Aespa's Giselle Tweets Apology For Mouthing A Racial Slur In A Video That Went Viral

K-pop singer Giselle, a member of the South-Korean group AESPA has apologized for lip-syncing a racial slur during a song performance. The action prompted a massive backlash online. 

During a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the band's preparation for the release of their hit single "Savage", the girls were seen singing along to "Love Galore", a song by Travis Scott and Sza. It was in this clip that Giselle was seen mouthing a line that included a word, which is usually used as a racial slur against black people. 

The video was uploaded on October 23 by SM Entertainment's YouTube channel. The clip has since then been made private after the incident blew up among netizens across online communities and social media. The clip was from a jacket photoshoot for "Savage", which is aespa's newest release was subjected to scrutiny and hate. 

Today, Giselle posted a series of apologetic tweets on aespa's official Twitter. The singer said she wanted to apologize for mouthing the wrongful word from the song's lyrics, which was playing at that point. She said there were no intentions on her part to do anything on purpose and got carried away when a song by one of her favorite artists was played. Giselle sincerely apologized and said she will continue to learn and be more conscious of her actions. 

The apology from Giselle comes during a growing acknowledgment and awareness by K-pop artists concerning behavior that is often interpreted by fans as inappropriate, such as racist behavior or cultural appropriation. 

Many other artists, in addition to Giselle, have gone ahead to take ownership of their action after complaints and requests by fans to the stars to be more aware of the issues.

For instance, a similar type of incident took place during summer that involved a member of the band Enhypen. The incident led to discussions regarding racism in fandom spaces by the fans.

Meanwhile, the apology by Giselle drew responses of praise for the singer's recognition of her mistake.

Giselle, whose real name is Aeri Uchinaga, made her debut as a member of aespa, a group formed by SM Entertainment in 2020. The girls' group released their first extended playlist "Savage", earlier in October this year.

"Savage" debuted at No. 20 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album was received well by fans worldwide and it earned the group their first perfect all-kill. The title song's music video crossed the 100 million mark within 18 days.