K-pop girl group aespa performed the English version of Rich Man for The Jennifer Hudson Show stage on September 24. Their appearance was taped earlier this month when the group was in the U.S. for album promotions.
This stage is a huge improvement over their performance on Good Morning America. They sang completely live with no AR (pre-recorded vocals that play alongside the music in the background). They had backup dancers with them this time, which made all the difference. The dancers helped make the choreography feel more dynamic. The girls were in-sync and more expressive. I could actually feel the cool, collected vibe Rich Man has. I highly recommend anyone who was turned off by their GMA stage to watch this as a cleanse.
Why the Inconsistency?
If aespa can deliver a live stage this strong, why don’t they do it every time? Their GMA performance was so bad even fans admitted it was hard to watch. The group has been plagued with accusations of lip-syncing, of lacking stage presence. People have questioned if aespa is ready to move beyond K-pop and present themselves as global artists.
It’s something I’ve never seen with SM idols before. They’re usually trained in a way that enables them to deliver under nearly any circumstances. By contrast, aespa can be dazzling one day and underwhelming the next.
Could it be the result of the girls debuting during the COVID-19 pandemic? The first year or two of their career is spent performing pre-recorded stages in empty venues. They’ve been on tour all year so that can’t be an excuse now.
Or maybe aespa is the type of group where the energy of the crowd makes all the difference? Jennifer Hudson seemed to enjoy their company and the audience loved them. Maybe the vibes were better for aespa to reflect that energy back in their performance?
Behind-the-Scenes Problems at SM
There are reports stating that SM has been bleeding employees for years. Even before Lee Soo-Man got the boot, much of their staff were leaving for other companies like HYBE or started their own talent agency. If aespa lost one of their performance directors, it could explain why their live shows feel uneven.
Lately, SM has been using AR during live broadcasts for their newer artists. This might mask any mistakes but most netizens find it a turn off. Fans want to hear idols sing, without the help of pre-recorded vocals. aespa has shown over the years they can carry a tune live. The fact that this feels like a rare treat instead of the standard says a lot about SM’s priorities.
aespa Shows They Have Potential
I don’t know what the problem is, but this stage on Jennifer Hudson is proof these girls can deliver good live stages. They can sing live, they can be charismatic. They can dance if you give them the right choreo to work with.
Now it’s up to SM and aespa to figure out how to give us THIS every time the group gets on stage. Because consistency is the biggest problem aespa has right now. Audiences don’t want to know that aespa can perform live. They want to know they’ll kill it on stage every single time.
