HOME / ENTERTAINMENT / MUSIC

Aespa 'Black Mamba': Who is SM Entertainment's new girl group? Release date, concept and all you need to know

The music giant is introducing a brand new concept where the 4 girl singer-performers will be ‘SYNK’ed with their CGI avatars known as Ae versions of the members

SM Entertainment’s new girl group Aespa is debuting with their first single 'Black Mamba' on November 17. The last girl group launched by SM Entertainment, Red Velvet, debuted in 2014. Reportedly, Aespa is not just any other K-pop band as the entertainment group claims with their new teasers and posts shared on social media channels. With Aespa, SM Entertainment is introducing a brand new concept where the four girls of the group will be seen ‘SYNK’ed with their CGI avatars known as Ae version of the members.

Here’s everything you need to know about the group.

Members

Aespa will mark the debut of four trainees, Karina, Giselle, Winter and Ningning. 

Karina whose real name is Yoo Ji Min is a vocalist, rapper and dancer. She is only 20-years-old and already made an appearance in Taemin’s MV Want. She was also seen with Kai from K-pop supergroup EXO in a promotional event of Hyundai. She has been known to be training for four years under SM Entertainment. She was also seen covering Blackpink‘s “Boombayah” and HyunA‘s “Bubble Pop” at the Hansol festival in 2016.

Giselle, a Japanese singer-rapper whose real name is Uchinaga Aeri, has been training with SM entertainment for the last eleven months. She is also only 20-years-old and loves listening to Blackpink and GOT7. Along with Karina, Giselle is the oldest member of the group. 

Winter, the third member of the group is 19-years-old and her real name is Kim Min Jeong. She has been training with SM for four years. Originally she wanted to become an actress but as she enjoys dancing and singing, she chose to become an idol instead. She is the second-youngest member of the group. 

Ningning, whose real name Ning Yizhuo is Chinese and the youngest member of the group. The 18-years-old will be debuting as the vocalist for the group. She has been training since 2016 and became a member of SM Rookies in the same year. 

Debut date and time

Aespa will be debuting on November 17 at 6 p.m. KST with their first single Black Mamba.

Concept

SM Entertainment introduced this multi-cultural group’s name on October 25 and since then, has been dropping clips and photos to tease the fans for the upcoming debut. So far, they have revealed the concept of the girls being accompanied by their CGI selves. The girls would be meeting “their virtual selves "ae-a espa" through "SYNK", SM Entertainment noted in an official statement. They further said that with Aespa, "You will meet your other ego, Avatar, and experience a new world." This debut song was just foretelling various activities based on the world view. Expectations are amplified as to what kind of appearance it will look like.”

The name Aespa comes from combining "æ" expressing "Avatar X Experience" and the English word "aspect" meaning double-sided, an all-new concept for the K-pop world.

The teasers also reveal the members in different concepts. The last teaser which released on November 6, shows Giselle channeling an old-school, vintage rebel rocking a neon green in a true retro fashion. In another teaser, Giselle is also seen SYNKing with her Ae-self and rapping. In yet another teaser, all the four girls are seen in a fairytale-esque scene conveying a dream-like reality going by SM Entertainment’s promise to introduce a ‘new world’.

Fans are already excited as the group’s social media channels are flooded with reactions and excitement. A fan posted, “Giselle isn't just a woman, she’s the human form of excellence and talent. she will be taught in the history books for centuries to come. every step she takes gives new meanings to life. she is the embodiment of perfection in its truest form.” Another fan said, “aespa isn't just a group, it's a cultural reset. It's art, it's a way of life. It's an escape from this cruel world filled with thieves. It's the one reason I'm still here and the one reason I'm still going @aespa_Official”