aespa on Lollapalooza, Lemonade, and the reality of K-pop idoldom
And pre-gaming their sets to Young Thug and Vanessa Carlton.
I meet all four members of the K-pop girl group aespa in their palatial hotel suite the morning before they’re set to play Lollapalooza. It’s a Saturday, and a barefaced Karina, Winter, Giselle, and Ningning are sitting across from me at the table feeling nervous about their big weekend ahead, they say. So far, the four-day festival weekend has been compromised by an onslaught of heavy showers and flooding at Chicago’s Grant Park, and the girl group is expecting a crowd in the thousands. “This is our first time [at Lolla],” Karina says. “But we’re excited to show our fans what we prepared.”
Since releasing their fiery debut single “Black Mamba” in 2020 under SM Entertainment, aespa has catapulted to stardom on the back of their hyperpop-infused sound and a futuristic metaverse concept dubbed Kwangya (more on that below). Their appearance at Lollapalooza this year marks their fourth time playing a major U.S. festival and comes on the heels of their sophomore album, Lemonade, released at the tail end of May. In less than 24 hours, they’ll perform most of tracks from that 10-song compilation, serenading a buzzing crowd with their experimental, hip-hop-lite sound and a surprise celebrity cameo from Ty Dolla $ign.
Ahead, read a conversation with aespa about their new album Lemonade, the music they’re listening to now, the realities of K-pop stardom, and more.
The FADER: Congratulations on your first Lollapalooza performance. What are you most looking forward to doing while you’re in Chicago?
Giselle: We came here once for our tour, so we’re excited to be back [in Chicago]. We’re only here for three days, and we’ll mostly be in rehearsals for most of it. Last time, I went to a jazz bar. I also had a pizookie — it’s a pizza and a cookie. I would love to have another one.
Ningning: We sadly didn’t get to watch many performances yesterday. Since this is our first time here in Chicago for Lollapalooza, we want to make the most out of it.
You just dropped your latest album, Lemonade. Out of all the tracks, “Camouflage” stood out to me the most. What went into recording that song?
Giselle: “Camouflage” is my personal favorite from this album, too. Every song [on Lemonade] is different — like, one album will have three or four different genres. But recording [“Camouflage”] and using a little bit of a baby voice was fun.
Karina: Our albums always use different genres, as Giselle mentioned. I also really like “My Plan” because it has a very unique sound, like the [wind-up key] you hear on a doll. I paid close attention to details like that.
Lemonade felt like a shift in aespa’s sound. Would you consider this a change in direction or an evolution?
Winter: Since this was a full-length album, we wanted to experiment with genres while maintaining what aespa is.
How would you describe your universe for first-time listeners?
Giselle: We’re not real. We’re AI. [Laughs]
Ningning: We have a very unique lore. We had this story from the start with our debut: our universe [Kwangya] and music connected it. That concept was very fresh and new for us and our audience. When you listen to our music or watch our music videos, you can tell that it’s an aespa song and that it’s something that only aespa can do.
It must feel full circle to be here at Lollapalooza. When you were trainees, or even when you debuted, did you ever think you’d be here a few years later?
Karina: When I was a trainee, and even standing on stage, [the future] felt a little uncertain at times. I don’t think I ever imagined performing at such a big festival. Now that I’m actually about to perform [at Lollapalooza] tomorrow, I’m even more nervous. A few people recognized us last night, and I was like, “Oh, how do they know me?” It made me realize once again how much we’ve grown over the years. It also makes me look forward to seeing what kind of audience will join us when we perform tomorrow.
Giselle: Every festival has a crazy vibe, whether we’re the ones performing or not. Sadly, Lil Uzi Vert canceled his stage, but we saw Smashing Pumpkins and the last couple of minutes of Charli xcx’s performance before our rehearsals. But festivals in general are so much fun. They have their own culture of craziness and chaos. There are so many people, and the rain [here] added to that. Performing is also way different than watching, so I know the feeling of being the artist and knowing what the audience feels. It’s a cool experience to be able to understand both.
