Play in this article ↓aespa Rich Man: aespa Become a Band, and “I Am Enough as I Am”
- Category: Album & Song Guide
- Artist: aespa
KPOP NO1 Editorial · Sources checked October 22, 2026 · Expanded October 24, 2026
What does it mean to be rich? For aespa’s sixth mini album, the answer isn’t money. The slogan was “I am enough as I am. I am a ‘Rich Man’.” To deliver it, aespa turned into a rock band, with KARINA on vocals and drums, NINGNING on synthesizer, WINTER on electric guitar and GISELLE on bass, and filmed a trailer with actor Koo Kyo-hwan in a freezing warehouse.
Redefining “Rich Man”
SM announced Rich Man, aespa’s sixth mini album, on August 4, 2025, for release on September 5 at 1 p.m. KST. The intro video showed a 3D guitar graphic, a hint at the visual concept. SM announcement
SM says the album redefines a “Rich Man”: not the usual meaning, but someone full of their own energy and power.
The next day, a schedule poster showed the four members’ silhouettes, each holding a different instrument. It also set the order of what was coming: the trailer on August 25, then teaser images, a highlight medley and the music video teaser. SM: schedule poster
The trailer: calm in the cold
On August 25, aespa released a trailer called “I’m a Rich Man,” directed by Lee Ok-seop and starring aespa with actor Koo Kyo-hwan. According to SM, it’s set on a bowling lane inside a freezing cold-storage warehouse. Koo falls apart from the cold and fear, while aespa stay suspiciously calm. The message: a true Rich Man isn’t about material wealth, but an attitude that doesn’t collapse even in extreme situations. SM: trailer
The band, one member at a time
The teaser images revealed the lineup in two steps. On August 26, KARINA appeared with a microphone and drums, and NINGNING with a synthesizer. SM: band concept On August 27, WINTER followed with an electric guitar and GISELLE with a bass. SM: WINTER and GISELLE
Our take: Vocals, drums, synth, guitar, bass: that’s a complete band. SM didn’t have to explain the concept. The instruments did.
The title track: “Rock-spa”
SM described Rich Man as a dance song led by a rough electric guitar. A catchy topline and a band sound that keeps shifting combine with the members’ distinct voices. The lyrics are about self-esteem and self-love: believing in yourself. SM: band concept
aespa explained the idea in an interview with the UK music magazine NME, as SM reported. The song is special, they said, because it’s about self-love and confidence, not material wealth. The opening line about meeting someone who can give you everything means yourself. SM: NME interview
The choreography uses simple, catchy hand movements that anyone can follow, then builds in energy toward the end. The video shows the members as people who move to their own rhythm even in the roughest moments, through car chases and a rugby game. SM: performance
Six songs, six moods
| # | Song | What SM says |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rich Man | Title track led by rough electric guitar and a band sound |
| 2 | Drift | Hip-hop dance with an addictive whistle and a fast tempo, about aespa’s nonstop drive |
| 3 | Bubble | Dance song with heavy drums and bass, about popping someone’s fake “bubble” |
| 4 | Count On Me | A dreamy R&B song. The lyrics say it doesn’t matter if you get hurt, as long as you have the one you love. |
| 5 | Angel #48 | Dreamy but upbeat pop, comparing a destined partner to “Angel #48,” with a sweeter vocal side |
| 6 | To The Girls | A mid-tempo pop song with a big sound, cheering listeners on to believe in themselves |
Track order: aespa official Japan discography · Song notes: SM on Drift and Bubble, SM on the other B-sides
Our take: Rich Man ends with To The Girls, a song of encouragement. It fits the slogan: the album starts by saying “I am enough” and ends by passing that feeling on.
A concert before the album
Before the album came out, aespa held their third solo concert, SYNK : aeXIS LINE, at KSPO DOME in Seoul from August 29 to 31, 2025. SM said the new songs would be performed there for the first time. That tour later went to dome stadiums in Japan.
Pop-ups in Seoul, the U.S. and China
From September 5 to 12, a WEEK #RichMan POP-UP ran in two Hyundai Card spaces in Itaewon, Seoul. One was an exhibition built around the album concept, where visitors could play the title track early in the rhythm game SUPERSTAR SM. The other had photo-card kiosks and capsule machines. SM said the pop-up would travel to Los Angeles and New York, and a QQ Music pop-up would visit seven cities in China. SM: pop-up
More versions
- Featuring and English versions (September 12, 2025): a version with Sevdaliza, a singer, producer and visual artist born in Iran and raised in the Netherlands, plus an English version. SM: Sevdaliza
- Remix EP (September 19, 2025): remixes by Yellow Claw, DPR CREAM & h4rdy and DPR ARTIC. SM says the Yellow Claw remix video was made with Flow, Google’s filmmaking tool built on its Veo video model, in a collaboration with YouTube and Google DeepMind. SM: remixes
How it did
On release day, SM reported pre-orders of about 1.11 million, setting up aespa’s seventh straight million-seller. SM: pre-orders The first TV stage was on KBS’s Music Bank that same day. The next day, SM said the album was No. 1 on iTunes Top Albums in 14 regions and in the top 10 in 29.
The release at a glance
| Format | 6th mini album, six songs |
| Released | September 5, 2025, 1 p.m. KST |
| Slogan | “I am enough as I am. I am a ‘Rich Man’.” |
| Concept | aespa as a band: vocals, drums, synth, guitar, bass |
| Trailer | “I’m a Rich Man,” with Koo Kyo-hwan, directed by Lee Ok-seop |
| Other versions | Sevdaliza and English versions, remix EP (September 2025) |
How to listen for the first time
- Watch the trailer first. It explains what “rich” means here.
- Then watch Rich Man. Listen for the guitar.
- Play the album to To The Girls. End on the encouragement.
- Compare the Sevdaliza version. Same song, another voice.
Where to go next
- Before this: Dirty Work, the steel-mill single from that summer.
- After this: LEMONADE, aespa’s second full-length album and a new chapter of their story.
- Meet the members: the aespa beginner guide, to put names to the four instruments.
Sources
- SM Entertainment: Rich Man announced (August 4, 2025)
- SM Entertainment: schedule poster (August 5, 2025)
- SM Entertainment: trailer (August 25, 2025)
- SM Entertainment: band concept (August 26, 2025)
- SM Entertainment: Drift, Bubble, WINTER and GISELLE (August 27, 2025)
- SM Entertainment: release day (September 5, 2025)
- SM Entertainment: NME interview and charts (September 6, 2025)
- aespa official Japan discography: Rich Man
- SMTOWN: Rich Man MV