aespa to release sixth mini-album, Rich Man, in September

Originally posted on Contact Music | Last updated Aug 5, 2025 6:46 AM ET

aespa will release their sixth mini-album, Rich Man, on September 5.

The news was confirmed on Monday (04.08.25) via the group’s official channels, alongside the unveiling of striking new concept imagery hinting at a sleek, high-fashion aesthetic. Described in early teasers as a “bold redefinition of desire and power,” Rich Man promises to showcase a more mature, experimental side of the quartet.

SM Entertainment confirmed that Rich Man will feature brand-new songs that expand aespa’s fictional universe and ongoing AI avatars, a unique aspect of their artistic identity since debuting in 2020.

The group — consisting of Karina, Giselle, Winter and Ningning — released their debut album Armageddon in May 2024, which saw them top charts across South Korea and achieve their highest position to date on the Billboard 200.

The girls released the song Dirty Work in June, their first new material since October's Whiplash EP.

The band are known for their AI avatars - which they launched with five years ago - but they might not be around forever, as they want to hone in on their "human traits".

Giselle told Billboard earlier this year: “We’re not actual AI; we do have days where we don’t feel the best.

“Our storyline can be fun to keep up with, but I want fans to look up to aespa for our human traits, too.”

Ningning told the outlet: "We did start out with our avatar concept, but now we’re also trying really hard to explore different concepts and themes. In the future, there may be moments where the fans don’t see the avatars."

Karina added: "We want aespa to be a really stylish group, not only in fashion and music, but also in terms of versatility and excelling in every genre. I also want all our members to shine individually when we’re together and even when we’re not together."

A full tracklisting for Rich Man is expected in due course. Pre-orders are available now here.

This article first appeared on Contact Music and was syndicated with permission.

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