aespa gave an interview to JTBC’s Newsroom, where they discussed their new album and future plans. Below, you can find the translated interview.

“Only I can define myself.” We have the group aespa here on Newsroom, who have returned with their unique and captivating sound. Welcome. It’s a pleasure to have you here.
aespa: Hello, we are aespa. Wow.
It’s already been four years since your debut. And your first full album was released recently, receiving an incredible response from the public. NASA even used the lyrics of Supernova to explain the concept of a supernova on their official social media. How did that feel for you?
KARINA: First, we were also very surprised and kept checking if it was really the official account. But it was. We were very grateful that NASA knows our music, and who knows, maybe we could even collaborate with them in the future.
Your live singing skills recently at university festivals and on music programs have been highly talked about. You were amazing.
WINTER: Before our debut, we did a lot of intensive singing training, even running in the practice room. And since our seniors are great singers, we watched their videos to learn how to manage our energy. These live evaluation sessions also helped us a lot.
The voices of each of you are unique and beautiful, but when you sing together, the harmony is really distinctive.
aespa: Thank you!
The sound of aespa is often described as “iron/metal taste,” like something futuristic and bright.
GISELLE: We were the first to use this term “iron/metal taste” because it expresses our style well. We haven’t found a better expression to define us, so we like this description a lot.
Supernova and Armageddon are powerful songs. Could you show some choreography or a memorable part of Armageddon?
KARINA: Sure! There’s a part where we place our hands beside our faces and do a wavy motion with our middle fingers. This part of the song says “wayo wayo,” which we express with this choreography. There’s also a hand movement where our hands come together, which we interpret as a meeting of myself and my other self, symbolizing a kind of awakening.
The album’s slogan is “Only I can define myself.” How does aespa define itself?
NINGNING: Since our debut, we’ve always tried to maintain our style without deviating. We believe that only we, as members of aespa, can do that. Recently, we’ve heard people say that “aespa is a genre,” and we’re starting to like that idea.
KARINA: We want to continue making music that best represents us and that our audience loves. Our B-sides span various genres like ballads, punk, and pop, showing our versatility.
It seems you are expanding your horizons. What have been the most memorable moments of your journey so far, especially considering the challenges of debuting during the pandemic?
NINGNING: Our debut during the pandemic made every encounter with our fans even more special. Every performance and opportunity to meet our fans is very precious to us, and we remain grateful for every moment.
Fans, “MYs,” are your biggest source of motivation, right?
KARINA: Yes, how did you know? We were eager to meet our fans, and now that we can, we’re making the most of it, playing and interacting with them.
What does aespa like to do in your free time? Winter, I heard you’re a fan of The Strongest Baseball.
WINTER: Yes, I’ve liked baseball since school. This show is great, showing behind-the-scenes and retired players. I have many friends who are also fans, and we watch together while eating delicious food.
Do you root for any specific team? Lotte Giants?
WINTER: Yes, I’m from Busan, so I root for the Lotte Giants. But my first encounter with baseball was with the Doosan team, so I support all the teams. Fighting!
Ningning, you mentioned liking martial arts.
NINGNING: Yes, I recently joked about it on a music program. It’s not a big passion, I was just kidding.
Giselle, didn’t you mention athletics?
GISELLE: Yes, I also participated in athletics. Ningning made the joke more fun.
Let’s talk about the future. You are about to start your second world tour. How are the preparations going?
KARINA: We’re busy with promotions and show preparations, but we’ve already reviewed the setlist. We’re excited to visit new countries.
What places will you visit?
GISELLE: Last year we went to the USA and South America. This year, we’re going to Australia and several Southeast Asian countries.
Many fans around the world are waiting for you. What’s the next step for aespa?
WINTER: We want to continue developing our unique universe, telling our stories, and reaching new heights with each project.
Is there any nickname you would like to have among the public?
KARINA: We can’t choose our nicknames, but we love the ones fans create for us. They are creative and fun.
NINGNING: Yes, they always come up with something interesting.
KARINA: We hope they continue giving us these nicknames during our upcoming activities.
We hope aespa continues to expand its unique musical universe. Thank you for being here today.

aespa attended the K-WAVE CONCERT Inkigayo on June 2nd, where they performed the songs Supernova and Armageddon. Unfortunately, NINGNING was unable to participate as she exhibited symptoms of dehydration and exhaustion during rehearsals and was taken to the hospital, where the medical team advised her to rest.

aespa‘s first full-length album, Armageddon, has finally been released! MelOn Magazine shared exclusive photos of the album, along with a short interview and messages from the members. Check it out below:

Recommend a song that boosts aespa’s confidence, like “Armageddon”!

