aespa Confirms Upcoming Performance at Coachella

Composed of KARINA, WINTER, GISELLE and NINGNING, Metaverse girl group aespa are all set to perform at Coachella 2022. While Korean acts such as BLACKPINK, Epik High, Bibi and most recently CL and 2NE1 have previously set Coachella’s stages ablaze, aespa’s performance is particularly monumental as they are the first K-pop girl group to perform on the festival’s main stage. 

The quartet’s performance will comprise hits such as “Black Mamba,” “Next Level,” and “Savage” as well as an unreleased track specifically recorded for their Coachella set. Through a string of carefully crafted Instagram stories and messages on the artist-fan communication app Bubble, the group had been cheekily teasing their performance at the festival. Some stories asked fans ‘How’s the weather in California,’ “What’s your California essential’ while others prompted fans to guess where the group is headed next.

Preceding K-pop groups such as BLACKPINK have performed at Coachella, but their set was at the Sahara stage. On the other hand, 2NE1 — who stirred the right mix of nostalgia and energy last weekend with their reunion after nearly six years — were not formally invited by the festival, making aespa the first K-pop girl group to perform at Coachella’s main stage. 

Previous Korean acts to have performed at Coachella include Bibi, CL and Yoon Mirae, who made a surprise appearance during Bibi’s set. South Korean hip-hop group Epik High also made history at this year’s festival, becoming the only Korean act to be invited for the second time. In 2016, the trio ( Tablo, Mithra Jin, and DJ Tukutz) were the first Korean act ever to perform at the outdoor music festival. 

Debuting on November 17th, 2020, SM Entertainment’s girl group aespa have been making waves in the pop-music space. From their debut single “Black Mamba” to their viral breakout sensation “Next Level” and their latest release “Savage” off their first EP of the same title, the members have persistently delivered outstanding performances and earworm tracks, helping them build their road to global recognition. 

Last year, the group contributed to YouTube and SM Entertainment’s Remastering Project — a technology-driven approach to reintroducing classic hits that laid out the foundation of K-pop. Reimagining legendary girl group S.E.S’s hit single, “Dreams Come True,” the ‘monster rookie girl’ group reinterpreted the existing music video, creating a brand-new take on its original style and flow. 

With choreography being one of aespa’s biggest strengths, the fresh soundscape gave them room to play around with smooth moves, complementing the urban ensemble of the track. Taking the remastering step further, aespa has introduced a brand-new verse, setting up the narrative for what’s about to follow and possibly what motivated the team to conceptualize the track: “Yeah, get it on nah/ Get it on nah/ Let’s bring back to nineties.” 

Members WINTER and KARINA were also announced as part of SM Entertainment’s all-female supergroup Girls on Top. Dubbed GOT, the group will feature rotating units that combine top female artists from SM’s roster. The first unit — GOT the Beat — features BoA, Girls’ Generation’s Taeyeon and Hyoyeon, Red Velvet’s Seulgi and Wendy, and of course KARINA and WINTER.

aespa’s performance will be streamed live on Coachella’s YouTube channel during the daytime on April 24th KST.