12 countries, 21 cities, hundreds of thousands of fans: after the release of three EPs, K-Pop girl group aespa came out of the blocks firing on all cylinders for the Synk: Hyper Line world tour, the first ever tour undertaken by Karina, Winter, Ning Ning and Giselle.
Such a landmark achievement was filmed for fans unable to catch the girls in person and hit cinemas worldwide last week in the concert film aespa - WORLD TOUR In Cinemas, courtesy of Trafalgar Releasing. Ensuring to make the most of the immersive movie theatre experience, their live vocals were a notable aspect to the experience, while the direction of the film was both dynamic and incorporated many shots of fans and crowds (from around the world) to create a effective sense of inclusion for cinema-goers.
Segments in between the performances also took fans behind-the-scenes and featured interviews with the members; the key to any good concert movie is providing a new experience to all fans of all levels, from casual stream-focused listeners to the fan that might have seen multiple stops of the concert in person.
In this sense, aespa - WORLD TOUR In Cinemas provides a great experience, with the amount of behind-the-scenes features meaning the film veers into docu-concert territory with much that is new for the dedicated fan whilst also serving as a great introduction to the group as well.
The concert itself was filmed during the group's September 2023 stop at The O2 Arena in London, though shots of fans at various venues around the world help to emphasise the huge size of the group's tour and fanbase. Whilst most songs from the group's newest EP Drama are not included (the tour was held before the release of the record), the 22-strong set list took viewers through the groups biggest hits and best B-Sides.
The flow of the tracks was particularly effective, telling a story of the group's journey, starting strong with a demonstration of the group's power, vocal ability and versatility between "Girls", "I'll Make You Cry" and "Dreams Come True".
The latter third in particular was euphoric, bouncing from hit to hit - "Salty & Sweet", "Black Mamba" and "Next Level" - before finally taking fans on a sweet farewell with "'Til We Meet Again". Each member is also given their time to shine, with all the members' solo performances introduced via the members also talking about one another and the roles they play as part of aespa.
Some of the group's global hits also appear, with English version of "Life's Too Short" and "Better Things": a reminder of how the foursome have so swiftly managed to connect and consolidate their bond with listeners outside of their native Korea. As the film wrapped up, the heartfelt "'Til We Meet Again" is the last message left with viewers after the euphoric high of "YOLO", one of the group's best feel-goop songs/
In just over three years on the music scene, aespa have cemented themselves as one of the biggest girl groups in the world, and between their vocal abilities, big hits and performance chops, aespa - WORLD TOUR In Cinemas more than shows off both why the group are so popular, and why their upcoming LP Armageddon has been one of the most anticipated on 2024's K-Pop music calendar.
Until the album drops next month, aespa - WORLD TOUR In Cinemas is a sweet treat to fans wanting to either re-experience their concert memories or immerse themselves in the glory of a full aespa concert for the first time.