KARINA: I would like to recommend a song called “Talkin’ Talk” by D’Sound. This was the song with which I learned my first choreography as a trainee, and I received praise while practicing until dawn. (laughs) So, whenever I listen to it, I remember how I felt back then.
GISELLE: I often listen to songs that make me feel at ease and give me inner strength! When I listen to ADOY‘s “Swim”, I can fall asleep comfortably. I love the peaceful atmosphere of this song, so I often listen to it, especially when I’m in the car!
WINTER: The song I would like to recommend is “Who Says” by Selena Gomez & The Scene. The message about embracing your own beauty is wonderful. Every time I listen to it, I feel more confident.
NINGNING: My recommendation is “Me, Myself and I” by Beyoncé~♬. Since the lyrics are about finding yourself, I feel more confident whenever I listen to it. Also, I love the rhythm and vibe of the song, so I listen to it often!

What was the moment you most wanted to spotlight while preparing the album?
GISELLE: I really liked the jacket image, which matches the album’s mood perfectly. Therefore, I want to spotlight both the moment of the photoshoot and the jacket image itself!
Which song from [Armageddon] would you most like to spotlight?
NINGNING: I would choose “Armageddon”. The dance is completely my style and I really love the song. I hope everyone listens to it a lot!
Which concept from the [Armageddon] jacket images would you most like to spotlight?
WINTER: I think all the members turned out great this time. So, it’s really hard to choose just one. Hmm… if I have to choose with difficulty, I would say the “Launch Code” concept, which was revealed first, was the most impressive.
Which scene from the “Armageddon” MV would you most like to spotlight?
KARINA: When I think of the “Armageddon” music video, I want to spotlight the group choreography scene! This time, the choreography matches our vibe well and I think it was captured perfectly. If anyone hasn’t seen the music video yet, I recommend watching it right now!

KARINA: aespa’s first full-length album, Armageddon, is finally out in the world! Please give us lots of love!! First of all, I love Armageddon…
GISELLE: Armageddon. Isn’t the song good~? Please listen a lot 🖤
WINTER: I like this song. Winter option – ⭐
NINGNING: Armageddon. You’ll definitely want to dance while listening…! You can dance secretly…♡

aespa is on the cover of the new edition of BAZAARMEN LIT, an electronic and interactive magazine created by Harper’s BAZAAR Man, where they explored various sides and interpretations of the members. Below you can read the full translated interview. Credits to @ojjing_eo

What kind of ASMR videos do you watch usually?
When I can’t sleep, I’ll listen to the sound of hairdryer and the sound when you bathe a dog
What hair colour do you want to try?
I want to dye my hair red
When you’re travelling, do you prefer the sceneries, food or the human and culture?
I think sceneries and food are important
How do you most like your fans to call you?
I like it when everyone calls me “Jimin ah”
Which animal do you most like your fans to see you as?
Cat, I also like snow ferrets recently
Regardless of anything, what’s a perfect day like for Jimin?
Spend the day leisurely and happily without making any plans
Are there any unforgettable memories after becoming an artist?
Performing at Tokyo Dome for the first time is unforgettable for me
What do you do when you’re resting?
Watch anime, play mobile games
Describe your personality
Joyful, straightforward, enjoying to my heart’s content
Which comeback do you like the most?
It was originally Drama, but I think it’s going to change to Armageddon
If you were to say something to yourself when you just debuted, what would you say?
I hope you smile more and enjoy your promotions
What colour would you use to describe yourself?
Blue, because it’s refreshing and my mood gets better looking at the colour blue
Up till now, which first experience is the most meaningful to you?
Concert, it feels like I’m debuting once again
Are there any goals that you want to achieve this year?
It’s the first time we’re releasing our full length album, so we hope to receive everyone’s love and acknowledgment. Especially if this album is able to win awards, that would mean a lot to us
Can you say something to fans who are currently having a difficult time?
If there are some things that you want to do, instead of minding what others would think about you, do what you want to do and live your life
In Jimin’s opinion, what is your most ideal relationship with the fans?
When there’s talk, there’ll laughter – that kind of relationship (just like super-nova and arma-geddon)
From debuting with a no-audience stage to having stages with some audience then to having your very own concert, what’s Jimin’s journey like?
Initially it didn’t feel like I debuted, but we had more chances to meet the audience and meet our fans, and I realised the importance of having stage with fans
Do you have anything to say to the chinese fans?
Hi, China MYs! I miss you, I love you guys 💙

