'MAMA' Lee Hyori, SWF, and aespa Shine with Dazzling Woman Power

Photo by Mnet

[Asia Economy, reporter Lee Isul] '2021 MAMA' shone brightly with the power of women.

At the '2021 MAMA' (2021 Mnet ASIAN MUSIC AWARDS) held on December 11, the stage featured the first-ever female host Lee Hyori, K-POP legend musician Uhm Junghwa, the eight crews from Street Woman Fighter (hereafter referred to as SWF), who sparked a dance craze in Korea, as well as Brave Girls, ITZY, Lee Youngji, aespa, and other female artists who made their mark this year.

In particular, these artists showcased a new image of women for the MZ Generation to admire, displaying confident self-assurance, a positive attitude, and a spirit of challenge through their performances. Furthermore, they delivered a message of hope and solidarity to K-POP's global fans, offering encouragement to overcome the current pandemic-induced hardships.

The ending stage of '2021 MAMA' was a collaboration between Lee Hyori and the eight SWF crews. The eight crews-CocaNButter, HolyBang, HOOK, LACHICA, PROWDMON, WANT, WAYB, and YGX-from this year's hit Mnet program 'Street Woman Fighter' each showcased their unique and dynamic performances.

This led into a powerful and dazzling collaborative performance by Lee Hyori and the crew leaders to 'DO THE DANCE,' a track from the '2021 MAMA Special Album' released at noon on December 11, creating a legendary stage.

Uhm Junghwa, who has been a consistent presence in the music industry for 29 years and is a role model for younger singers, attended the awards ceremony to support her juniors. Uhm Junghwa shared, "Watching from backstage, I was so impressed by how freely the younger artists expressed themselves. Each stage felt precious. I love and sincerely support all of you."

Brave Girls instantly turned the atmosphere into a festival with their refreshing song 'Chi Mat Ba Ram.' They followed up with two special stages: a ballad version and a Christmas version of their hugely popular song 'Rollin'.'

ITZY presented a special collaboration stage with actor Heo Sungtae from 'Squid Game.' The intense performances of ITZY's 'LOCO' and 'Mafia In the morning' were enhanced by Heo Sungtae's charismatic narration and acting, creating a stage reminiscent of a noir film.

This year's most notable rookie girl group, aespa, also performed 'Next Level' and 'Savage,' songs that express confidence and strength within their own universe. Their performance featured synchronized choreography with their avatar counterparts 'ae-aespa' and a snake character realized through AR technology, showcasing their identity fitting for the metaverse era.

With the concept of 'MAKE SOME NOISE,' '2021 MAMA' aimed to demonstrate the powerful force of music that transcends language, nationality, race, and generation, encouraging mutual respect and unity across the world through K-POP.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.