With the recent TikTok dance challenges, SM Entertainment's NCT leader Taeyong and aespa's Karina stirred up fans with their impeccable moves and jaw-dropping visuals. The 27-year-old frontman of NCT, now making waves as a solo act, joined forces with the 23-year-old leader of aespa, marking a delightful collaboration for their followers.

Taeyong, fresh off the release of his debut solo album, "SHALALA," this month, is presently in the limelight as a solo artist. On the other hand, aespa is in the midst of promoting its comeback album "My World," which includes the lead track "Spicy," among other songs. This overlap in their schedules led to the exciting pairing, fulfilling the fans' long-held wish of witnessing the two dance prodigies together.

Last Thursday, the artists treated fans to a double whammy, posting their take on the #SpicyChallenge and #SHALALAChallenge on TikTok. Their riveting performance soon caught fire, earning them millions of views and the moniker "AI Siblings" for their extraordinary visuals.

   @aespa_official #SpicyChallenge  with #TAEYONG #태용   #스파이시챌린지 #aespa #æspa #에스파 #KARINA #카리나 #Spicy #aespa_Spicy #NCT #NCT127 ♬ Spicy - aespa    

 

Online reactions to the pair were overwhelmingly positive. "It's like witnessing a visual idols collab... They look out of this world," one fan commented on an online platform. Another user posted, "Both are stunning. Legendary."

Many were awed by their exceptional looks, with one viewer noting, "The face combination is insane, how did they both end up looking like that?" Others appreciated their distinct but harmonious styles: "I always thought they had a similar AI-like vibe when rapping. It's astounding to see them together for the first time," remarked a fan.

Their #SHALALAChallenge video alone garnered 3.6 million views at the time of reporting. "Visual attack," one fan aptly summed up, while another echoed, "You guys are so unreal." As for their #SpicyChallenge, one viewer called it a "joint slay," and another labeled them the "best duo leader."

Aespa, the four-member group featuring Karina, Winter, Giselle, and NingNing, recently made a triumphant return with "My World." The album saw over 1.37 million copies fly off the shelves on day one, as per Soompi, and debuted at the top of iTunes album charts worldwide.

Taeyong's "SHALALA," which dropped on June 5, also performed strongly, making its way to the top 100 first-day and first-week sales lists on the Hanteo chart. The album sold 343,844 copies within the first 24 hours, ranking 61st, and ended the week at 91st with 439,654 copies sold.