South Korean girl group aespa have been recognized as the only K-pop singer on the UK's Financial Times (FT) "The FT's 25 most influential women of 2023″ list on Nov. 30. The group appears in the Creatives category alongside pop star Beyoncé, film actress and director Margot Robbie, and fashion designer Phoebe Philo.
The list, curated by the FT with input from hundreds of FT journalists worldwide, readers, and industry leaders, highlights women making significant impacts globally. aespa's inclusion marks a notable achievement for K-pop, showcasing the genre's expanding international influence.
The FT noted, "While the top tiers of the Korean charts have been dominated by boy bands, a new wave of girl groups has been climbing the ranks," emphasizing aespa's impact.
The group has achieved remarkable success, setting records in the K-pop industry. "aespa have set and then broken a series of records for K-pop girl groups, becoming the first to pass one million first-week sales with three consecutive albums, as well as playing Coachella and launching a world tour," the FT reported. Their unique blend of music and AI avatars, described as "experimentally layered instrumentation and fiery vocals accompanied by their sci-fi punk AI avatar counterparts," has distinguished them in the music scene.
Following the release of their fourth mini album "Drama" on Nov. 10, aespa has achieved three consecutive first-time million-sellers and topped major Korean and Chinese music charts. They are scheduled to perform at the Melon Music Awards 2023 (MMA 2023) on Dec. 2 at the Inspire Arena in Yeongjongdo, Incheon.