Blessed were those who managed to secure a seat to the anticipated return of K-Pop’s illustrious vocal princesses, aespa. With the air of Fashion Week barely dissipating from London’s streets, the girl group’s fans assembled at the venue hours in advance clad in furs and chunky heeled boots: staples of both the decade’s trends and a tactical choice to keep warm during an English March.

Upon arriving inside, a scan of the sea of giddy Mys (the name for aespa’s fans) would tell you that the show was sold out: a fact no one seemed to be surprised by, as the respectable Wembley Arena was in fact more snug than their previous O2 crowd. Even at arenas packing thousands, SYNK: PARALLEL LINE is what you might call an exclusive tour for the superstars’ biggest fans.

The girls were like polite mice when making their introductions: a stark contrast to their perfect display of ability and utter panache just moments before. Such displays included indulgences of their biggest hits, Ningning and Winter’s ascension into registers that would make Queen Mariah proud (including a live whistle note in there somewhere) and flawless choreography on a metal cage. All four girls’ voices were like sweet powerhouses as they transitioned into the TOKiMONSTA-produced “Die Trying”, a hypnotic advertisement of their sky-high aura points. We believed it when Karina and Giselle teased: “I don’t break a sweat.”

Staying graceful and maintaining model faces while pulling off fast synchronised routines is something all K-Pop groups pursue within reason. Reason goes out of the window with aespa. As if entirely above flaw, there was not a shake or break as they soared, spun, and tested the known human limits of vocal stability.

All pillars in their own right, none outshined the other. But the way was cleared for each of the girls to shine individually: exhibiting their solo flair when they’re not assembled as a team. Giselle brought the sauce for her “Dopamine” spotlight, and Karina’s “UP” was a bouncy hip-hop excursion.

Then Ningning cockily recounted her takes on love in “Bored!”, but “Spark” had the most dynamic performance and camerawork of all. Which is another thing aespa’s gigs do right; even in the nosebleeds, you’re guaranteed a good show. Winter’s progressive house anthem wrapped up the solos segment with a bang, riling up excitement with a majestically lit stage and play of silhouettes and ribbons.

“Whiplash” is fundamentally a runway song. Their most recent title track is quite fitting for a group so involved in fashion, who branded themselves with the state of being ever-atop of trends, if the chrome finish and absolute lack of unstylish era weren’t already giveaways. Outfits of bejewelled pastels and cascading locks were swapped frequently during the concert, because no look is worthy of being worn by the aespa members for more than thirty minutes. The girls said it: “One look, give ’em whiplash.”

Mys couldn’t contain themselves during the girls’ showcases of all their other beloved hits, such as mic-on showoff song “Hold On Tight”, and “Set The Tone”, which had the most use of props throughout the whole show. Even at the latter end of the setlist, stage presence was at an all time high. Still keeping their work faces on yet bearing impish smiles, pre-encore closer “Armageddon” reinforced what we already learnt from the girls at song one. And yes, they absolutely took the opportunity to tune the iconic “Naevis, calling” line in “Next Level” for a London nod.

They are a group that exhibits the best of femininity: making women and feminine people feel proud to be themselves, that’s aespa. The girls that adorn themselves, put on a flawless show, and hug their friends on stage, remind us that we all, indeed, “got better things to do with our time“. Better things: the state of conserving one’s time for worthy pursuits, such as practicing self-care, keeping company with good friends, and seeing aespa at Wembley.

aespa will return to the UK on the 28th of June for SMTOWN Live in London. Tickets to the event can be purchased here. aespa can be found on Instagram here and all major streaming platforms.