Fifteen years ago, when aespa’s Karina was just 11 years old, SM Entertainment’s girl group f(x) sang about Malibu Beach in their hit song “Hot Summer.”
Now, 15 years later, the 26-year-old K-pop star has experienced the famous California beach for herself, taking surfing lessons in Malibu and recalling the lyrics released by her senior labelmates more than a decade ago.
“There’s a reason those lyrics were written,” Karina remarked.
On October 10, aespa member Karina shared several photographs on her social media account documenting her surfing experience in Malibu, California.
Dressed in a black surfing wetsuit, the singer posed with a surfboard on the beach and was also photographed sitting on her board while receiving instructions from a surfing instructor.
I tried surfing, Karina wrote, expressing her excitement about the new experience. She also emphasized the special location, adding, “In Malibu, of all places!”
However, her post was more than just a collection of surfing photos. As she admired Malibu’s sunshine and ocean waves, Karina was reminded of f(x)’s iconic 2011 summer anthem, “Hot Summer.”
The song includes a lyric referring to Malibu Beach, which translates to “Even if it’s not Malibu Beach.” Remembering the line, Karina expressed her admiration, saying, “There’s a reason those lyrics were written.” She also described the real Malibu coastline as dazzling, commenting on how brilliantly the waves sparkled under the sunlight.
The connection between the song and Karina’s experience becomes even more meaningful when considering the passage of time. f(x) released “Hot Summer” in June 2011, when Karina, born in April 2000, was only 11 years old. Nine years later, she debuted as a member of aespa in 2020. By 2026, another six years had passed, and she had established herself as an internationally recognized K-pop star.
Now, the singer has personally visited the very beach mentioned in a song released by her senior SM Entertainment artists 15 years earlier, making the experience a nostalgic moment connecting two generations of K-pop idols.
Karina also entertained fans with her playful comments about learning to surf for the first time. Alongside a photograph of herself holding a bodyboard, she joked, “Suddenly acting all proper for no reason.” While waiting for smaller waves, she referenced an aespa hit song by writing, “Big wave, big wave, don’t avoid it.”
When she finally managed to ride a wave successfully, Karina couldn’t resist making fun of herself. “I succeeded, but I fell off looking too much like Patrick Star, so I cut that part out,” she joked, referring to the beloved SpongeBob SquarePants character.
Sources: Naver