Aespa turned Newark into their own K-Pop metaverse for an unforgettable night.
The girl group, made up of Karina, Giselle, Winter, and Ningning, brought their Synk: Parallel Line concert tour to the Prudential Center on Tuesday night for a sold-out show, and it was one for the books.
Known for their futuristic concepts that explore the relationship between the “real world” and virtual reality, Aespa debuted in 2020 under SM Entertainment, the Korean entertainment company behind legendary acts such as Super Junior, Girls’ Generation, SHINee, and others.
Aespa brought their slew of hits to the Rock for a visual and aural feast. Here are some of the best moments from Aespa’s Synk: Parallel Line concert.
The group acknowledged they’re performing in Newark, and not New York.
For some reason, it’s common for K-Pop acts performing in Newark to address their crowd as “New York.” Aside from their phonetic similarities and the close distance between the two cities, occasionally the Garden State erasure can get under the skin of some fans.
Some Jersey residents might even recall the outrage in 2014 when the Super Bowl was billed as “Super Bowl XLVIII in New York,” despite the game being played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Thankfully, Giselle, the group’s fluent English speaker, briefly acknowledged the matter during the group’s first talk break.
“We’re so happy to be back here, well, ‘New York,’” said Giselle with air quotes, prompting brief laughter. “Is it ‘new-work?’ We were wondering how to pronounce this. We didn’t want to get it wrong.”
The audience was happy to shout out the correct pronunciation and gave her a resounding “yes” when she landed it.
The crowd also taught Aespa to use “peace out” as a way to say “goodbye,” which led the members to hilariously vocalize the melody of Usher’s “Yeah!” as nod to his “Peace up, A-Town down” intro.
Aespa’s setlist was full of bangers.
It’s easy to understand why Aespa’s second North American tour made the leap to arenas from theaters.
Their early hits, such as their 2020 debut “Black Mamba” and “Next Level,” became global smashes upon release. Aespa’s latest singles, including dancefloor-stompers “Supernova” and “Whiplash,” are continuing the group’s international hot streak.
Aespa’s setlist was also lined with singles “Drama,” “Spicy” and fan favorites such as “Better Things,” “aenergy,” and their debut English song, “Life’s Too Short.”
While songs like “Savage,” “Illusion,” and their excellent remake of S.E.S’s 1998 hit “Dreams Come True,” were sorely missed, Aespa’s nearly two-and-a-half hour concert kept the vibes right and fans on their feet.
The fans were showing out.
MY, as the band’s devoted legions of fans are called, braved the freezing temperatures on Tuesday night and arrived dripped in merch and other Aespa-inspired looks for the concert. Not only did MYs pass the fit check, they also brought the energy for the band’s dance challenge.
Similar to other K-Pop acts, fans had the chance to show off how well they knew the choreography to Aespa’s hit singles during a special dance segment.
Perhaps the biggest show stoppers were Sab and Shan, who go by @thoseLEDgirls on X. Their light-up outfits, which resemble stick figures from a distance, were featured on the jumbotrons as they nailed the breakdown of “Supernova.”
They also caught the attention of two Aespa members, who spotted them at another moment in the show, and waved their arms with them.
Aespa’s Synk: Parallel Line Tour returns to the U.S. with a final show in Chicago on Feb. 15. From there, the group will perform in major cities in Europe, including London, Paris, Amsterdam, and Madrid. The trek will conclude with two shows at Seoul, South Korea’s prestigious KSPO Dome March 15 and 16.
View news Source: https://www.complex.com/music/a/alex-ocho/watch-highlights-aespas-synk-parallel-line-concert-in-newark
