aespa에스파aespa
에스파
aespa are a four-member girl group under SM Entertainment — Karina, Giselle, Winter and Ningning — who debuted on 17 November 2020 with the single 'Black Mamba'. Their second full-length album LEMONADE followed on 29 May 2026, and the official fan club is called MY.
- Agency
- SM Entertainment
- Debut
- 17 November 2020
- Members
- 4
- Fandom
- MY
Who are aespa?
aespa (에스파) are a four-member girl group under SM Entertainment: Karina, Giselle, Winter and Ningning. In an announcement of 2 November 2020, SM Entertainment explained the name as ‘æ’, standing for “Avatar X Experience”, joined to the English word “aspect”, meaning two-sided. The same announcement set the debut single ‘Black Mamba’ for 6pm on 17 November.
From the debut the group came with a world-view in which each member is linked, through a “SYNK”, to her own avatar in a virtual world, called ae-aespa. The official fan club is named MY. SM Entertainment used that name in its report of the third-anniversary fan meeting on 20 November 2023, and the Japanese official fan club runs under the name MY-J.
Where to start
The most recent Korean title track is ‘LEMONADE’, from the second full-length album LEMONADE of 29 May 2026. In Japan the group debuted on 3 July 2024 with the single Hot Mess, and released their first Japanese mini album KISS N TELL on 24 July 2026. On 7-8 August 2026 they played the Seoul dates of their fourth world tour at the Gocheok Sky Dome, to 35,000 people across the two nights.
The official music videos sit on the SMTOWN channel, and the group’s own channel carries its original content. K-Culture Radar links to official uploads rather than rehosting them, so those channels are the place to watch.
Official links
Timeline
- Release
Unit songs 'Serenade' and 'Lollipop' out on SYNK : aeXIS LINE
'Serenade' by Karina and Winter and 'Lollipop' by Giselle and Ningning came out at 6 p.m. KST.
Explainer · Read the story - Appearance
World tour SYNK : COMPLæXITY opens at Gocheok Sky Dome
The two nights on 7 and 8 August drew 35,000 people, and the set ran to 27 songs.
Explainer · Read the story - Release
'Switchblade (Feat. Ty Dolla $ign)' music video released
A B-side from the second full-length album LEMONADE, up on YouTube's SMTOWN channel at 1 p.m. KST.
Explainer · Read the story - Appearance
First Lollapalooza set in Chicago
Fourteen songs on the Allianz Stage in Grant Park, with Ty Dolla $ign joining for 'Switchblade'.
Explainer · Read the story - Release
aespa's first Japanese mini album KISS N TELL
Alongside the title track 'KISS N TELL' it carries 'ATTITUDE', 'In Halo', 'Orbit Pop', 'Fangirl' and 'Done with Rules'.
SM Entertainment · Source 1 - Milestone
LEMONADE passes 1.03 million copies
The Circle Chart counted 1,037,190 copies, the eighth aespa album to pass a million.
Explainer · Read the story - Milestone
LEMONADE enters the Billboard 200 at number nine
The tracking week brought 41,000 equivalent album units, the group's third top 10 entry on the chart.
Explainer · Read the story - Release
Second full-length album LEMONADE released
Ten tracks, with 'WDA (Whole Different Animal)' and 'LEMONADE' as the two title tracks.
Explainer · Read the story - Release
Pre-release song 'WDA (Whole Different Animal)' music video
The pre-release song from the second full-length album LEMONADE, with G-Dragon featured.
Explainer · Read the story - Appearance
First Japanese dome tour show at the Tokyo Dome
The two nights on 25 and 26 April drew 94,000 people, and the unit songs 'Serenade' and 'Lollipop' were performed for the first time.
Explainer · Read the story - Release
aespa's Japanese debut single Hot Mess
The Japanese official site lists it as their JAPAN 1st SINGLE. Its track 'ZOOM ZOOM' was used as the ending theme of the anime Beyblade X.
aespa Japan official site · Source 2 - Debut
aespa debut with the single 'Black Mamba'
SM Entertainment announced on 2 November that the debut single would be released at 6pm on 17 November. The same announcement named the four members as Karina, Giselle, Winter and Ningning.
