aespa Casts a Spell With new Single “Dark Arts”

Rosa Gulliver
Jul 15
3 min read

Rosa Gulliver of TINYGMUSIC | July 15, 2025

aespa Casts a Spell With new Single “Dark Arts”

Riding high on the success of their single “Dirty Work,” global K-pop sensation aespa are teaming up with KRAFTON’s PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS to release the explosive new anthem “Dark Arts,” out now via SM Entertainment / Virgin Records.

The rapid-fire guitar riffs and pounding rhythms of “Dark Arts,” convey combat tension, while aespa’s harmonising vocals add a fierce determination for victory. As one of the reigning groups in K-pop, aespa are perfectly positioned for the collaboration with PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, a global leader in the battle royale genre. The end result delivers fearless ambition and the thrill of battle – sonically merging the distinct universes and symbolism of both the group and the game.

Last month, aespa released their fiery single “Dirty Work,” which achieved over 1.01 million pre-orders and over 27 million music video views. It marked their first ever entry on the UK’s Official Trending Chart. In an interview with Rolling Stone UK backstage in London, member GISELLE said of the fresh edge added to their signature sound for the track: “With the music we had before, it was always very loud and had a lot of instrumentals as well. But, with this one, we went a little bit more minimal with the sound and focused on the way we portray our voices as well.”

The impact was immediate. “Dirty Work” debuted at No. 5 on Billboard’s Global 200 chart and No.2 on Billboard’s Global Excluding US chart, marking the group’s highest ranks and second and third Top 10 on the respective Billboard charts. “Dirty Work” also debuted at No.1 on Spotify’s Top Songs Debut Global charts on 27-29 June. The song is also leading on other global charts including five No.1 positions on China’s largest music platform QQ Music. Additionally, it holds the No.1 spot on KuGou Music’s Digital Album Sales chart and Japan’s AWA real-time Rising chart, showcasing its strong global presence.

“Dirty Work”'s surging numbers is a further testament to aespa’s growing global following, after they made history as the first K-pop girl group to headline Morocco’s Mawazine Festival in Rabat, the biggest music event held on the African continent.

About aespa

aespa is a fierce K-pop group with a unique concept. Each of the four members, KARINA, WINTER, GISELLE and NINGNING has a correlating avatar in the virtual world created from their personal data. The group made unprecedented history with their 2020 debut single “Black Mamba,” which was the fastest debut video for any K-Pop group in YouTube history to hit 100 million views. They continue to receive global recognition, including being named among TIME Magazine’s Next Generation Leaders in 2022, and one of Financial Times 25 Most Influential Women Of 2023. aespa, who has dominated the charts in 2024, achieved five consecutive million-seller milestones with their first full-length album Armageddon and their fifth mini-album Whiplash. Whiplash marked the highest debut among K-pop girl group songs on Spotify in 2024, and the group also achieved their 12th milestone of 100 million cumulative streams on the platform. Their track “Supernova” topped Billboard’s “25 Best K-Pop Songs of 2024: Staff Picks” chart, and also earned spots on NME’s “The 50 Best Songs of 2024” and GRAMMY.com’s “10 K-Pop Songs That Electrified 2024,” receiving widespread acclaim and love from global music fans. In recognition of their global impact and continued success, Billboard honoured aespa as the “Group of the Year” at its Women in Music 2025 awards. aespa recently completed their second sold-out world tour, “2024-25 aespa LIVE TOUR - SYNK : PARALLEL LINE.” This marked the group’s biggest world tour yet, spanning Asia, Australia, North and South America, and Europe. On 24 June 2025, aespa made history as the first K-pop girl group to headline Morocco’s Mawazine Festival in Rabat, the biggest music event held on the African continent.