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NewJeans, who made a comeback around the same time as aespa, are also in friendly competition on the charts. Recently, CEO Min Heejin of ADOR mentioned aespa at a press conference amid conflicts with HYBE, drawing even more attention.
On that day, Karina said, "We exchanged hearts with the members of the group (NewJeans) in the waiting room. I told them they're doing great and that there's nothing they should be worried about. We get along well as good colleagues," and added, "We are aware of that aspect. We are dedicated to our activities, and we [acknowledge that] the public's love is due to our hard work. We're grateful for the love for the song 'Supernova'."
Ningning continued, "Isn't music subjective? It seems like we're competing with our past selves and evolving, rather than competing with others. Since all artists have their own colors and charms, they can't be compared or replaced."
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aespa recently garnered unexpected attention due to internal conflicts between HYBE and Min Heejin, CEO of ADOR. Messenger conversations sent by Bang Sihyuk, the chairman of HYBE, to CEO Min Hee-jin surfaced belatedly.
Despite a somewhat sensitive question, "Wasn't comeback preparation burdensome after the recent issues arose?" aespa responded cheerfully.
Karina said, "We're aware of the recent issues. Since this is our first full-length album, we focused on rehearsals. Thanks to the support and love, we prepared diligently for the album. I'm grateful to the public for what seems to be a satisfactory start for our first full-length album, and I thank the hardworking members and SM family."
Winter responded, "Rather than deeply pondering, I rather think 'I hope our first full-length album goes well.'"