SM Entertainment · Source 3
Members
Music
SYNK : aeXIS LINE (2026)
LEMONADE
SYNK : aeXIS LINE (2025)
Rich Man
Dirty Work
Whiplash
SYNK : PARALLEL LINE
Armageddon
Jingle Bell Rock
Drama
Better Things
MY WORLD
Girls
Life's Too Short
Savage
Next Level
Forever (약속)
Black Mamba
Videos
Channels
- YouTubeaespa
Endorsements
Condition (HK inno.N) · brand model · Karina
Gentle Monster · campaign model, 2026 Veggie collection · Karina
MARK & LONA · brand ambassador, the brand's first female ambassador · Karina
Chanel Beauty · ambassador · Karina
MLB · brand ambassador · Karina
Sprite · model, second year running · Karina
Pascucci · the brand's first advertising model · Karina
Prada · brand ambassador · Karina
Musinsa Beauty · ambassador · Karina
Converse · brand ambassador, global ambassador from 2026 · Karina
Stories
Explainer
Karina and MLB: The Second Karina Edition and a Summer Campaign
Karina of aespa became an ambassador for MLB, the clothing brand F&F runs, in 2025. The second collaboration collection arrived on 4 March 2026 and sold out, it was restocked on 13 March, and the 2026 summer campaign followed on 14 May.
Karina's Solo Set at Waterbomb Seoul 2026: 'GOOD STUFF' and 'UP'
Karina of aespa performed solo at Waterbomb Seoul 2026 on 25 July 2026, on the outdoor Global Stage at KINTEX in Goyang. She sang her solo songs 'GOOD STUFF' and 'UP' among others, Waterbomb's official channel posted the 'GOOD STUFF' set, and it was her second year in a row after 2025.
aespa's Second Full-Length Album 'LEMONADE': No. 9 on the Billboard 200
aespa's second full-length album LEMONADE entered the US Billboard 200 at number nine. Two weeks after release its cumulative album sales were counted at 1,037,190 copies, making it the group's eighth million-seller. Here is what the record is.
aespa's First Lollapalooza Set in Chicago: 14 Songs, and the 'Switchblade' Music Video
aespa played Lollapalooza in Chicago for the first time on 2 August 2026, with a set of 14 songs. Two days later the music video for 'Switchblade', a B-side from the second full-length album, was released. Here are the stage and the video together.
aespa Open Their Fourth World Tour at Gocheok Sky Dome: 35,000 Over Two Nights, 27 Songs
aespa played the opening shows of their fourth world tour at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on 7 and 8 August 2026. The two nights drew 35,000 people and the set ran to 27 songs. The tour visits 25 regions.
Feature
What Karina Told ELLE Korea: Lollapalooza, Nerves and Being Called Strong
Karina of aespa's four-cover ELLE Korea September photoshoot and interview with Prada went online on 14 August 2026. She called the 2026 Lollapalooza Chicago set "a performance we prepared for with a lot of dedication", nervousness a precious emotion, and being called strong close to having strong convictions.
Karina Named MARK & LONA's First Female Brand Ambassador in Tokyo
Karina of aespa has become a brand ambassador for the Japanese golf label MARK & LONA. The appointment was announced at a press conference in Tokyo on 27 April 2026, and the brand's press release calls her its first female ambassador. The PLAY ILLUSION campaign and five 'Karina looks' were shown at the same event.
Brief
Gentle Monster's 2026 Veggie Collection: Karina's Teaser and Eight Pop-Ups
Gentle Monster posted a teaser for its 2026 Veggie Collection on its official Instagram on 14 May 2026. Karina of aespa appears in it, and the pre-order opened at 10 p.m. on 18 May on the brand's website. The collection is ten folding eyewear styles, and the pop-ups run in eight locations.
Karina Becomes the Face of Converse's Chuck 70 X and Run Star Crush as Global Ambassador
aespa's Karina fronted two Converse launches in the summer of 2026 as the brand's global ambassador. The Chuck 70 X came out on 29 June and the Run Star Crush platform shoe on 6 August, and the British magazine Clash reported on 13 August that both are sold on the Converse online store and at retailers worldwide.
Sources
The reports behind the facts above, for the ones no story on the site covers yet. A row with a story cites its sources there; the act's own channel and a brand's official page are linked in the rows themselves.
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Translated from the Korean original.
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