What does music mean to you? What style of music do you want to try in the future?
Music is like an existence that can control me. According to what I listen, my mood changes as well. Even though I’ve tried out different styles of music as aespa, but if I have a chance in the future, I would like to try band or EDM
Has your motto changed? It was “so what” before
My motto now is “live cutely” because the word “cute” has a cheerful and bright connotation to it. So wherever I feel tired, for myself to live happily, I changed my motto to “live cutely”
What do fans mean to you?
To me, our fans is the embodiment of “love!”. Regardless of how I look, regardless of the situation, fans is an existence that gives me love. In that sense, fans is “love” to me
Everyone knows you have an interest in fashion, how has your understanding of fashion now changed as compared to before?
I don’t think there’s any change. I always have my own ideas when it comes to fashion. For example, the colour of an outfit, the material, and most importantly, it has to suit me. This hasn’t changed~
Were there any difficult moments after debuting? How did you overcome them?
I’ll choose to talk to my members and the staff around me to overcome the difficulties. In order for me to press on, I think I’ve put in a lot of effort. During those times, the fans’ support gave me a lot of strength
When MYs face difficulties, can you say some words of encouragement to them?
Even though there are hard times, but when you push through that period of time, it’ll be over before you realise it, and you’ll see your growth. If there are fans who are currently going through this kind of moments, I hope you guys will be able to press on. Good luck!
Are there any sides and charms of Giselle that the fans have not yet seen?
I think I’m multifaceted, so I feel that as we get closer, as time goes by, they’ll be able to discover different sides to me and my charms. MYs, let’s see each other for a long, long time~
Which would you choose – living in the moment or chasing your dreams?
I think I’ll choose to chase my dreams. Living in the moment is important but I think dreams are very precious. I think it’s also enjoyable when you work hard to achieve your dreams
If you have a chance to come to China again, where do you want to visit? What do you want to eat?
I want to go to Ningning’s hometown Harbin. I want to go to the Harbin Ice-Snow World and I want to go to the food trail that Ningning recommended, and I want to have good Dimsum
If you have a long break, what would you choose to do?
I want to go to Hawaii for a week or so, and I also want to go to Japan and enjoy a healing time with my family. And I went to Busan with my members last time, it was fun, so I want to go again
What fashion tips would you like to share with everyone through SNS?
Just like I wore LOEWE’s set piece for this photoshoot, I’ll wear a set piece from a brand, or like all-black, or a set of denim outfit – I think it’s nice to have a uniform look
What’s your biggest charm?
I think my charm is cool. People around me say my personality is cool. And they always say that I’m very loyal, so I think this is also my charm
If you can act in a movie, what kind of character do you want to portray?
I want to play an action film lead and film cool action scenes. I also want to try those characters that are cool and have girl crush vibes
Are there interesting episodes from the making of the album this time?
The location where we filmed the track video, there was a constant scent of mint chocolate. After understanding (from the staff), even though they’re all props, but they actually prepared edible mint chocolate flavoured food, so it was fascinating to me and I felt happy

