aespa Addresses Question About Their “Rivalry” With NewJeans

Although HYBE’s Bang Si Hyuk once tried to pit NewJeans against aespa, it seems like the relationship between the two are as good as ever. Bang Si Hyuk famously sent text messages to ADOR’s Min Hee Jin, asking her if she was confident enough to “crush aespa” with her new girl group. It seemed like he was benchmarking HYBE’s first girl group against SM Entertainment’s newest rising rookies back then.

• Bang Si Hyuk: “You can crush aespa, right? Heh.”
• Min Hee Jin: “Hahaha.”
• Bang Si Hyuk: “Hahaha. I’m leaving it to you then (emoji). When shall we have a drink?”

During aespa’s recent showcase for Armageddon on May 27, 2024, reporters couldn’t help but make a reference to that alleged “rivalry.” They asked the girls how they felt about making a comeback at a similar time with NewJeans. There would be some chart battles to follow!

Karina deftly explained that their relationship was great with each other, and that fans need not worry.

“We exchanged hearts in the waiting rooms with them. We told them that we enjoyed watching them [perform]. There’s nothing to be worried about. We are getting along well as good colleagues. We do know about the issue, but we are focused on our own promotions, and we think that a portion of the love from the public is also because we have worked hard. We are so grateful for the love shown to ‘Supernova.’”

— Karina

Ningning also continued that they were not competing with NewJeans, but with themselves.

“Music is rather objective. I think that we are always growing and competing with ourselves rather than others. Each artist has their own unique colors and charms, so you cannot compare or replace anyone.”

— Ningning

The girls certainly are wise beyond their years! They handled the tough questions like pros.