For Aespa, Japan has always been more than just another stop on the K-pop circuit. For Giselle, it¡¯s home.
The 25-year-old member, whose real name is Aeri Uchinaga, is half-Japanese and half-Korean and grew up in Tokyo, where she attended Tokyo International School in Minato Ward. So when Aespa (stylized in all lowercase) recorded ¡°Kiss n Tell,¡± its new Japanese-language minialbum, the project offered Giselle an opportunity to reconnect with a part of herself that took shape long before she became a pop star.
¡°Since I¡¯ve spoken Japanese from a young age, certain emotions and expressions come out very naturally when I sing in it,¡± Giselle says during an online group interview with The Japan Times. ¡°Growing up around different languages and cultures also made me more open to exploring new genres and ideas, and I think that has naturally shaped the way I listen to music and interpret songs.¡±
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