Just two days after aespa’s Karina launched her solo track “UP,”she is already making waves in the history of 4th-generation solo artists as well as within the broader music industry.
On October 9th, aespa released the special digital single “SYNK: PARALLEL LINE,”featuring four solo tracks by each member, including Karina’s “UP,”Giselle’s “Dopamine,”Winter’s “Spark,”and NingNing’s “Bored!”.
The group had previously performed these songs on their concert tour, and due to overwhelming audience interest, they decided to officially release them as a single.
Vocalists and fans, known as MYs, showed tremendous support, particularly for “UP,”which marks Karina’s debut as a solo artist with a self-penned track. Prior to its release, “UP”gained traction as a viral dance challenge on TikTok, thanks to its catchy English chorus.
This momentum surged following its official launch, as “UP”rapidly climbed to the top of major South Korean music charts, including Bugs’ real-time chart and MelOn’s Hot100, while also breaking into the Top 5 on Genie and Flo.
Among these, MelOn’s Top100 is renowned for its competitiveness, yet Karina’s strong fanbase and influence propelled her to the top just one day post-release.
KARINA earns her first #1 as a soloist on MelOn TOP100 with ‘UP’. pic.twitter.com/7KbJPxOY6O
— Kpop Charts (@kchartsmaster) October 10, 2024
Can you believe that since the beginning of 2018, soloists from the 4th generation have debuted, yet in 2024, Karina is the first and only one to top the melon music chart? She will always be famous, the epitome of the 4th gen.
— roseanne (@intorosiepark) October 10, 2024
KARINA’s UP has reached #1 on MelOn Top100 at 11PM KST 💙— Now, KARINA joins Taeyeon as the only SM soloist to achieve this milestone— making her the first soloist of the 4th generation to do so. #KARINA #카리나 #KARINA_UP pic.twitter.com/r62TriZdex
— KARINA Charts (@karinachartss) October 10, 2024
#KARINA and #JENNIE are the sole female members of girl groups to reach #1 on MelOn TOP100 in 2024. pic.twitter.com/BiJIfqU1gU
— Kpop Charts (@kchartsmaster) October 10, 2024
Karina joins notable artists like Lee Youngji, Jennie, BIBI, and IU as one of the few female soloists to rank #1 on the MelOn TOP100 chart in 2024: • Karina — UP • Lee Youngji — Small Girl • Jennie — Spot! • BIBI — 밤양갱 (Bam Yang Gang) • IU — Love wins all pic.twitter.com/zaBQojSPuV
— Pop Base (@PopBase) October 10, 2024
In doing so, Karina has achieved the remarkable feat of becoming the first solo artist from the 4th generation to top MelOn’s Top100.
Additionally, she is the fifth female idol to claim this position in 2024, following Jennie, Lee Young Ji, BIBI, and IU. Among her peers in girl groups, she and Jennie are the only artists to have reached this milestone this year.
Karina’s accomplishment solidifies her status as the first female artist from SM Entertainment to hit this target, following in the footsteps of SNSD’s Taeyeon.
As of now, Karina is celebrated as the 4th-generation artist with the most unfiltered streams on Spotify Counter, amassing an impressive 1.07 million listens.
With the upcoming release of their fifth mini-album “Whiplash”on October 21st, the popularity of aespa, and particularly Karina, is anticipated to soar even higher.
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