aespa’s Language In Recent TikTok And Instagram Post Triggers Heated Debate
aespa’s Giselle and Ningning have found themselves in the middle of a growing online debate after their latest TikTok and Instagram updates.
The debate centers on whether the two members misused African American Vernacular English (AAVE) in their captions and posts.
During a recent trip, the aespa members filmed and posted several TikToks inside their hotel room, one of which sparked unexpected reactions. Sharing the TikTok on X, Ningning captioned the clip with the phrase “Directed by my G.”
Directed by my Ghttps://t.co/3Hq62vSIC5#aespa #æspa #에스파#NINGNING #닝닝 pic.twitter.com/R6uTyS88st
— aespa (@aespa_official) September 28, 2025
Meanwhile, Giselle reposted the TikTok on Instagram stories and captioned it with “cute typeshi ikikik.”
Both captions quickly caught the attention of fans, sparking a heated back-and-forth on social media platforms.
— aave struggle xeets (@aavenb) September 29, 2025
Some netizens argued that the phrases were an inappropriate use of AAVE, noting that this has been a recurring point of tension within K-Pop whenever idols adopt terms without fully understanding their cultural context.
why is it always kpop fans that are the most blatantly ignorant and wrong about the use of aave?? like they seem to seek it out and misuse it the most out of anyone
— 🌟 count.. (@countslilvanity) September 29, 2025
yall are jumping through rings of fire to defend this talm bout "g= giselle" open the schools 😭
— aren's someone younevermet (@wavtiny) September 30, 2025
Giselle will never stop trying to be black😭
— Elena🍄 (@fimmies__05) September 30, 2025
Others, however, defended the members. Fans claimed that Ningning’s “my G” was meant as a lighthearted reference to Giselle, who filmed the video. They also pointed out that Giselle’s caption was tied directly to the lyrics of the song featured in the TikTok, claiming it wasn’t an attempt to use AAVE at all.
The G stands for Giselle, delete this
— 𝖬𝖺𝗅 (@KindOfSupernova) September 29, 2025
That's literally the song's name and G is for Giselle. Are y'all dumb on purpose or…?
— Michelle Yeoh's Oscar (@Jaqssssss) September 30, 2025
g is for giselle because she filmed the video…. and typeshi because thats quite literally how the song goes…
— cairo 🎸 (@synkcairo) September 30, 2025
Despite these explanations, the debate has continued to grow, with social media filled with both criticism and defense of the members’ word choices.
