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aespa's Karina Graces the September ELLE Cover — A Prada Pictorial and Her Answer on "Inner Strength"

Karina of the group aespa has graced the cover of the September issue of the fashion magazine "ELLE." Along with a pictorial created with Prada, a candid interview was also unveiled. A "Transformation" Concept Pictorial with Prada Through the September ELLE cover unveiled on the 14th, Karina showed sensuous styling created with Prada. The pictorial was carried out under the concept of "Karina transforming across a wardrobe." It captured Karina's many faces — moving lovingly and boldly, and at times innocently and freely. The pictorial was completed as four different covers. Behind the Scenes of the Lollapalooza Chicago Stage In the interview conducted alongside the pictorial, Karina shared her thoughts on aespa's first appearance at the "2026 Lollapalooza Chicago" stage, recently held in Chicago, USA. Karina described the effort at the time: "It was a stage we prepared really hard for. Since it was a festival stage after a long while, all the members always practiced late so each could do their best in their part." Regarding the stage composition in particular, she added, "For the setlist, too, we wanted to complete an exciting stage centered on songs we hadn't often shown before," suggesting it was a special stage tailored to a large-scale festival setting. Treating a World Tour Like "Travel" aespa is currently on their world tour "2026-27 aespa LIVE TOUR - SYNK : COMPLæXITY," unfolding a global run. Asked what she looks forward to during the tour, Karina answered, "I tend to head out of the hotel to feel the city where the tour is held in person." She continued, "Just as a 'tour' means 'travel,' I always look forward to places I wouldn't have visited and experiences I wouldn't have had if I weren't doing this work," revealing a positive attitude toward the new experiences she feels at tour sites. Karina's Definition of Being "Strong" Karina, who delivers supple yet intense performances on stage, was asked what being "strong" means. She defined it this way: "I think it's similar to saying someone has inner conviction." "Having inner conviction means your standards or values aren't easily shaken. It's knowing yourself clearly, and having a distinct core within that," she said, adding, "That's why I like the word 'strong'" — candidly revealing her values. It's a passage that reveals her attitude as an artist with an unshakable center. Karina's four-cover pictorial and the full interview can be found in the September issue of ELLE and on its website. Related content such as a fashion film is also set to be released in stages.

aespa's Karina Shines in a Gold Gown on the Hong Kong TIMA Red Carpet — aespa Takes Six Awards, the Most of the Night

aespa's Karina showed off an overwhelming visual on a Hong Kong awards-show red carpet. As her gold gown styling captured attention at the venue, aespa took six awards at the ceremony that day, the most of any act. Karina Graces the Red Carpet in a Gold Beaded Gown On the 22nd, aespa attended the "2026 TIMA (TMElive International Music Awards)," held at Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong. That day, Karina appeared on the red carpet alongside Winter, Giselle, and Ningning, drawing enthusiastic interest from global fans. Karina's styling in particular caught the eye. She chose a gold-toned strapless gown densely embroidered with lavish beaded embellishments. Her hair was swept neatly back into a black up-style that emphasized her facial lines, and defined eye makeup completed a sophisticated aura. Karina looked at the cameras and raised her hand in greeting. She stood at the photo wall with a composed expression that contrasted with the lavish gown, and each time she smiled slightly, the mood shifted entirely, drawing admiration. aespa Takes Six Awards — the Honor of the Night's Most That day, aespa took six awards at the ceremony, the most of any act. Starting with "Best Overseas Girl Group of the Year," followed by "Best Digital EP of the Year," and with four member solo songs selected among the "Top 10 Overseas Hit Songs of the Year" (Karina's "GOOD STUFF," Ningning's "Ketchup And Lemonade," Winter's "BLUE," and Giselle's "Tornado"), they took home six trophies. aespa also took the ceremony stage that day, delivering a singular performance of "Supernova," "Whiplash," "LEMONADE," "WDA (Whole Different Animal)," "Can't Help myself," and "Camouflage." Global fans' attention was drawn to aespa's Hong Kong schedule, which ran from the red carpet all the way to the main stage. "Thank You MYs" — Gratitude to the Fans After the ceremony, on the 23rd, aespa posted a behind-the-scenes group photo with all members present, along with the message "Thank you MYs," on their official social media. In the photo, the four members wore matching white and gold-toned gowns, each showing a different charm. Meanwhile, aespa recently released its new song "Lemonade" and continues its active promotions with its signature intense performance and sophisticated concept. Attention is gathering on aespa's next move, having once again proven its standing as a global girl group with the most awards at this year's TIMA.

