Entertainment

aespa’s new ‘Dirty Work’ Performance Video was shot on iPhone 16 Pro

The second K-Pop act to do so

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Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

MY or not, you’d be surprised that Apple did a collaboration with another South Korea-based super group. This time it’s aespa.

Amassing 7 million YouTube subscribers, double the 15 million followers on Instagram and TikTok, plus several grand prizes or 대상 (daesang) consecutively throughout the years:

  • 2021 AAA (Asia Artist Awards)
  • 2022 KMA (Korean Music Awards)
  • 2021, 2024 MMA (Melon Music Awards)
  • 2024 MAMA Awards (Mnet)
  • 2024 TFMA (The Fact Music Awards)
  • 2025 39th GDA (Golden Disc Awards)

aespa has truly proven how they’re one of the biggest acts not just in their generation, but in the whole history of K-Pop itself.

Second K-Pop Act with Shot on iPhone Collab

Even if this isn’t the first time the American tech giant did a collab of some sort (hats off to NewJeans / NJZ / MHDHH, we dearly miss you), aespa is the only other K-Pop act to do so.

Unlike the aforementioned ‘ETA’ Music Video, this one was quite short, falling below the 2-minute mark — which is more of a teaser than a “Performance Video”.

Also, no iPhone visuals were included in the shot. Just a clear “Shot on iPhone 16 Pro” and “Commissioned by Apple” intro texts alongside a bubbly Apple logo outro.

Another clear opposite? The camera feature being highlighted.

Before, it was all about boasting iPhone 14 Pro’s “Action Mode” for action-filled scenes.

This time, aside from the iPhone’s industry-leading video stabilization in a smartphone, the clear focus was all about low-light capabilities achieved through the iPhone 16 Pro.

A production set usually involves a set of lights but still, most phones cannot achieve a clear video output at night — until iPhone 16 Pro showcased it here.

This iPhone prowess was already backed by most professionals in the creative industry.

More so, the inclusion of 4K/120fps for that buttery smooth slo-mo shots.

@aespa_official

Commissioned by Apple. aespa in 4K120 slow motion. #aespa #æspa #에스파 #DirtyWork #aespaDirtyWork #ShotoniPhone16Pro

♬ Dirty Work (Preview) – aespa

There’s also the power of Dolby Vision aside from ProRes that was introduced in last year’s iPhone 16 Pro series.

Even the girls couldn’t hide themselves from showing of their various iPhones in their Insta:

That’s despite their brother group, RIIZE, having to flaunt and endorse smartphones + AIoT from the country’s homegrown electronics brand.

❎ Dirty Work ✅ Clean Work

With all that out of the way, here’s the short yet savage ‘Dirty Work’ Performance Video.

Meanwhile, here’s a separate promotional campaign from Apple Korea using the iPhone 16 Pro Behind-The-Scenes.

And while we’re already at it, aespa is set to release an exclusive “Apple Music Edition” EP of the same title on June 27th (Friday). Mark your calendars!

Entertainment

Supergirl gets its first teaser trailer

Milly Alcock stars as the titular character.

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Before the new year starts, it’s already fair to assume that Supergirl might be one of the most anticipated movies of 2026. Premiering a year after the globally successful Superman, Supergirl will see the adventures of Clark Kent’s superpowered cousin, Kara Zor-El. Now, the next film in the sage finally has a teaser trailer.

As James Gunn mentioned previously, Supergirl will be based on Tom King’s Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. Off traveling to other planets to party, Kara finds herself thrust back into the role of being a hero after a young girl named Ruthye Mary Knoll asks her for help.

Though the teaser trailer is mostly a montage of scenes, we already know what we can expect. According to Gunn, Supergirl will be tonally different from Superman, and we see this in the trailer.

However, we can still see influences from Gunn including the usage of “Call Me” by Blondie for the trailer. Also, the film’s space scenes look like they can fit right in with Guardians of the Galaxy.

Still, that’s what we have, and we’re excited. Supergirl will premiere on June 26, 2026.

The film will be directed by Craig Gillespie (Cruella). Milly Alcock plays the titular character. Meanwhile, she will star alongside Eve Ridley as Ruthye Mary Knoll.

