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Aespa (provided by SM Entertainment)

The group Aespa has become the first K-pop girl group to be named one of Time magazine’s “Next Generation Leaders.”

Aespa was the only K-pop artist on Time’s list of its 2022 Next Generation Leaders, which the magazine uploaded on its website on Thursday. While BTS has previously been selected for the list in 2018, Aespa is the first K-pop girl group to be recognized by the US newsweekly as such.

“Next Generation Leaders” is Time’s list of trendsetters and trailblazers that the magazine announces every year.

Aespa, which is based on the unique concept of a “metaverse girl group,” debuted with the song “Black Mamba” and has scored more hits with “Next Level” and “Savage.”

While describing Aespa as “an experiment,” Time said the group “may also be the inevitable next step for the music industry: a fresh way to bridge the virtual and the real.”

“Truthfully, we were worried in the beginning, because this concept of ours is something new to our company as well. But our fans really loved it and are even creating memes out of it,” Aespa said in an interview with Time.

The group said its goal is to “normalize metaverse concepts and have our fans and other people be a little more comfortable with the whole idea of it. It’s a journey that fans can go on by taking the time to watch Aespa’s videos and consume their content, beyond just enjoying the songs.”

By Jung Hyuk-june, staff reporter

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