Karina's Solo Stage at Waterbomb Seoul 2026 — Six Songs Reaffirm Her "Waterbomb Goddess" Status

aespa's Karina filled the Waterbomb Seoul 2026 stage with overwhelming command. Taking the Waterbomb stage solo again this year after last, Karina once more showed the presence of a heavyweight on the summer-festival stage. A Solo Stage at KINTEX on the 25th Karina took the stage at Waterbomb Seoul 2026, held on the afternoon of July 25 at the outdoor Global Stage of KINTEX in Ilsan, Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. She appeared in a refreshing green swimwear look layered with a sporty white mesh top — a stage look well suited to the summer-festival mood that defines Waterbomb. From Solo Tracks to aespa Hits: A Six-Song Setlist That day, Karina performed six songs in a row spanning her solo tracks and aespa's signature hits. She opened with her solo song "GOOD STUFF," followed by "UP," then packed in aespa hits "Next Level," "Supernova," "Whiplash," and "Lemonade." With a setlist that had, quite literally, no skippable songs, she pushed the energy on-site to its peak. Making eye contact with the audience and firing water cannons as she reveled in the festival, she combined with Waterbomb's signature water-based staging to draw an explosive response. Waterbomb's official social media added to the buzz, posting stage videos with captions like "the ruler of Waterbomb" and "final weapon Karina Rocket Puncher enters." "Waterbomb Goddess" Two Years Running Last year, Karina took the Waterbomb stage solo for the first time and created what many called a "legendary stage" with songs like "Next Level," "Whiplash," "Supernova," "Spicy," and "UP." This year she carried that momentum forward, once again proving the labels "Waterbomb Goddess" and "ruler of Waterbomb." Notably, with more solo tracks now in her catalog, the setlist has grown richer too. "Waterbomb Seoul 2026," Across Three Days Waterbomb Seoul 2026 ran for three days, from July 24 to 26. On the 24th, acts including KISS OF LIFE, Lee Young-ji, and Taemin opened the festival; on the 25th, Karina was joined by Jay Park, Loco, BIBI, and Shownu X Hyungwon, among others. On the final day, the 26th, top-tier K-pop artists including Park Jin-young, Sunmi, Zico, Rain, Taeyong, RIIZE, H1-KEY, and 82MAJOR came out in full force to close the festival. aespa, Karina's group, has major dates ahead in the second half of the year — Lollapalooza in Chicago, USA, on August 2, and a new world tour kicking off August 7–8 at Seoul's Gocheok Sky Dome. It'll be worth watching whether she carries the command shown at Waterbomb onto those next stages.

aespa's Winter Transforms with Blonde Bob — Bold Mood in 'N Tell' Photos

aespa's Winter drew attention with a dramatically different look. It's a concept entirely unlike her usual style, and it became a talking point among fans the moment it dropped. The Transformation in the 'N Tell' Photos On July 27, Winter shared several photos on her social media channel along with the phrase "N Tell." In the photos, Winter gazes straight into the camera with a blonde permed bob, a yellow cropped tank top, and shorts. Blue eyeshadow in particular created a mood entirely different from usual, drawing all eyes. Reactions noted the striking, rock-star-evoking atmosphere of the overall look. A Concept Tied to the First Japanese Mini Album "KISS N TELL" The phrase "N Tell" connects to aespa's first Japanese mini album, "KISS N TELL." The refreshing yet bold mood of these photos reads as an extension of that album's promotions. The take is that Winter's signature expressiveness met a new concept to reveal a different kind of charm. Taking the Lollapalooza Chicago Stage aespa, Winter's group, will perform at "2026 Lollapalooza Chicago," held on August 2 at Grant Park in Chicago, USA. This major festival, running four days from July 30 to August 2, marks aespa's first Lollapalooza stage. With headliner Jennie alongside K-pop acts including (G)I-DLE and CORTIS, the lineup has been generating buzz. At a press conference, aespa hinted at new-song stages, saying they'd prepare a set where they could romp around with the audience since it's a festival — raising anticipation for what the performance will look like on-site. A World Tour Ahead Separately from the festival, aespa also has a new world tour on the horizon. Beginning August 7–8 at Seoul's Gocheok Sky Dome, they'll roll out "2026-27 aespa LIVE TOUR - SYNK : æ ." It's a large-scale itinerary circling the globe from Asia to Europe and the Americas, and aespa's global run looks set to shift into full gear in the second half of the year. Interest is mounting over what stages Winter and the members — armed with a new concept — will bring.