SM’s rookie girl group Aespa is continuing its long run, gaining popularity unlike a rookie. Aespa’s second single ‘Next Level’, released on May 17th, topped the Melon 24Hits chart, the largest music site in Korea, as of 8 pm on the 21st. ‘Next Level’ entered the chart at 10 pm on May 17, the release date, at 103rd place, and settled in the top 10 within 4 days of release. Aespa’s wish, “We want to win first place with ‘Next Level’,” has come true. Melon 24Hits is a chart that counts cumulative usage for 24 hours, and it is the first time that a girl group song released after the Melon chart reorganization in July 2020 climbed to the top of the chart. In addition, Aespa took the first place in the girl group brand reputation in June, and four members including Karina (1st), Winter (4th), Giselle (5th) and Ningning (7th) ranked in the top 10 in personal brand reputation. As such, Aespa succeeded in setting a long-run record in just two songs, from ‘Black Mamba’ to ‘Next Level’. Moreover, since the number of real-time users is rapidly increasing after achieving No. 1 in 24Hits, the steady popularity of ‘Next Level’ is foretold. Expectations are focused on what kind of unique music Aespa will captivate fans in the future.
Source: sports.chosun.com
