aespa appeared on Day 2 of the 2025 MAMA Awards, held on November 29 at Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong, where the group delivered standout performances of “Dirty Work” and “Rich Man,” in addition to winning four awards including “Best Female Group” and “Best Choreography” for “Whiplash.”
Winter opened the stage with a distinctive rock-style performance, while the members showcased their talents with a powerful stage featuring live vocals and choreography amid loud cheers from the audience.
On Korean forums, one netizen praised the group’s stage, describing it as: “They really nailed Rich Man on stage.”
However, “Dirty Work” received mixed reactions, as some fans complained about weak vocal performance, assuming it was caused by a technical issue from the event organizers, while others felt the members’ live singing did not meet expectations.
Korean Netizen Comments
- The Rich Man stage was f*cking cool. They did so well.
- Why is Giselle so skinny now? She lost so much weight.
- Winter’s opening was crazy, her live vocals were good too.
- The arrangement was legendary. Their live performance was so refreshing.
- Why is the audio so bad? I can’t hear it properly. Has it been like this since yesterday?
- Wow, so cool. Winter’s entrance!!!!
- Dirty Work was a bit embarrassing, but Rich Man was good.
- Since yesterday, MAMA’s overall sound has been trash, so songs with low ranges end up suffering more when performed live.. ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
- Karina did well on Rich Man.
- Dirty Work was really bad, Rich Man was really good.
Meanwhile, Karina’s performance went viral as she received positive reactions for her stage at the 2025 MAMA Awards:
- Karina was literally so cool today.
- She really stood out today.
- Jimin improved so much while touring ㅠㅠ
- The sound system was meh but Karina’s part was heard well.
- Her pronunciation and vocal power have always been good, but she was incredible today.
- Oh my God, she sings so well.
- Among girl idols she gets unreasonable hate badly, so seeing her overcome it confidently with skill makes me so proud and impressed. Karina is the best.
- She kept coughing yesterday so she must not be in full condition, but she still did really well.
- She’s good anyway but today her hair/makeup/coordinator was also great; she looked pretty.
- Her vocalization and volume were good so I always thought she was good live, but today she was flying.
Meanwhile, aespa donated HK$500,000 (approximately USD 64,100). Through their official Weibo account, the company expressed sadness, stating:
“This heartbreaking news pains us. Although the amount is small, we hope this donation can help everyone. We pray for everyone’s safety.” They also announced their return with a full album next year.
