aespa’s Karina Blasted With Scathing Criticism After Latest Viral Performance 

aespa’s recent stage on Good Morning America is still fueling debate online, and this time, Karina has become the main target.

| @aespa_official/X (formerly known as Twitter)

K-Pop fans are singling out the group’s leader and main dancer, with her solo part in particular drawing sharp reactions.

| @katarinabluu/Instagram

On September 12 (local time), aespa performed their latest title track “Rich Man” on the popular U.S. morning show. While the performance as a whole faced backlash for being awkward and lacking impact, Karina’s bridge part has also gone viral for the wrong reasons.

aespa Receive Scathing Reviews For “Mess” Performance On “Good Morning America”

The section features her solo rap and dance break, a moment that usually stands out during live stages thanks to supporting dancers and dynamic formations.

카라 tag say pic.twitter.com/uG0IqHE75O

— 순간의 카리나 (@karinaofmoment) September 7, 2025

色んなバージョンのtag sayを見たい… pic.twitter.com/dCS3e2G2yj

— Yuda (@Karina3_yuda29) September 7, 2025

Without that added production, the stage looked noticeably bare, leaving Karina to perform alone in the spotlight. The change made the moment feel empty and drew more attention to her dancing, which many critics claimed lacked energy and presence.

The dance off is crazy 😭 pic.twitter.com/zOW8DzCcDy

— Roséannechae¹ is DIFFERENT ✷ˎ-ˊ (@chaewonzpet) September 12, 2025

The harsh feedback has led to discussions about whether she truly lives up to the title of “main dancer” in her generation.

Karina is literally the most mediocre main dancer in K-pop. It’s crazy how sm managed to mediaplay her as an ace https://t.co/26C5QvXPmq

— CONFETTI (@finessebombshel) September 12, 2025

Online reactions have been unforgiving, with posts spreading across social platforms accusing Karina of being overrated and not delivering the level of performance expected from someone in her position.

apparently this is what the choreo is supposed to look like……….. they're giving 5% of the required energy 💀pic.twitter.com/wOSwIMC8tF https://t.co/HGXiCF59xS

— nya (냐) (@wonheecheeks) September 13, 2025

you can’t convince me that karina is a good dancer https://t.co/XKCWR7aBux

— kora (@xxeeeoosseeoo) September 12, 2025

Korean music show camerawork really saves their performances cuz this is abhorrent https://t.co/mqSRnwlCEe

— bob I'éponge 🧽 (@MyouiManifesto) September 12, 2025

This is the group who’s fans were dragging everyone last year😭😭 https://t.co/60n8xG969M

— ┈━═☆ 𝚋𝗮𝚋ƴ𐌼٥𝚗𝑠ϯ𝗲𝑟 ☆═━ (@baemonserved) September 12, 2025

At the same time, fans have pushed back against the criticism, insisting that the fault lies with the overall staging choices rather than Karina herself. They believe that with proper formations and supporting dancers, her performance would have looked much stronger.

lie again https://t.co/mdnnjIlYcj pic.twitter.com/lD0RfHahzD

— ۟ (@aesdivine) September 12, 2025

karina will never be the bad dancer yall want her to be pic.twitter.com/mGE0jL03fH

— yar (@aerivua) September 12, 2025

the way you call her mediocre just proves how mad you are she’ll NEVER be the bad dancer you need her to be 😭 pic.twitter.com/yCqiYWUJW8 https://t.co/TTOQavgg4G

— i got the good stuff (@leakurloopholes) September 12, 2025

Still, the debate around her role continues to spread, keeping aespa at the center of heated discussion even though it’s just the start of their U.S. promotions.