aespa’s Dirty Work debuts on the Global Spotify Chart at No. 63 but here's why netizens are calling it fake

aespa achieved a historic feat by debuting at No. 63 on the Global Spotify Chart with their latest release, Dirty Work. The single, featuring the classic aespa sass and catchy melody, impressed listeners. Numerous fans flocked to social media to express their appreciation for the song and also for its Spotify achievement.

However, a group of individuals accused the group of securing the feat with illegitimate means, undermining their hard work.

aespa's Dirty Work makes stellar Spotify record

aespa entered the Global Spotify Chart just a day after their June 27 release, Dirty Work, ranking 63rd with an impressive 1,836,980 streams. Additionally, they also achieved a historic feat by recording the biggest debut by a K-pop group on Spotify Counter in 2025.

With 2,396,906 streams, they surpassed the previous record-holder ENHYPEN. The boy band achieved the feat with 2,206,770 streams for Bad Desire (With or Without You).

Why is aespa's Spotify record being called fraudulent?

Following the news of aespa's Spotify achievement being out, people started digging into the top streaming nations. They discovered that out of the 1,836,980 Spotify Global Chart streams, 625,837 came from Thailand. It accounts for 35% of the total number, sparking suspicions among fans. They even called the Thai fans "bots" and accused them of inflating numbers through unfair means.

Furthermore, the K-pop group's decision to release three additional versions of the same song has been criticized for seeming to be an attempt to increase streaming numbers. This move has been labeled as a form of payola, with many viewing it as an unethical tactic.

However, a bunch of dedicated aespa fans swiftly rallied to their defense, claiming that the streaming was done through legally permissible means. They explained that "Spotify has literally done multiple bot removal exercises in the last 12 months particularly targeting kpop." They also mentioned that during Spotify's bot cleanse session, it was HYBE groups, particularly BTS, who were penalized.

They also lauded Karina, Winter, Giselle, and Ningning for doing a good job with their comeback, despite lacking proper promotional support from their agency, SM Entertainment, and also receiving immense hate for their latest political controversy regarding alleged right-wing inclinations.

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