aespa Talks about Their Own Universe ahead of 'Next Level' Release

Making waves since their debut, SM entertainment quartet aespa has remained the talk of the town with their bizarre concepts  - and they have sat down with the global media for a press conference ahead of their new single, "Next Level."

On Sunday, May 16, the four members of aespa - Karina, Giselle, Winter, and NingNing - held an online press conference to better explain their game changing concept of working together with their virtual avatars - ae-Karina, ae-Winter, ae-Giselle, and ae-NingNing. The idea of actual persons singing and dancing with computer-generated characters have amazed fans worldwide, as well as baffling others.

"We are an eight-piece group," the group's leader, Karina, clarified during the press conference. She explains that they, including their virtual avatars, have taken lessons for a long time to fully understand their concept and their universe.

"Now, we know who we are. As the avatars were created based on the personal data of each member, all of us can easily keep in step with our digital selves," Karina added.

Giselle supported their leader, adding that they are planning to further show "diverse content with out avatars."

In the online press conference, attended by media members around the world, aespa members also discussed their latest single, "Next Level," which hit the video and music streaming platforms Monday, May 17, at 6 PM KST.  The latest aespa track, which was a remake of the 2019 A$ton Wyld track featured in the film "Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw," is a hop-hop banger with catchy riffs and groovy rap verses. 

"We tried to make our voices sound more powerful," Karina shares, adding that Lee Soo Man, SM Entertainment founder and record producer,  helped them to add their own color to the song. As for the dance routine, the aespa leader said that they wanted to make it "look more chic and relaxed."

Winter commented on their outfits for their "Next Level" performances were also designed to look futuristic and match with the song's mood.

NingNing, the only Chinese member of the SM Entertainment girl group, adds that "Next Level" is a follow-up to their wildly successful debut "Black Mamba." Released last November, the "Black Mamba" MV follows aespa as they encounter an evil force that has taken the form of a huge snake, attempting to separate their physical forms from their virtual avatars.

In "Next Level," both in the song and in the MV, the members head to Kwangya to hunt down the Black Mamba. Kwangya literally translates to "a wide plain" in Korean, but is used to refer to the world where the girls' avatars reside. In the "Next Level" music video, their virtual avatars make a brief appearance, as well as the giant snake seen in their "Black Mamba" debut.

Aespa is the first girl group from SM Entertainment since Red Velvet, which debuted in 2016. The newest quartet instantly became the center of attention as the "Black Mamba" music video crossed the 100 million view-mark on YouTube, only 51 days after it premiered - becoming the first debut MV by a K-pop group to do so. Additionally, the 2020 super rookies also secured various awards last year.

RELATED ARTICLE: aespa Releases Remake Song 'Forever' + MV Becomes Most Viewed in the Last 24 Hours