ORLANDO, Fla. – South Korean girl group aespa brought the “Drama” with their virtual reality and futuristic concepts from their live tour “SYNK : PARALLEL LINE.”
Aespa consists of four members: Karina, Giselle, Winter and Ningning. The group is known for popularizing the metaverse concept and hyperpop music in Korean pop music, according to the Kia Center.
I had been to the Kia Center before to see Orlando Magic games, but this was my first time attending a concert at this venue, and it being a K-pop concert certainly created a unique atmosphere!
Walking up to the venue, concert goers and aespa fans (called MYs) were dressed in black, shiny chrome tops or camouflage print, matching performance outfits aespa wore during their concert.
Fans were also handing out “freebies” or free assorted gifts, including pictures of the group, stickers and even keychains.
The concert was a little over two hours, where aespa sang a multitude of their hit songs including “Supernova,” “Whiplash,” “Armageddon,” and their debut single, “Black Mamba.”
Aespa has a unique sound, with many of their songs giving an electrifying feel of hyperpop, but they also brought a variety of genres.
They performed R&B songs like “Flights not Feelings” and Giselle’s “Dopamine,” and upbeat songs like “Better Things” and “Just Another Girl.”
One of the most unique parts that I’ve never seen in a concert before was a performance from “naevis,” a virtual idol. She performed a song called “Done,” with her own stage and virtual backup dancers.
Yes, this is the virtual idol’s own song that you can listen to on Spotify and other platforms. Is this the future of concerts? Fans still cheered for naevis, but the energy was unmatched compared to when the girls were on stage.
Aespa also performed collaboration soundtracks, like “Hold On Tight” from the Apple Original Film “Tetris;” and “We Go,” an original television series soundtrack from the anime “Pokémon Horizons: The Series.” I found it really cool that they played clips from the TV show on the big screen as the girls sang their hearts out.
With the growth in popularity of K-pop in the Western world, more K-pop artists are strengthening their global presence by taking their tours across the U.S., including in Orlando.
Aespa holds a number of accolades, including six consecutive albums in the top 50 of the Billboard 200 charts and being the third K-pop girl group to perform at Coachella.
Overall, the concert was worth attending with the energy and unique genre aespa brings to Western music. I anticipate even more K-pop groups making their stop in Orlando.
While this was aespa’s only (and first) stop in Florida, their 2024-25 aespa LIVE TOUR – SYNK : PARALLEL LINE will span 14 dates from January to March, across North America and Europe.
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