KARINA from aespa shares her thoughts on stage nerves, her solo song 'GOOD STUFF', and her experience as a PRADA ambassador.
January/24/2026 16:30
aespa's KARINA candidly answered the discussion about looking bold. Recently, 'Esquire' released the cover and gravure of the February issue shot with KARINA, along with an interview. In the interview, KARINA responded to the question about looking bold by saying, 'It looks that way, but the member who gets most nervous on stage is me.' She revealed, 'My hands get cold and I sweat when I stand on stage. However, once the performance starts, I feel okay, and by the end, I'm really enjoying it and smiling.' On that day, KARINA explained the changes that come with gaining experience. She said, 'As I gain experience, I have more opportunities to talk with the company,' and added, 'The members dance to the choreography chosen by the company, and after checking the overall atmosphere, we give our opinions.' Regarding her recently released solo song 'GOOD STUFF', she mentioned, 'I participated in the overall aspects, including lyrics, choreography, stage direction, costumes, and camera composition. I like hip-hop when performing, and when singing slowly, I enjoy R&B and jazz. I prefer rock ballads for singing, so my solo song feels like it has those elements mixed in. I have many things I want to do, and that's how it turned out.' In particular, during this interview, KARINA expressed how she perceives herself, saying, 'I think KARINA is “Awakened Yu Jimin,”' and revealed, 'While living as a celebrity, I must not forget that I am Yu Jimin, the daughter of my mother and father.' As a PRADA ambassador, KARINA filmed her experience of becoming an editor and writing an article for 'Esquire', which was uploaded to the 'Esquire' site. She said, 'I wrote an article about my favorite foods and my personal tips for posting on Instagram,' and explained, 'For my Instagram posts, I include one wide-angle photo and a photo of a comical pose.' She continued, 'The theme of the food article is samgyeopsal (pork belly), but I wrote about the mindset that there are shortcuts in food as well,' and added, 'I wrote about my unique way of enjoying samgyeopsal deliciously.' The February 2026 issue of 'Esquire', featuring KARINA on the cover and pages, is available for purchase at Korean bookstores and can also be checked on the 'Esquire Korea' website.
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