The Korea Herald

지나쌤

Aespa reaches new career high with 3rd EP

By Hong Yoo

Published : May 30, 2023 - 15:19

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Aespa (SM Entertainment) Aespa (SM Entertainment)

The fourth-generation K-pop girl group aespa is rewriting K-pop history for female bands with its latest album “My World.”

The four-member group’s latest album sold more than 1.69 million units just within the first week of its release breaking records for a K-pop girl group, according to label SM Entertainment.

This dethrones Blackpink, whose second full-length album “Born Pink” logged 1.54 million copies in September last year.

Despite it being a mini album, the EP “My World” sold over 2.01 million copies by the second week of its release, making aespa a million-seller for the second time in a row.

This is a 394 percent growth from the sales of its first mini album “Savage,” which sold 510,000 by the second week of its release, and a 121 percent growth from the sales of its second mini album “Girls.”

Aespa also took major local music charts such as Melon, Genie and Bugs, by storm with its title track “Spicy."

The track topped respective charts on Monday for the period of May 22-28.

Despite the recent business management-related turmoil inside its label SM Entertainment, aespa was able to make its ground in the K-pop industry by returning to the scene with a makeover.

In “My World,” aespa changed course from intensely conceptual tracks and went for easily understandable music that revolves around the lives of ordinary teenagers.

In addition to its musical achievements, aespa also became the first K-pop act to step on the red carpet of the Cannes Film Festival.

The girl group was invited to this year’s event to the screening of the festival's competition title "The Pot-Au-Feu" at Palais des Festivals.

The group members attended the event as the official ambassadors of Swiss luxury jewelry house Chopard at the invitation of Caroline Scheufele, the brand's artistic director and co-president.

Recently, the quartet was selected among Billboard's "K-Pop Star to Watch" list and Forbes' "Forbes 30 under 30 Asia 2023."

Love from global fans continues to grow since aespa made its debut in 2020 with its smash-hit single “Black Mamba.”

As of now, six of its songs have landed on the Billboard Global 200, and its albums “Savage” and “Girls” took the throne on the World Albums chart.

Aespa will be taking the stage at New York’s Governors Ball Music Festival in June, becoming the first female K-pop act to perform at the event.

In August, aespa is taking part in the annual Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival in San Francisco, the first K-pop band to do so.

The band is currently on its first world tour, “Synk: Hyper Line.”

Aespa is also set to release a full-length album soon.

"We are already preparing to release a full-length album. It will feature a lot of good songs that we have saved, especially for our first full-length album. You will get to see a different side of us through this album, so please look forward to it," said member Giselle during a press conference in early May.