Get to Know 'Black Mamba' K-Pop Girl Group aespa With These 10 Fun Facts! (Exclusive)

aespa is one of the most exciting new acts to debut on the K-pop scene, and we’re so excited to give Just Jared readers a chance to exclusively get to know the group a little better.

The SM Entertainment troupe debuted on the music scene back in November of 2020 with their debut single “Black Mamba.”

They’ve already racked up a ton of views and streams globally, as well as building up an enthusiastic fanbase (called “MY”) with their bold first release.

The group – made up of KARINA, GISELLE, WINTER and NINGNING – also has a very unique twist: each member has their own digital counterpart, meaning that there are technically eight members of aespa!

Watch the music video for the group’s debut smash “Black Mamba,” and learn 10 Fun Facts about the group…

1. They’ve already broken multiple records. Their debut music video for recent single “Black Mamba” racked up 21 million views in its first 24 hours, earning the most views on a debut music video by a K-pop group in that short amount of time. It soon broke another record: the fastest debut music video to surpass 100 million views in K-pop history.

2. “aespa” is more than their band name. The “ae” is derived from the words “avatar and experience” and combined with the word “aspect” (meaning two sides) to get “aespa.” This symbolizes “meeting another self and experiencing the new world.”

3. They have 4 or 8 members. The girls all have their own digital avatars, called “ae,” that were created from each member’s personal data in a virtual world and that can be “rekalled” into the real world. The group consists of four members: KARINA, WINTER, GISELLE and NINGNING, and their four respective avatars (referred to as ae-KARINA, ae-WINTER, ae-GISELLE and ae-NINGNING.)

4. In fact, they even have their own “world.” The band’s avatars are said to “live” in ‘FLAT’, a virtual world in KWANGYA.

5. Members of the fandom refer to themselves at “MY.” “MY” means “the most precious friend” in FLAT.

Click inside to read the rest of the facts…

6. Each member is represented by a symbol. KARINA is represented by a heart, WINTER is represented by a moon, GISELLE is presented by a moon and NINGNING is represented by a butterfly.

7. They’ve been steadily climbing the charts all over the world. “Black Mamba” charted in 95 countries around the world, reaching No. 5 on Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales chart and No. 1 on China’s QQ Music Charts—a testimony to the group’s international influence.

8. They’re being called the new Blackpink. Though different in concept and style, fans are already drawing complimentary comparisons to Blackpink. And there’s always room for more fierce females!

9. They have taken the fashion world by storm as 2021’s Givenchy ambassadors. Earlier this year, they were named brand ambassadors for Givenchy—a historical first for a K-pop artist. Not only are they the first K-pop artist to work with the band, the honor marks the first time an entire group, not an individual, has been chose as brand ambassadors for any fashion label.

10. More music is coming. Most recently they released their single “Forever,” a remake of the 2000s song by the same name, written by Yoo Young Jin. They are set to release new music and as soon as this summer.

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