#KARINA

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.

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.