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Aespa’s Giselle has finally come out with an apology after being called out for using a racial slur in a video.
A behind-the-scenes (BTS) video was posted by aespa’s agency, SM ENtertainment. In the video, Giselle, along with Karina and Ningning, could be seen dancing along to American artist SZA’s song, Love Galore.
The issue which infuriated several aespa fans around the world was when Giselle mouthed the n-word that was used in the song. The clip went viral on social media, receiving major backlash.
In response to the controversy, SM Entertainment made the video private, without ever addressing Giselle’s hurtful act. Fans around the world have sought an apology from both Giselle and aespa, calling out the artist for her insensitivity. The titular video was a BTS of the jacket shoot for aespa’s “SAVAGE.”
aespa's Giselle posts an apology for mouthing a racial slur, says she will be more conscious of her actions
In a series of tweets from aespa’s official Twitter handle, Giselle came forward and expressed her regret. The girl group's main rapper claimed that she had no intention of hurting people, and got carried away, since her “favourite artist’s song” was being played. The idol concluded by saying that she will be more conscious of her actions from now on.
While the n-word is used in several songs, especially by Black artists, using it if one is not Black and has no Black heritage is severely looked down upon. Given aespa’s growing popularity in America, Giselle's inadvertent usage of racial slurs has received severe backlash.
The response to the latest apology, though, has been mixed. Many fans are glad that the star has acknowledged her mistake and promised to work on it. However, many others are hailing it as a fake apology, and say that it lacks sincerity.
Many netizens have pointed out that non-black fans are in no position to “accept” the apology, given that neither the action nor the apology were targeted at them.
Cultural appropriation and racial insensitivity has a long history in K-Pop. The controversy comes in the wake of several other K-Pop artists being called out for racial insensitivity. BLACKPINK’s Lisa was recently accused of cultural appropriation for wearing box braids, while Stray Kids’ Bang Chan received flak for striking a problematic “Jim Crow” pose.
The fact that K-Pop fans are holding their idols accountable for their actions, though, is definitely a step in the right direction.
