Aespa's radiant look at Waterbomb 2025 - Photo: Koreaboo
On the evening of July 5 (Korean time), the Waterbomb Seoul 2025 water music festival entered its second night, continuing the brilliant success of its opening day.
The atmosphere became hotter than ever with the participation of famous K-pop artists such as Jay Park, Ten (NCT), Karina (Aespa), Jeon Somi, Loco, Lee Young Ji... attracting thousands of spectators to watch.
Karina is the factor that makes the audience "count down the hours" because this is her first time appearing at Waterbomb and everyone is looking forward to what she will bring to the solo stage this time.
Possessing outstanding porcelain white skin, Karina only needs to wear a tank top and camouflage cargo pants to shine, attracting all eyes wherever she goes.
She exuded radiance, was full of energy, and excitedly interacted with fans, holding a water cannon and spraying water into the crowd, creating a vibrant atmosphere and a "go all out" spirit at the Waterbomb music festival.
'Even if you lip-sync, you should still act with a little heart'
As the only member representing Aespa at Waterbomb, Karina's performance did not please all audiences and even sparked heated debate about "idol honesty on stage".
According to Koreaboo, Karina performed her solo song UP along with a series of Aespa's outstanding hits such as Supernova, Spicy and Whiplash . Although the song list was considered explosive, the audience's reaction was clearly divided into two sides.
A post about her stage on the forum TheQoo attracted more than 45,000 views, the comments section exploded with criticism:
"Solo stage and lip-syncing?"; "Not as grand as imagined, quite disappointing"; "Even if you lip-sync, you should still perform with a little more heart"...
Some people even sarcastically said: "Aespa's song with only Karina singing is really lacking in appeal."
However, fans also spoke up to defend the female idol, saying that the outdoor performance setting at Waterbomb was extremely harsh, from the hot weather, the slippery stage due to water, to having to dance continuously, making lip-syncing not necessarily due to lack of effort but a forced solution due to real-life conditions.
"Performing in this weather must be tiring"; "So pretty, the stage wasn't as bad as everyone said"; "She wasn't wearing glasses so I was a bit worried, luckily she was fine"...
Karie Aespa criticized for lip-syncing at Waterbomb - Photo: Naver
Although the controversy has not yet subsided, many people still praise Karina for daring to try a full solo stage - something rare for idols working in groups, especially at a big and demanding event like Waterbomb.
But this controversy also once again exposed an eternal problem in the K-pop world: audiences always expect idols to sing live, while management companies prioritize the completeness and perfection of the performance.
In harsh conditions like the Waterbomb concert, should idols sing live, which is full of risks, or choose lip-syncing to ensure safety and effectiveness? Obviously, the standards of loyal fans and the general audience are not the same.
"If you lip sync, at least the choreography should be on fire, right?"; "I understand that it's hot so you have to lip sync, but next time, can you choose an event more suitable for a solo stage?" - some audiences discussed.
Perhaps this debate will never have a standard answer. But one thing that cannot be denied is that this performance made Karina's name mentioned as an individual, not just as "a member of Aespa".
The question is: will she use her real strength next time to respond to the doubts or continue to fall into the spiral of lip-syncing controversy?
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/karina-aespa-bi-chi-trich-vi-tham-hoa-hat-nhep-lo-lieu-tai-waterbomb-20250707103644512.htm
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