As the group aespa steps out of their virtual world, what will their new narrative look like?

On May 8, aespa has released their third mini-album, "My World." This follows their second mini-album, "Girls," released ten months ago.

"My World" features a total of six tracks, including the title song "Spicy," the pre-released song "Welcome To My World," and "I'm Unhappy," which was unveiled during their solo concert in February.

With "My World," aespa is leaving behind the virtual world they've inhabited since their debut and stepping into the real world. The group's second season of their unique universe will unfold as they return to reality, after having experienced a new world through meeting their avatars, the ae.

Debuting in November 2020, aespa garnered attention as SM Entertainment's first girl group in six years since Red Velvet. They gained public interest as a metaverse girl group aligned with the then-hot topic of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

aespa perfectly responded to the overflowing interest with their debut song "Black Mamba." The music video for "Black Mamba" reached 100 million views in record time for a K-pop group's debut song, signaling aespa's extraordinary journey ahead. With each release, such as "Next Level" and "Savage," aespa achieved exceptional success as a rookie group. Through their music and content, they expanded the SMCU (SM Culture Universe) by helping fans understand their deep and complex world.

Riding the wave of three consecutive hits, aespa achieved a grand slam of rookie awards at year-end and early-year award ceremonies. Notably, they won the Rookie of the Year and Record of the Year (Daesang) at the "2021 Melon Music Awards" and the Rookie of the Year and Best Dance Performance at the "2021 Mnet Asian Music Awards," demonstrating their prowess.

However, aespa's smooth sailing was temporarily halted due to SM Entertainment's management dispute. Their comeback was initially planned for February but was postponed due to the fallout. During their first solo concert, aespa promised to "come back soon and show our growth. We've never failed to take responsibility for what we've said. We will become a cool and successful aespa."

Shaking off the disappointment of their comeback delay, aespa has proven their strong ticket power and global popularity by holding solo concerts in Japan's Osaka, Tokyo, Saitama, and Nagoya since March. They will continue the momentum with the "aespa Live Tour 2023 'SYNK: HYPER LINE' in Japan - Special Edition-" at the Tokyo Dome on August 5th and 6th. aespa's entrance into the Tokyo Dome comes only two years and nine months after their debut, setting a record for the shortest time taken by a foreign artist.

In addition, aespa attended the 76th Cannes International Film Festival as global ambassadors for Swiss luxury brand Chopard, an official sponsor of the festival. They are the first K-pop idols to officially attend Cannes as a group.

With their breathless activities since their debut, aespa has carved a significant mark in K-pop history. As they make meaningful records even before their comeback, all eyes are on aespa and the path they will take with their carefully prepared new release.

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