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| Photo Cr. SM Entertainment |
Global K-pop powerhouse aespa continues their relentless ascent as one of the planet’s hottest girl groups with the release of their sixth mini album, “Rich Man”, via SM Entertainment. Listen HERE.
“Rich Man - The 6th Mini Album” has racked up 1.1 million in pre-orders alone and is poised to become aespa’s seventh consecutive million-seller.
The EP showcases KARINA, GISELLE, WINTER, and NINGNING’s ever-expanding sonic palette, with six tracks that draw on a variety of inspirations and genres, from dance-pop to hip-hop and dreamy R&B, all brought to life by the quartet’s evocative vocal delivery.
‘Drift’ is a hip-hop dance track marked by an addictive whistle sound with witty lyrics capturing the superstar group’s unstoppable momentum. ‘Bubble’ stands out with a minimal yet weighty blend of drum ‘n’ bass - the lyrics playfully compare someone’s insincere facade to a bubble that would inevitably burst away.
‘Count On Me’ taps into R&B influences to blend dreamy synths with aespa’s emotive vocals, which deliver sentimental lyrics about the sting of heartbreak fading when set against being with the one you love.
‘Angel #48’ - produced by British producer duo LDN Noise (NCT 127, EXO) - brings a touch of Y2K hyperpop. The English song pairs an airy atmosphere with another tender vocal delivery from aespa conveying ‘Angel #48’ as a metaphor for a destined partner.
The mini-album closes with ‘To The Girls’, a pop mid-tempo with an empowering message of self-belief and perseverance, offering encouragement to keep moving forward.
“Rich Man - The 6th Mini Album” arrives on the heels of aespa’s searing summer single ‘Dirty Work’, which amassed over 1.01 million pre-orders and debuted at No. 5 on Billboard’s Global 200 Chart and No. 2 on Billboard’s Global Excl. US Chart, marking aespa’s highest ranks on both charts to date. Each release further cements the group’s meteoric rise, which dramatically accelerated off the back of their critically-lauded triple hits of 2024 – ‘Supernova’, ‘Armageddon’, and ‘Whiplash’.
2025 continues to mount up many firsts for this groundbreaking quartet, which include scooping ‘Group of The Year’ at Billboard’s Women in Music Awards and making history as the first K-pop girl group to headline the biggest music festival on the African continent, Mawazine. aespa kicked off their third tour “2025 aespa LIVE TOUR - SYNK : aeXIS LINE” with three sold-out nights at Seoul’s KSPO Dome last week, with The Korea Times hailing the show as the quartet’s “most ambitious production yet”. The tour continues across Asia through the rest of the year.