If you can meet chinese fans face to face, what would you say to them?
I hope there’ll be more opportunities to meet China MYS. I miss you always!
Is there anything that you’re curious about the chinese fans?
I’m curious if the chinese fans have any chinese songs that they would like me to sing, and I also really want to perform the songs that the fans have chosen for me on stage
If you were to release a solo album, what style would you like to try?
I want to use my own story to personally write songs and sing them. I’ll use the stories to decide the respective stylesApart from being a singer (idol), do you have any other things that you’d like to try?
I play the piano well when I was young, so I wanted to be a pianist. From a music point of view, it seems like it’s also related to being a singer (idol)
Recommend some food that you usually eat
Because I like enoki mushrooms, so I like food with enoki mushrooms. When I ate iron pot cuisine (food stewed in an iron pot) previously, I refilled the enoki mushrooms five times. I really like enoki mushroomsWhich song would you most want to recommend from the album this time?
LIVE MY LIFE! Unlike the titles which give off a strong feeling, it’s a song that portrays a different charm of aespa, and it’s also a song that’s suitable when you go out for a drive in summer
Is there any memorable moment when you’re learning chinese or a word that you really like?
“Piào liàng” which means “beautiful”. I learnt this word through Ningning when I was a trainee. And I also said to Ningning before that she’s piào liàng
Is there a stage that you most want to show to the chinese fans?
I want to use stages that we’ve never shown before, ones with new styles and charms, to meet the chinese fans. In the future, please look forward to and look after me like you’re doing so now as well~
In that moment when you achieved your dreams, what would you say to yourself?
When that moment comes, I want to say to myself “of course you can do it”
Do you want to try out chinese songs? What kind of chinese songs do you like?
“Xiǎng jiàn nĭ” which I’ve sung cutely before
In terms of music genres and styling, are there anything that you want to try?
I’ve never really tried R&B properly so I want to try that
Fans really like the childhood photos and stories you’ve shared, can you share another fun episode?
I cried and ran to the toilet after quarteling with my older brother. Because of my resentment from the argument, I secretly smeared soap on his toothbrush. But my brother found out immediately and told our mum, so I got scolded
From debut to now, reflecting on yourself, how has Winter and Minjeong changed?
My hair colour changed a lot ^^ Because there were a lot of sides to me that have grown, so it’s hard to pick one. From the debut videos and photos, it does seem like my hair colour has changed a lot
Which moment when you’re promoting do you most want to share with your family?
When we’re going on tour overseas, I want to share the beautiful sceneries and exciting stories with my family
Winter who is very particular about food, can you share a menu that no one knows about?
There isn’t one it seems. I can tell you a TMI though, even though I can’t really drink, but I can feel that I like makgeolli (rice wine) and soju!
If you can predict the future or go back to the past, how would you choose?
I would choose to predict the future. If I have that ability, I can use it to choose songs that our fans think is better or would like when we’re deciding our title tracks
If you suddenly transform into an animal, which animal would you want to be?
I want to be an eagle. U can soar freely in the sky, and go to places that I want to go, and eagles are the strongest among the birds. That strong image is so cool

How to you relief stress?
When the weather is good, I’ll go on a walk myself, listen to music, and meditate to relief stress
Which emoji do you like to use the most?
I often use iPhone’s hippo emoji
In your opinion, what is something that is “it’ll be nice if it exists forever”?
Love
As compared to last year, how have you changed this year?
If I think about it calmly, I feel like I’ve matured. Because I now enjoy cleaning and recycling alone!
For 2024 this year, do you have any goals or ideas?
I want to finish the promotions for our first full length album healthily and safely, and go ahead with our new concert tour smoothly. I also look forward to my growth in various fields, and I want to meet overseas fans often. If I have time, I want to travel
What do you want to say to chinese fans?
Thank you for supporting and liking me since debut. I look forward to seeing you guys again, and take care of your health. Wait for me~
What are some stories or memes that you have between you and the chinese fans?
Whenever I go back to China for activities, everyone welcomes me warmly, I’m very thankful to everyone
Do you have any solo activities or plans in the new year? What do you want to do the most? What do you want to try?
We’re releasing our first full length album this year, and having our second tour. I want to first focus on aespa’s activities. If I have the chance, on my own, I want to try out new things in music or fashion
Is there anything that you haven’t done or you want to do it again after missing the chance to do so?
I want to travel
If there’s a chance, what animal would you like to become?
I want to become a cat who can go around freely
If you have a break in a year, what would you want to do the most?
I want to go on a retreat, enjoy nature and the culture
What is something that you’ll definitely do before and after a performance?
Before I go on stage, I’ll think about the choreo again. After the performance, I’ll check the performance recording
Do you prepare anything before you sleep? (like aromatherapy, music, or white noise?)
I’m into dramas lately, I’ll fall asleep as I watch them. I’ll also add aromatherapy oil into the humidifier, calm my body and mind as I go to sleep

aespa performed Supernova, the first title-track from their new comeback with the full album Armageddon, at Show! Music Core on May 25th. The song was also the 1st place winner on the show.

5:05

240525 • ‘Supernova’ Show! Music Core (Encore Cam)

3:36

240525 • ‘Supernova’ Show! Music Core (Full Cam)

3:48

240525 • ‘Supernova’ Show! Music Core (NINGNING Cam)

3:37

240525 • ‘Supernova’ Show! Music Core (WINTER Cam)

3:46

240525 • ‘Supernova’ Show! Music Core (KARINA Cam)

3:25

240525 • ‘Supernova’ Show! Music Core (GISELLE Cam)