Play in this article ↓aespa Girls: The Final Battle, the First Million and the End of Season 1
- Category: Album & Song Guide
- Artist: aespa
KPOP NO1 Editorial · Sources checked October 22, 2026
Every story needs an ending. For the first season of aespa’s story, that ending is Girls. SM calls the title track the last episode of Season 1, after the big battle with Black Mamba. It was also the album that made aespa the first K-pop girl group to sell a million copies in the first week.
Released in Korea and the U.S. on the same day
Girls is aespa’s second mini album. It came out on July 8, 2022, with the music released at 1 p.m. KST, and the physical album launched in Korea and the United States on the same day. SM: release plans
The weeks around it were busy in America:
- June 26–27: aespa held their showcase SYNK in LA.
- June 29: they appeared on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! and performed their first English single, Life’s Too Short.
- July 8: on release day, they performed at Good Morning America’s Summer Concert Series. SM says aespa was the first K-pop girl group to appear in it.
The teasers kept the story in view. SM released 3D videos showing each member’s ability in the story world. KARINA wore a gauntlet, and GISELLE wore digital goggles.
The title track: after the battle
SM describes Girls as a dance song with a heavy wobble bass and rough-textured synths. The members’ vocals and rapping come through with confidence. SM: title track
In the lyrics, aespa and their avatars fight Black Mamba head-on. They come out of it stronger, then start a new story together with their guide, nævis. SM calls this the final episode of Season 1 of aespa’s story in the SM Culture Universe (SMCU).
The music video teaser, released the day before, promised the full battle with Black Mamba. SM: MV teaser
The story had been building for weeks. On June 20, aespa released the SMCU story video EP. 2 ‘Next Level’. It ends with aespa finally meeting Black Mamba, which is where Girls picks up.
The concept photos took a different turn. The concept photos released in early July showed the members in relaxed, casual outfits. SM pointed out how different they looked from the earlier teasers, where the members gathered in KWANGYA to face Black Mamba.
Inside the album
| Song | What SM says |
|---|---|
| Girls | Title track: wobble bass, rough synths, the end of Season 1 |
| Illusion | Released ahead of the album, then performed alongside Girls on M Countdown |
| Lingo | A dance song that switches from energetic drums and bass to a country sound. The lyrics are about ignoring other people’s judgment and making “our own language.” |
| Life’s Too Short | aespa’s first English single, released in June 2022 |
| ICU | A mid-tempo ballad with acoustic guitar and piano. Its Korean subtitle means “it’s okay to rest,” and it tells loved ones they can take a break when things get hard. |
How many tracks? It depends on the list you’re looking at. The official Japan discography shows six entries, including an English version of Life’s Too Short as a bonus track. SM says the album has nine tracks: six new songs plus earlier releases. The official video description lists Black Mamba, Forever and Dreams Come True after the new songs. Check the track list on your own copy. Official discography
Our take: Girls works as a wrap-up of aespa’s first chapter. Season 1 finishes in the title track, and the earlier singles sit on the same album.
Life’s Too Short: from Coachella to the album
Life’s Too Short has its own history. aespa first performed it in English at Coachella in April 2022, before it was released. That was also aespa’s first live show in the U.S., and the first time since their debut that they performed in front of a cheering crowd. SM quoted them saying it was their first time performing in front of so many people. SM: Coachella
The English single came out on June 24, 2022, two weeks before Girls.
Made for the camera
SM put extra effort into how Girls looked on screen. On July 19, it released a camera-work guide video for the title track on SMP FLOOR, SM’s performance channel, with angles chosen to capture the choreography. aespa also filmed a performance for the dance channel STUDIO CHOOM. SM: camera-work guide
A record-breaking first week
The sales numbers were the biggest aespa had seen. SM reported:
- Pre-orders: 1.61 million, the highest for any K-pop girl group at the time.
- First week: 1,426,487 copies on Circle Chart. That was the most for any girl group, and it made aespa the first K-pop girl group to sell a million in the first week. SM: first-week sales
- Billboard 200: No. 3, aespa’s first time in the top 10. SM said it was the highest rank for a K-pop girl group that year. SM: Billboard 200
Around release week, aespa spoke at the opening of a United Nations high-level forum on sustainable development in New York. SM said it was the first time a K-pop girl group had given a speech there.
How to listen for the first time
- Watch Girls first. Then read the Next Level glossary if you want to follow the story. Watching the SMCU EP. 2 video beforehand shows exactly where the battle begins.
- Play Illusion right after. It was the song aespa performed next to Girls on M Countdown.
- Hear Lingo and ICU back to back. One is a genre switch, the other is a comfort song.
- Finish with Life’s Too Short. It’s the song aespa took to American TV.
Where to go next
- The story so far: Black Mamba, Next Level and Savage.
- Season 2 begins: MY WORLD, where aespa return to the real world.
- Meet the members: the aespa beginner guide.
Sources
- SM Entertainment: Girls title track and release plans (June 29, 2022)
- SM Entertainment: Lingo and ICU (June 30, 2022)
- SM Entertainment: concept images (July 5, 2022)
- SM Entertainment: first-week sales (July 14, 2022)
- SM Entertainment: Billboard 200 (July 18, 2022)
- aespa official discography: Girls
- aespa official discography: Life’s Too Short (English Ver.)