Following their first world tour in the United States back in 2023, SM girl group, aespa have returned with Synk: Parallel Line. Originally starting in Seoul mid-2024, the North American leg kicked off in 2025. The Oakland Arena hosted the group as their first visit to the Bay Area on January 30th, 2025.
Prior to the show, fans were offered several opportunities to purchase merchandise on site. There was a large truck available just outside of the security gates in the parking lot, as well as several stalls along the arena concourse. Patrons were also able to purchase merchandise via Amazon ahead of the show, but stands on-site had show-exclusive items. Additionally there were stands with food and drinks. As 8:00 pm hit, the lights dimmed as the concert was ready to begin.
A VCR played with a bit of an eerie setting and vibe, foreshadowing concepts and story to come. As the video ended, lights behind the LED screens revealed Karina, Giselle, Winter, and NingNing. The members walked out as the panels slid open, immediately going into their first set. With songs like “Drama”, “Black Mamba”, and “Salty & Sweet”, things started off with a bang of high energy and darker vibes to match the opening VCR. Their first outfits contrasted the mood of this set with elegant white fits with puffy tutus, reminiscent of ballet dancers. Between songs, they transitioned between the main stage and the extended stage, as well as shedding an outer layer of tutu.
The next VCR hinted at the next set, as members showed up on screen with superpowers. As the screens parted, the members walked out in their next outfits that were retro-futuristic with gleaning silver pieces. “Supernova” kept the energy up with the electronic funk styles. As they transitioned to the song, a prop in the form of a jungle gym and stairs provided the staging for “Mine” and another costume transformation took place. With the use of a mobile camera crew, they were able to utilize the prop in a 360 manner for the slower RnB song.
While the members took time to introduce themselves to the crowd, the stage props transformed to a new configuration. The next set provided a variety of genres, from the darker tone of “Die Trying”, lighter hip-hop feel of “Flights, Not Feelings”, and concluding with the upbeat tempo of “Better Things.” A VCR followed, echoing the dark themes of the first one.
The next set gave the members a chance to show their individual talents. Each member was introduced with their own VCR. Giselle kicked things off with “Dopamine”, a slower RnB piece with a viral dance break. Karina followed up with her single, “Up”, a Hip-hop piece with a bumping bassline. NingNing brought things back to RnB to showcase her vocals with “Bored.” Winter closed out the set with the vogueing styles of “Spark.” It was great to see how different each performance was.
After another VCR, the members entered with different stylings of pink hoodies. The next set contained a variety of songs. From a title track like “Spicy”, to original soundtracks like “Hold on Tight”, and to rock anthems like “Live My Life.” There was definitely something for everyone during this set.
The next VCR ended as a culmination of all of the ones before it, completing the story. Virtual idol Naevis then had a performance of her single, “Done.” This was a really interesting presentation, as they achieved a 3D look with just the LED screens.
Before we knew it, it was already time for the last set, as the members took to the stage in futuristic-looking black outfits. They started off with their latest single, “Whiplash”, a high-energy electronic dance song. They kept the energy up with the rock-hip-hop track of “Set the Tone.” Several props were utilized to create visuals, as well as including the viral isolation dance break. Keeping with the same vibe, they performed the rock version of “Next Level”, complete with a shout out to Oakland. To cap off the set, they performed the rock version of “Armageddon.”
To help get the audience involved, the cameras and lights searched for fans to dance on the big screen to some of the group’s title tracks. After a few rounds, the final VCR ran to show a behind the scenes of the videos shown throughout the night. Then it was time for the encore.
A dance break helped introduce the supporting dancers of the night. The members appeared through the screens in their final outfits to show off some of the merchandise available. They started off things with the explosive “Aenergy” to energize everyone, while showing off their vocals. The rock anthem “Just Another Girl” gave the audience a chance to sing along with the on-screen lyrics. Before the last song, each member gave their last goodbyes. The song to wrap everything up was their english track, “Life’s Too Short.” After pictures and a personalized send off, the members headed backstage one last time.
For a second world tour, this concert was jam-packed. With 24 total songs, there was little time for filler. They did a great job organizing each set, creating seamless transitions between songs. Props and unique camera angles made this show special. I can’t wait to see what they do in future outings.