Despite snow-'Armageddon', aespa lit up Toronto. But did the crowd deliver?
From awkward dance challenges to a low energy audience, the vibes were uncharacteristically off
(Photo credit: SM Entertainment)
aespa has been on a roll this past year. From “Supernova”, “Armageddon” to “Whiplash” the K-pop girl group has been delivering hit after hit—all while staying true to their ambitious metaverse concept.
That’s why anticipation was very high for the quartet—Karina, Giselle, Winter and Ningning—to touch down in Toronto for the group’s first-ever Canadian show. Tickets for their concert quickly sold out last October. And just a day before aespa were to take the stage at Scotiabank Arena, they were named Billboard’s Women in Music “Group of the Year.”
Still, with a snowstorm dumping up to 26 cm of the white stuff into the city, many fans were concerned the aespa show would be cancelled and fall victim to the so-called “Toronto curse.”
Thankfully, the aespa show went on as scheduled, and without a hitch. But unfortunately, there was something else that was weird in the air. The vibe of the audience was uncharacteristically off.
In short, Toronto concert fans typically get a lot of love from artists who come to the city. We’re passionate, supportive and welcoming. But the moment aespa opened their set with the energetic and aptly-titled “Drama”, the cheers did not reverberate across the venue like past K-pop shows I’ve attended—from Seventeen, TWICE to ATEEZ. Instead, the cheers felt like very, very polite “whoos!” And those around the lower bowl clapped quietly.
Then came the testimonials of concert etiquette. People who stood from their seats were told by others to sit down so they could record their fancams. During the pre-encore dance challenges, one person raised his Canadian flag (featuring a bald Ningning) to block the camera’s view of another person dancing—ruining his moment. And by the end of the show, Winter appeared to ask the crowd, “I think they’re telling us to stop talking…You’re not right??”
Major yikes.
There was a strange vibe in the Toronto crowd that night. And while every concert goer has a right to experience a show however they want (after all, they paid for it!), a few people did tell me they only attended to hear “Whiplash,” “Next Level” and “Supernova”—not the b-sides or aespa’s earlier hits.
It’s a bit of a shame, and maybe unfair to aespa. But I also don’t fault a casual listener from wanting to see a K-pop arena show. Some of the best concerts come from a sense of discovery. But if you weren’t already a committed aespa fan, did this show actually make people bigger supporters?
One of the biggest challenges facing aespa is the fact that many people in Scotiabank Arena are clearly not well-versed on the band’s lore. (For more, I wrote a guide to aespa here). In short, aespa exists in both the reality and virtual worlds, and are often guided by virtual avatars in their quest to fight evil (see “Black Mamba”).
You could evidently see the audience’s confusion when beautiful yet abstract VCRs played in between sets. And when nævis—an AI who often acts as a guide to aespa—makes an appearance to perform a song called “Done”, people were seen awkwardly laughing, or using the moment as a quick bathroom break. Not even the impressive special effects of nævis’ stage were enough to keep people interested and tuned in. The silence in the stadium was LOUD.
While the virtual aspects of the show did not seem to resonate, the real members of aespa did break through walls every moment they appeared back on stage. “Whiplash”, which played directly after nævis’ song, eventually got everyone getting up from their seats and chanting along. It was soon followed by electrifying performances of “Set the Tone”, “Next Level” and “Armageddon”, finally giving the Toronto audience the energy it needed desperately.
aespa also delivered when it came to solo stages, with each member showing off their different strengths. Giselle channeled her inner R&B diva in “Dopamine” (I love the line ‘I don’t need a man, just accessories’). Ningning flexed her vocals in “Bored!” Karina, whose single “Up” has seen more than 91 million streams on Spotify, delivered swag and popstar vibes. However, the highlight performance for me was Winter’s “Spark”, in which she gave an impressive vogue and wacking routine that looked gorgeous on stage.
One thing I will also say that could have helped the crowd connect more with aespa is if they did a bit more banter on stage. While there were several moments of fan interaction during their performances, the members rarely spoke.
In the handful of moments aespa did address the crowd, it just led to more confusion. During the encore, Winter asked people what they should try in Toronto. Sadly, people did not seem to care for Canadian staples like poutine or maple syrup. Instead, someone appeared to yell “Haidilao!!”, to which Ningning replied they’ve been having hot pot every day. Come on, we can do better than that!
Still, it was nice to see the members of aespa enchanted by the Canadian winter (even if many of us are sick of snow by this point). Ningning described Toronto as “beautiful” and “like a setting out of Harry Potter.” Meanwhile, Giselle appeared grateful to fans for coming all the way despite the weather. “I can say for sure our time in Toronto has been the best ever,” she said.
All in all, those who I did speak to agreed that they enjoyed the show, but felt the vibe of the audience was odd. Maybe it was the snow, or simply an off night. I can only hope we’ll give aespa something better next time.
On a personal note, I will also be the first to admit that it has taken me a while to buy into aespa’s virtual concept. But like every journalist, I keep an open mind. That is why I actually left the show appreciating aespa a lot more.
However, I am not sure this concert alone will convince people to dive into aespa’s discography or content further. Fans in Toronto generally seem to support multiple K-pop acts and are just happy any of them come to the city at all. It’s a lot to expect people to follow everything, especially something as ambitious as aespa’s concept.
That being said, I believe aespa’s world-building and lore is one of the most interesting things happening in K-pop right now. It may take commitment to fully dive in. But once you understand the storylines written within aespa’s music and content, everything makes more sense. And as someone who actually took the time to learn more, I can safely say I came out of it a bigger fan.
Related reading: Inside aespa’s universe
(Photo credit: SM Entertainment)
I wrote a deep dive into aespa’s world and concept, explaining what makes their concept unique for RepresentASIAN Project. Read it here.
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