Aespa Takes it to the Next Level in Atlanta

By: Ashley Day

A single white dot.

That’s the only thing on the large screen on stage at the Fox Theatre on August 25, 2023, shortly after 8 p.m. But this single white dot is blinking – short blink, long blink, a space, another short blink… It’s Morse code, translating to “AESPA HYPER LINE,” referencing the name of Aespa’s first North American tour, “SYNK: HYPER LINE.”

Aespa debuted in late 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, under SM Entertainment, one of South Korea’s largest and most recognizable entertainment agencies. They boast a powerful lineup of previous artists, including BoA, Super Junior, Girls’ Generation, EXO, Red Velvet, and NCT.

The white dot grows into a grid as a gentle, electrical, almost sci-fi instrumental plays, barely heard over the cheers of the audience members. For a second, it seems like the screen is glitching; however, the lines move and warp into the shape of a head that resembles something out of ExMachina. The screen seems to glitch once more as the shape develops into a full head of a woman, who says in a robotic voice, “Aespa. Hyper Line.” This woman is Aespa’s virtual fictional character, Naevis, who serves as a bridge between the virtual and real world. The crowd screams even louder as, one by one, four characters, each looking like they came out of a video game, drop into the frame.

When Aespa debuted, the members didn’t just introduce themselves, they introduced an entire world that plays a huge part in their storytelling. Kwangya, in Hangul, 광야, translates to “wilderness;” this wilderness is an alternate universe where space and time are completely altered, and where Aespa’s villain, Black Mamba, resides. Aespa features human members and virtual counterparts; each member has a corresponding AI or virtual member known as an “æ” (avatar). This concept allows for storytelling that merges the real and virtual worlds. These four characters are based on a corresponding member: Leader and visual Karina, real name Yoo Ji-Min, has æ-Karina; main rapper Giselle, real name Uchinaga Aeri, has æ-Giselle; vocalist and main dancer Winter, real name Kim Min–Jeong, has æ-Winter; main vocalist Ningning, real name Ning Yi Zhuo, has æ-Ningning.

After the initial opening VCR, which are short, pre-recorded videos played during shows that serve as transitions between acts, the screen returns to its grid layout. As the first notes of Aespa’s song “Girls” begin to play, the white grid and lightsticks, which are special concert accessories used by MYs (Aespa’s official fandom name) and other K-pop fans during live performances to support and connect with artists, are the only sources of light as the screen splits in two and separates like a sliding door. The audience can finally see the silhouettes of the four members, dressed in white one–pieces, adorned with rhinestones and pearls, but still distinct enough to separate members.

After “Girls” plays, which boasted an impressive and difficult dance break and electrifying guitar solo from Winter, their 2021 B-side, “aenergy,” begins. The lyrics, which flash on the screen as the girls sing and audience members scream, show each member’s role in the group, but not in the typical way one might think: “Karina, rocket puncher/Winter, armamenter/Giselle got xenoglossy/Ningning, E.D. hacker.” Each of the members’ taglines signifies their specific powers used against the aforementioned Black Mamba. The last song in this first act is “Savage,” the title track from the same album as “aenergy.” This electronic hyper-pop song had the members powerfully sing in Korean, “Don’t forget, this is Kwangya/I control your time and space,” reminding the audience this isn’t a typical K-pop concert experience; it feels like the audience joins the members in fighting their war against the Black Mamba.

The next act starts with Karina’s solo stage, “Menagerie,” a trippy, self-written R&B song. It perfectly leads into their next song, “Illusion,” which shows us new outfits that are more flowy and feminine, but still reminds the audience they’re in the unforgiving land of Kwangya. “Will o’ the wisp scares you, Boo/Won’t see it coming, a sudden apparition.” The last song of this act is their 2021 song “Dreams Come True,” a remake of their senior S.E.S’s 1998 release of the same name, and is arguably the most lighthearted song of the setlist thus far.

The following act also begins with vocalist Winter’s solo stage, which is a soft ballad that shows her clear vocals with amazing range. The sweetness of the lyrics perfectly encapsulates her image as she softly smiles while singing, “Look at my mouth babe/Cover your ears with both hands/Just read my lips.” The next songs are the English version of “Life’s Too Short,” a song about coolly not caring about haters, and “Welcome to My World,” the first song to feature Aespa’s virtual character, Naevis.

The next act is dedicated to self-confidence and starts with rapper Giselle’s solo stage, “2HOT4U,” a powerful hip-hop song that has her both rapping and singing about how she’s too hot for her admirer. Her effortless “hot girl” image seeps through as she coolly laughs off while rapping, “Ew, bye!” This setlist includes the quartet’s most recent comeback release, “Spicy,” which, like Giselle’s solo stage, has members singing and rapping about how they’re “too spicy for your heart!”

The final act of the show begins with the last solo stage of the night, belonging to the youngest member, Ningning. Her solo stage went viral on social media when it debuted at Aespa’s first solo concert in February in Seoul. Arguably one of the most powerful all-rounders in K-pop, she sings high notes while hitting every dance beat and raps effortlessly, despite not being an official rapper in the group. Her name, Ningning, flashes on the screen in a bright green and purple pattern, perfectly encapsulating the song’s chaotic playfulness as she powerfully sings, “You’ll never wake up.”

Their second to last song, “Next Level,” went viral in Korea for its catchy chorus and simple yet addicting dance moves. It was banned in certain Korean high schools as they prepared for college entrance exams because administrators were worried students would have it stuck in their heads. Their last song is their debut song, Black Mamba, which reminds the audience that after the last two acts, which had more songs with less to do with Kwangya and Aespa’s lore, that the audience is back in Kwangya as the members sing, “It will swallow everything/Black Mamba,” while powerfully dancing in the EDM-filled chorus as “Ma-ma-ma-mamba,” chants in the background.

As the song ends and members leave the stage, the concert seems over until the members come back out and give a speech thanking the fans for showing up to the concert before diving into their final two songs, “‘Til We Meet Again,” and “ICU,” which are love letters to the fans, thanking them for their support.

Even after the encore, fans can’t get enough of the members as they scream for the girls to stay. As some of the audience members slowly trickle out, some choose to stay seated and watch the behind-the-scenes footage that plays, showing each of the girls recording VCRs and other music videos as they thank MYs again for their love and support.