Anson Tong
Is festival culture in the U.S. drastically different from Korea?
Giselle: It’s way bigger here. The scale is completely different. There are so many more artists and people here. It’s crazier out here.
Ningning: I haven’t been to many festivals in Korea or China. But yesterday, we went to see some performances in the rain. We saw Charli xcx, but a tall guy was standing in front of me. I told him I couldn’t see, and he turned around, apologized, and gave me a wristband for the show. In that moment, I realized how connected and passionate people are about music here.
What songs are you most and least excited to perform?
Giselle: I’m most scared to perform “Switchblade,” especially if it rains, because there’s a lot of footwork. A lot of energy goes into the dance, and I can’t imagine being drenched in the rain. I like the choreography to “SHAKIN’,” which is what we’re going to be performing as well.
Karina: I’m actually looking forward to performing “Switchblade” the most because the song is so hyped. It gives me the most energy. But not so much “Black Mamba” because there’s a part of the choreo where they go down [on the floor]. I can’t imagine being wet in the rain doing that. [Laughs]
Ningning: I’m afraid to perform “Hold On Tight.” It’s been edited for the performance, so it goes by fast. But still, performing such a fast song in the rain…
Winter: I’m looking forward to “Black Mamba” the most because it’s the first time we’ve performed our debut song in a while. I’m with Ningning — I’m also afraid of performing “Hold On Tight.” If we fall, I know there are going to be so many memes.
When you listen to our music, you can tell that it’s something that only aespa can do. —Ningning
Giselle, we noticed you’re a fan of underground artists, including zayok. How would you describe your taste in music, and what have you been listening to lately?
Giselle: I haven’t been listening to a lot of rap, to be honest. I listen to a lot of rock. But zayok isn’t really a rapper — he’s more of a [digicore] singer. That’s why I really like his music, and I even met up with him in L.A.
It’s kind of embarrassing to talk about because I don’t want to step on anyone's toes. But any time I discover music, whether it’s underground or not, I get really obsessed. I’ll listen to one song over and over again. That’s how I get to know an artist more. That’s how I find and listen to music.
What’s been on everyone’s rotation recently?
Giselle: Before the festival, I’ll listen to old Young Thug songs. Just hype songs. I’ve also been listening to some classics like “Where Is My Mind” by Pixies.
Karina: I usually listen to R&B and jazz songs. But before and after performances, I turn on classical songs, preferably ones that don't have lyrics.
Ningning: “A Thousand Miles” by Vanessa Carlton. [Laughs] I just watched White Chicks, and I love that song because it’s something you listen to when you want to feel the breeze.
Do you have any pre-festival rituals?
Ningning: Giselle and I usually just turn on our music, dance, and then go on the stage.
Giselle: This time around, we’re all thinking about taking a shot before we go on stage.
Karina: As an artist, I need to keep my energy up. But as an individual, it’s the opposite — I usually read books to calm down.
What's the best and hardest part of being aespa?
Winter: The hardest thing is being on stage and delivering results. At the same time, I think it’s also the best thing because I’m happy whenever I perform. But it’s difficult trying to meet expectations because it’s about self-satisfaction as well. At the end of the day, I’m trying really hard to deliver the best results possible.
Karina: The best thing is meeting the best people. But the hardest thing is that our songs aren’t necessarily my personal music taste. When I debuted, finding that happy medium was difficult. Now, I enjoy our music, and of course, I love being aespa.
Ningning: I’m always grateful that I have the opportunity to be in this group and that I get to see the fans from all over the world. But being a K-pop idol is very difficult because it’s hard to show the audience who you really are. That’s still the biggest struggle for me.
Giselle: I’ll say the same, honestly. The best part is actually having a platform to see and gain a lot of fans. It’s a very big opportunity, and I never take any of that for granted. I will always be grateful for that. As Ningning said, being an idol is very unrealistic, and it goes against a lot of what I believe in. At the same time, it’s my job. I’m still going to be a professional, but trying to be honest [in this role] is the hardest part.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.