Aespa Says Giving ‘Strength to People’ Is More Important Than Career Achievements
Billboard spoke with the girl group backstage at TMElive International Music Awards.
In 2026, SM Entertainment's girl group aespa released their second studio album, Lemonade, which achieved commercial success by reaching No. 9 on the Billboard 200 and becoming their third top 10 hit on the same chart. The title track, "Lemonade," also performed well, landing at No. 20 on the Billboard Global 200 chart. The group was among the headliners at the second annual TMElive International Music Awards, held in Hong Kong from August 22-23.
Along with Stray Kids, Charlie Puth, and TOMORROW X TOGETHER, aespa took home the best international group honor at the event. During a backstage interview with Billboard, aespa members Karina, Winter, Giselle, and Ning Ning discussed their music and group dynamics. Karina expressed gratitude for their listeners, stating that the group's music brings strength to many people, which is more important to them than career achievements.
Winter emphasized that aespa is genuine and sincere in their music, and the group name naturally becomes associated with their work. Giselle advised that confidence comes from within and that fans should project confidence even on their worst days, as effort still pays off.
Written by urgent.news from Billboard's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