SEE ALSO: Superman sequel, titled Man of Tomorrow, comes out in 2027

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Entertainment

Now Playing: Scarlet

The revenge story experiments with the idea of self-discovery.

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You can’t go wrong with a revenge story. Watching a group of evildoers get their deserved comeuppance is always a good time. Mamoru Hosoda’s Scarlet promises such a tale worthy of the greats. However, Hosoda quickly sheds the veneer of revenge for a tale of self-discovery.

Scarlet, the film’s eponymous character, is a princess on a quest for revenge against her uncle, a usurper who ordered the death of her father. However, before she can deal the killing blow, her uncle outsmarts the attempt by poisoning her. She dies and is teleported into a purgatory called the Otherworld. There, she must fight against the other departed to exact revenge from the other side.

So much for revenge

A mix between Dante’s Inferno and Hamlet, Scarlet should have the makings of an excellent revenge story. However, though Scarlet keeps revenge as her main motivation throughout the entire film, she eventually finds a new quest in discovering what she wants to be after she gets her retribution.

She meets Hijiri, a pacifist paramedic from the modern era, who persistently asks her to reconsider seeking violent ends to her enemies. With Hijiri in tow, Scarlet discovers that there is more value in helping other people and giving her enemies a second chance.

Was it a shift well earned?

Most revenge stories today come with a similar twist where the main character reevaluates their murderous rampage to seek inner peace. This usually comes after the murderous rampage. After all, how do you redeem someone who hasn’t done anything wrong?

In stories like these, satisfaction comes when the main character kills minor villains. After getting their fun, a traumatic incident causes them to lose their drive to fall short of killing the main villain. In some situations, the character sacrifices themselves to save someone else. In others, they choose to forgive the villain.

Scarlet fast-forwards straight to the finish by choosing less violent measure right from the beginning. As hellbent as she is on killing her uncle, she fails at every step, usually because of stronger enemies. The only thing she becomes good at is sparing and forgiving her foes, often prodded by allies.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with writing a unique take on the revenge story. However, Scarlet wants audiences to learn its lesson without going through the grueling work that often comes with such a lesson.

Hosoda wants to play it off as the futility of vengeance, and he’s right in making that the moral of the story. However, this just doesn’t stick.

A beauty on the screen

Amid all the criticism, Mamoru Hosoda always manages to deliver visually appealing pieces for the big screen. Scarlet is no different. It features hand-drawn animation that looks three-dimensional and laid on top of realistic scenery.

For all its misgivings, Scarlet transports audiences to a picturesque purgatory with a clear target, the Infinite Lands. If you love fantasy world-building, the movie showcases a fantasy worthy of the name. Though I had problems with Scarlet’s character, I still looked forward to seeing what comes next over the horizon.

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Entertainment

Netflix unveils Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 2 teaser trailer

Coming in 2026

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Courtesy: Netflix

Fans are finally getting an official first look at live-action Toph as Netflix has unveiled the first teaser trailer for Season 2 of Avatar: The Last Airbender.

It’s been more than a year since the announcement of the live-action adaptation’s renewal for Seasons 2 and 3. The second season is slated in 2026.

Aside from a short trailer, Netflix also bared first look photos for the upcoming second installment. Season 2 features new cast member Miya Cech, who plays master Earthbender Toph in the series.

Returning cast members, meanwhile, include Gordon Cormier as Aang, Kawentiio as Katara, and Ian Ousley as Sokka, among others.

In Season 2, after a bittersweet victory saving the Northern Water Tribe from the Fire Nation, Avatar Aang, Katara, and Sokka regroup and set off on a mission to convince the elusive Earth King to aid their battle against the fearsome Fire Lord Ozai.

Book 2 of the renowned Nickelodeon animated series, of course, focuses on the Earth Kingdom, with Toph Beifong among the key characters throughout that season.

The narrative also becomes more complex, with Zuko’s character arc and as well as the role of Azula as one of the intriguing antagonist figures to set up Season 3.

The 78-second clip mostly previews Miya Cech as the live-action Toph, plus the visual effects fans can expect with her ability to manipulate rocks and see the world through seismic vibrations.

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