For one electrifying night, K-Pop phenomenons aespa made their highly anticipated return to LA, delivering a breathtaking performance to full of diehard 18,000 fans at The Kia Forum. Meet this powerhouse group: Karina, Giselle, Winter, and Ningning. As one of South Korea’s most sought-after girl groups, aespa has skyrocketed to global fame over recent years — 2024 proving to be their most monumental year yet. The quad is on their SYNK: Parallel Line Tour for select dates only.
All four of these spicy ladies stormed the stage with beaming confidence as the show kicked off, not missing a single beat for an impressive two and a half hour show. The girls stunned in white dresses all tailored specifically to their own style — though each are their own individuals, their chemistry as a group was something we couldn’t ignore. Their radiant attitude and flawless choreography fit hand in hand — both with and without their crew of backup dancers, who were equally as vivacious and in sync with the girls.
The Forum erupted with cheers as aespa skyrocketed into their mega-hit “Drama.” The jumbotron flashed to superstar Tori Kelly, who was in the crowd dancing and singing along. Mid-way through the show, each of the members took to the stage to perform their solo songs, offering the crowd a more intimate look at them one-on-one. A good portion of the setlist consisted of songs from their debut album, Armageddon and later released mini-album/EP, Whiplash. They treated fans to a 3-song encore, finally concluding with their feel-good song “Life’s Too Short” in an English version.
Overall, aespa is a group of talented artists who turn the entertainment level up a few notches above the norm. Not only do their vocals shine both solo and as a group, but their stage presence is insanely contagious. Aside from the talent themselves, production for the show complimented aespa’s every move — complete with an extended catwalk, cyro and vibrant lighting that highlighted their every move flawlessly. The bold visuals and stage addition truly made the crowd feel immersed in this high energy performance.
Aespa will continue their very limited run in the US, Canada and Mexico before hitting the UK and Europe for a handful of dates. If you’re lucky enough to have the chance to attend one of these shows, we highly recommend letting loose and rocking out with the beautiful and brilliant girls of aespa!
GALLERY: aespa at The Kia Forum in Los Angeles (February 1, 2025)
All photo credit: @nikkiphillips
