Girl group aespa has sparked a major debate among fans with their latest comeback, “LEMONADE,” with some suggesting their new choreography intentionally pays homage to NewJeans.
With the song releasing a few days ago on May 26th, online communities and social media are abuzz with discussions as die-hard fans are pointing out specific dance moves in aespa’s new song bearing a striking resemblance to NewJeans’ “ETA” signature choreography.
The second full-length album ‘LEMONADE’ by aespa was released on May 29th, after the MV and the girls are actively promoting the title track of the same name on music shows and local events. After the music video release, fans are getting a closer look at the choreography on stage and commenting on how the choreography seems suspicious. Fans even highlighted parts of aespa’s MV and compared still frames with NewJeans as well.
The dance move performed during the lyric “I ain’t go no ETA-TA-TA” has garnered particular attention because during this moment, the members imitate the exact dance moves found in NewJeans’ “ETA.” However, it didn’t end there. Fans further suggested that other parts also followed NewJeans dance moves in various ways. The arm-circling motion synchronized with other lyrics evokes NewJeans’ “Ditto,” and even showcases similarities in the representative choreography of NewJeans’ “Attention.” Fans remarked, “It feels like a collage of NewJeans dance moves.” See the side-by-side frames fans put together as evidence.
While some fans think it is a mere coincidence, some netizens are interpreting these closely placed dance moves, particularly during the “ETA” lyric section, as deliberate homage to the now disbanded girl group. Fans also recollected the relationship between aespa and NewJeans shared as they had a history of interaction through dance challenges. When the group was still active, NewJeans participated in aespa’s “Armageddon” challenge, and aespa filmed the challenge for NewJeans’ “How Sweet.” At that time, the members visited each other’s agency buildings and garnered significant attention for their friendly and ongoing collabs.
Netizens reacted to these observations with comments such as, “It’s obvious when you see the dance moves happening at the ‘ETA’ part,” and “If NewJeans were promoting, the groups would have probably done another dance challenge together.” While some debate if it is a clear shout-out to the group, fans argued that companies hire specific choreographers to create dances for artists, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see repeated moves. Others further commented that the choreography is basic and seen across various groups and “linking specific moves to NewJeans is a reach.” With agencies having control over artists’ every move, it isn’t easy for groups to create and approve controversial choreography that could spark debate.
Alongside this, fans of aespa continued to hype the song and deemed it the “Love child of ‘Whiplash’ and ‘SPICY,’ while others commented on the girly pop house music trend reigning supreme. People also remarked on the large number of K-Pop songs having funny titles related to food lately, bringing up songs from NCT and even “MACARONI CHEESE” by YOUNG POSSE.
In other news, aespa held a showcase for the sophomore album at the Grand Ballroom of Sofitel Ambassador Seoul on the 28th of May. When asked about the song title and meanings behind the album, WINTER stated, “When life gives me lemons, I’ll make lemonade,’ it contains the ambition that no matter what trials and crises come my way, I will grind them up and drink them,” and “Overall, ‘LEMONADE’ has a cool feel, so it is a good song that fits the seasonal timing of summer,” emphasizing their desire to make a representative summer track for the year. Winter continued to mention how she adored fans, branding them as “Steel-sour-sweet,” focusing more on the title track’s individuality rather than nuances to NewJeans.
Meanwhile, NewJeans has been involved in a contract dispute with their agency ADOR since 2024. Following this, members Haerin, Hyein, and Hanni have expressed their intention to return to ADOR. Minji is continuing discussions with ADOR, while Danielle has terminated her exclusive contract and left the group.
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What did you think of aespa’s new flashy choreography? Was it a total copy of NewJeans and paying respect to the iconic girl group or was it just a simple overreacted coincidence? See more trending news and K-dramas for FREE on Amasian TV.
