Chinese MYs (aespa's fandom name) are considering boycotting the girl group's upcoming album.
On May 27, 2024, aespa is set to release their first studio album, "Armageddon." The album will be promoted with two lead singles: "Supernova," which will be released earlier on May 13, and "Armageddon," which will drop the same day as the album. While MYs are excited for the group's comeback, Chinese fans are not as ecstatic.
Keep on reading for all the details.
SM Entertainment Slammed by Chinese Netizens for Holding aespa Concert on THIS Date
One of the reasons for the boycott is due to the girl group's scheduled concert in Japan.
On July 7, 2024, aespa is set to perform a concert in Fukuoka Arena, Japan. While this may be a normal day for other fans, this date holds significant cultural significance.
July 7, 1937, marks the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War, which was fought between China and Japan. The war lasted for over eight years. In the end, China achieved victory with the surrender of Japanese forces in Mainland China on September 2, 1945. This meant that China recovered all its lost territories from Japan.
To pay respect to those who fought for China's freedom, July 7 is considered a "black day," or a day to pay respect. It is customary that no artist hold entertainment activities on this day.
Many express their concern for Ningning, who is Chinese. Due to her schedule with aespa, people believe she will have no choice but to perform on that day. People believe this will cause many Chinese netizens to hate Ningning, which could potentially hurt and harm Ningning.
Others believed that Ningning herself would have a hard time performing in Japan on that day, knowing what her country fought for all those years ago.
Additionally, fans believe this is extremely disrespectful to their Chinese fans. Fans from China are known to bulk buy albums with the help of idol's Chinese fan bases, meaning they contribute millions to album sales. With that, some fan bases are planning to cease bulk buying for this aespa comeback.
Some comments read,
- "What the hell? There will be a concert in Japan on July 7? If their Chinese member participates, she will be hated on so badly."
- "Does SM Entertainment hate Ningning this much?"
- "Does SM Entertainment not see Ningning as a human being?"
- "Guys, let's email SM."
- "The majority of album sales are from Chinese fans, but these companies always disrespect us."
- "Poor Ningning..."
- "Is SM doing this intentionally?"
Fans Demand SM Entertainment Change Venues for aespa's Hong Kong and Macau Concerts
Besides the Japan concert, fans have another issue with SM Entertainment and how they handle aespa.
On August 3 and 4, aespa will perform in Hong Kong at the AsiaWorld Expo, Hall 10. Then, on September 21, 2024, aespa will perform in Macau at the Macau Studio City Event Center.
The Hong Kong venue can only hold 5,000 guests, while the Macau venue can only hold 2,800 guests. Fans believe that the venues are too small, especially with aespa's high popularity in China. With that, fans are asking SM Entertainment to change the venues for these shows.
What do you think of the situation? Tell us in the comments below!
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Written by Alexa Lopez
