aespa Giselle’s Comeback Teasers Spark Heated “Cultural Appropriation” Debate
aespa recently unveiled individual teasers for their upcoming mini-album Rich Man and its title track, sparking intense discussion among fans online.
While Karina and Winter’s outfits have already drawn attention, Giselle became the center of controversy for a very different reason: her hairstyle.
aespa Winter’s Exposing Lacy “Lingerie” Outfit Sparks Major Backlash
The teasers dropped at midnight KST on August 27, showing Giselle striking a pose with a bass guitar. She wore a black-and-white fur coat layered over a cropped tank top and shorts, but it was her hair that seemingly attracted the most attention.
Many online users criticized the look, with a popular Reddit post describing her hair as “sh*t wannabe locs” and comparing it to “matted dry noodles.”
Giselle from Aespa.. what is this hunny…
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The backlash extended beyond just the hair, with some fans arguing that Giselle’s overall teaser didn’t match the impact of her groupmates. A portion of the community even accused SM Entertainment of “actively trying to sabotage her” with the styling choices.
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On X (formerly Twitter), reactions were mixed. While some users echoed the criticism, many defended Giselle, emphasizing that her hairstyle does not constitute cultural appropriation. They argued that fans were reading too much into the styling.
n-word scandal wasnt enough now she got dreadlocks https://t.co/7hmytD4Rix pic.twitter.com/84b1WrEs15
— ̤̮ (@garfickle) August 26, 2025
love giselle but quotes acting like these aren’t dreads is killing me 😭this is hair twisted into a dread form https://t.co/IaF9kfsoQC
— ༝༚༝༚ (@dollykil) August 26, 2025
https://t.co/ErPUxSq5JU pic.twitter.com/orquBRlz5m
— Maki ⁵⁺⁹ ྀི #RICHMAN🎸 #CHAELO🏰 #PSY1🍏 (@seuglizy) August 26, 2025
Y'all hoes ain't know what dreadlocks are 😭😭 https://t.co/9XLKRL0HNU
— 👿 (@coperniwrld) August 26, 2025
As the debate continues, aespa are set to release more teasers leading up to Rich Man, which drops on September 5. The group will also begin their third world tour, AExis Line, with a three-day concert in Seoul from August 29 to 31, where fans will get to see the full concept in action.
