year for "Supernova"
aespa became the first K-pop girl group with six projects in the Billboard 200 top 50 during this biggest year yet.
- 2025"Dirty Work" single
A physical single released June 27, 2025, their first release since Whiplash.
- 2025"Dark Arts" collaboration with PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS
A single and video tied to KRAFTON's battle royale game, released in July 2025.
- 2025Rich Man, sixth mini album
- 2025SYNK : aeXIS LINE tour
The world tour ran through 2025 and into 2026, scheduled to wrap at Tokyo Dome on April 26, 2026.
- 2026Korea First Brand Awards
Named the most anticipated female idol at the January 2026 Korea First Brand Awards.
- 2026"Keychain" with Anderson .Paak
Teamed up with Anderson .Paak on a song for the K-POPS! film soundtrack.
- 2026AMAs nomination and Red Dot Design Award
- 2026LEMONADE, second full-length album
Released May 29, 2026, with special member versions and remixes in the following weeks. Complex LA hosted a pop-up for the era from May 29 to 31.
- 20262026 to 2027 world tour announced
The fourth world tour opens in Seoul in August 2026, then visits Taipei, Latin America, North America and nine European cities, ending in Paris on Feb. 2, 2027.
Latest
- LEMONADE era and pop-up
Complex reports new merch and exclusive GAS trading cards for the Lemonade era, following a Complex LA pop-up from May 29 to 31.
complex.com - LEMONADE released
The second studio album arrived May 29, 2026, their first full-length in two years.
billboard.com - SYNK : aeXIS LINE tour finale
The current world tour is set to close at Tokyo Dome.
billboard.com - 2026 to 2027 world tour announced
A fourth world tour starts in Seoul in August, with Latin American, North American and European dates through Feb. 2, 2027.
billboard.com - SM confirms aespa comeback plan
SM Entertainment reportedly said aespa was preparing an album aimed at a September 2025 comeback.
nme.com - SM Entertainment revenue surges 33%
Billboard reported SM's revenue rose 33%, driven by aespa and NCT WISH.
billboard.com
Our coverage
Seventeen's Jeonghan Sings 'My Memory' in Japanese for Audible's 'Winter Sonata'
Pledis Entertainment says Jeonghan's Japanese version of "My Memory," the Winter Sonata OST, arrives Nov. 26 as the theme of Audible's audio drama.
BIGBANG Meets Dooly at MAMA as K-pop's Awards Season Calendar Fills In
ENHYPEN brings Dune to MAMA in Osaka, and the Korea Grand Music Awards and Melon Music Awards set November dates at Gocheok Sky Dome.
What 'Presale' Means for K-pop Fans: Codes, Fan Clubs and the Early Ticket Rush
From Weverse sign-up deadlines to case-sensitive fan club codes, here is the early ticket window K-pop tours run on, and why a code never guarantees a seat.
Photocard: The Debit-Card-Size K-pop Collectible Fans Pull, Swap and Price
From a 2010 Girls' Generation album to $13 Lucky Draw cards and tea-lounge swap meets, here is how the photocard works for U.S. fans.
What a K-pop Group Leader Actually Does, From Award Show Speeches to Agency Talks
This week's Lexicon word: who hands out the leader title, why it so often goes to the oldest member, and where the word turned up this year.
Gen, Explained: How K-Pop Sorts Its Idols Into Five Generations
From Seo Taiji and Boys in 1992 to RIIZE and ILLIT, the fan-made label that files K-pop into eras, and why the 5th gen line is still contested.
BTS and Stray Kids Were Right: The Grammys' Asian Pop Award Is a Language Box
K-pop's four biggest companies reportedly sat it out, and the new category drew 116 entries to best Latin song's 519. That gap is a verdict on the category.
Stray Kids' 'THIS & THAT' Logs an Eighth Week at No. 1 on Billboard World Albums
ENHYPEN, CORTIS and BOYNEXTDOOR round out the top four, as ATEEZ and ENHYPEN line up November releases with ET drop times.
TXT and EVNNE Map Out U.S. Stops as 2027 K-Pop Tour Calendar Takes Shape
EVNNE plays nine U.S. venues in January and February, and TXT hits six U.S. cities in May, while BTS, aespa and ENHYPEN tour abroad.
ALLDAY PROJECT's 'CRASH' Climbs to No. 1 on Soompi's Weekly K-Pop Chart
Soyeon slips to No. 2, ATEEZ holds at No. 3 and MEOMURU's indie rock ballad is the lone new face in the top 10.
Stray Kids Reclaim No. 1 on World Albums as ENHYPEN and BOYNEXTDOOR Follow
"THIS & THAT" notches a seventh week on top, while BOYNEXTDOOR's 'HOME' sets a new Billboard 200 milestone for the group.
&TEAM and CLOSE YOUR EYES Rule Circle Album Charts as RESCENE, Soyeon Keep Digital Crowns
CLOSE YOUR EYES also wins the weekly album race, Lim Young Woong leads downloads, and ILLIT holds No. 1 on both social charts.
- billboard.com: K-Pop Star to Watch: aespa
- billboard.com: aespa Announces 'LEMONADE' Album & Sets 2026–27 ...
- complex.com: Aespa Official Merch Collection and GAS Trading Cards
- billboard.com: aespa Sings 'Rich Man,' Talk Cher Inspiration on 'Jennifer ...
- voi.id: List of Winners of Korea First Brand Awards 2026, aespa to CORTIS!
- ticketmaster.com: aespa Tickets, 2026-2027 Concert Tour Dates
- complex.com: Shop the official aespa Collection on Complex
- rollingstone.com: Aespa Want to Reinvent the K-Pop Girl Group Sound
- nme.com: aespa to reportedly release new album in September
- billboard.com: Aespa | Biography, Music & News
- billboard.com: aespa Wins Group of the Year at Billboard Women in Music ...
- koreatimes.co.kr: All hail aespa: 4th-generation K-pop girl group reigns atop charts
- billboard.com: Aespa Achieves First No. 1 on Top Album Sales With ‘Girls’
- kprofiles.com: aespa Discography (Updated!)
- genius.com: aespa Albums and Discography
Fan sites
- Kprofiles aespa discographyFan-run reference page on the group's releases.
- Kprofiles aespa members profileFan-run member profile page.
Official channels verified on aespa-official.jp
Last researched Nov. 11, 2026