On June 6, aespa’s Giselle took to Instagram Live in her most outspoken and unfiltered broadcast, doing something that most idols don’t do in front of thousands of viewers: speak the truth. K-pop idols are heavily media-trained from day one as trainees – coached on how to behave in the public eye, what to say during promotion periods, and how to navigate (or avoid) sharing opinions on certain topics, to essentially become heightened versions of themselves than they would be in real life.

Giselle, however, broke the mold in a way that’s rarely seen from an idol still in the thick of their career, deviating from the idol norms to shed light on what she thinks of the K-pop industry, the realities of being an idol, and a peek at who she really is underneath it all.

Over the last few months, aespa – specifically Giselle and NingNing – have become increasingly vocal in defending themselves against online hate. Like many other K-pop artists, especially women, the members are constantly berated with comments about their appearances, with anonymous netizens calling them “ugly,” and going out of their way to call the girls fat or point out when they’ve gained or lost weight.

Back in March, during a solo livestream, a comment was made towards NingNing. “You look ugly without makeup,” she read from one person. “So what?” was her response. “This is how I look. I’m honestly just laughing at it. Let’s accept how we look and grow… you can always improve. But looking at someone and saying, ‘You’re ugly,’ is not cool.”

Other comments questioned why the 23-year-old was showing off her chest so much, to which NingNing offered a smooth yet direct response. “I didn’t – what the hell?” she laughed. “What about it? Don’t bodyshame…what if I do? What if I show my boobs? Everyone can show their bodies – it’s your choice.” But what’s so interesting and impressive about Giselle and NingNing is that they’ve seemed to throw some caution to the wind and refuse to be silenced.

This has subsequently manifested in Giselle’s most recent live, which has since gone viral for how freely she spoke. The Japanese-Korean singer has been particularly ridiculed for her face “changing and looking different” every time she’s out in public, with many speculating that she’s had plastic surgery. While most idols would let such comments roll off their shoulders, the 25-year-old addressed these topics head-on.

When one commenter asked how she lost “so much weight,” Giselle retorted with, “Honestly, you guys talk about my looks a lot…that’s really all you talk about when it comes to me.” She went on to explain that losing and gaining weight is a natural part of life and happens as we age – the fact that this even needed to be said at all says a lot about how little people think before commenting on other people’s bodies.

From there, the live became increasingly candid, with the singer letting her guard down and revealing aspects of her life she’s never spoken about before. When asked if she was healthy, Giselle offered a lengthy, but vulnerable response, “I try really hard to be healthy, but it’s hard for a K-pop star to be healthy, if I’m being honest with you. Nothing is worth anything when you’re losing your health – it’s like sometimes you want to die, but the moment you get sick…you want to live. You’re like dying to live, like, ‘Please let me feel normal again,’ it’s like that. So do everything in your power to be healthy.”

But the candor didn’t stop there – when asked whether she ever felt like she hated herself, Giselle didn’t shy away from the truth, and even included a bit of a witty tone in juxtaposition to the response. “Sh*t, I hate myself sometimes, too. We all do, we have all moments. Don’t let it be consistent, you know? I would like to say that it is a phase.”

As a public figure with nearly 11 million Instagram followers and a reach that extends beyond even her own fanbase, it cannot be stressed enough how important it is to hear a K-pop artist be so raw and earnest in their responses. Many tend to put idols on a pedestal, as if they are always perfect, and never go through hard times – sometimes, it feels like the industry itself would prefer we see them that way. But in these rare moments, when an idol goes “off-script” and shares their honest thoughts, fans get a sense of the human underneath the mask.

Giselle all but confirms this later on in the live, stating that while she doesn’t regret being an idol, it is very far from who she really is. “There’s a lot of facade in there. Hope you’re not surprised when you actually get to see the real me, but I drop little hints here and there – hopefully you pick up on them.” She then playfully added, “But I don’t want to give everything away right now – that’s boring.”

It’s no secret to K-pop fans that many companies assign – or at least encourage – specific personality types to members of their groups, even if it’s far removed from how they act in real life. Within aespa, Giselle is known for her witty, bubbly persona – being dubbed “the social butterfly” of the group. But when she’s not in idol mode, as shown in her Instagram Live, she’s actually very chill and laidback, while still maintaining her witty nature. She also likes to swear, which is not something you’d typically hear from an idol, unless they’re allowed to swear in a song, but it also shows that she’s normal and cursing from time to time isn’t a crime.

As if fans couldn’t be more endeared to her already, Giselle also publicly expressed her support for the LGBTQ+ community, offering words of encouragement when asked for advice for gay fans who aren’t out to their families. “For whatever reason you’re not coming out to your family, I will say follow your intuition and don’t force anything,” she stated. “But just don’t ever hate yourself or feel wrong about anything ‘cause we love any kind of sexuality. You’re not wrong, and you’re very loved…there are a lot of gay people out there, and I hope you find a good partner.”

While the K-pop industry has slowly but surely become more open in acknowledging the queer community – drag queens appearing in music videos, ballroom culture playing a larger role in choreographies, XLOV debuting as the first “genderless” group – many are still feeling seen for the first time through Giselle. One user wrote, “I’ve been listening to K-pop for seven years, no idol has ever stood up for me like this. I’ll never forget this.”

This is why idols should be allowed to use their platforms for the greater good – not just to promote their music, brand deals, or editorial shoots, but also to uplift the communities that consistently have their backs. It makes a world of difference to know that your favorite groups are just as accepting and welcoming as they seem.

Speaking of the industry, however, Giselle took her truthful livestream even further, answering a question about what she would change about the K-pop industry as a whole. “Scams,” she responds with a coy smile. “This is not beneficial to me at all, me saying this – very not smart of me, just so you know. But I’ll be honest with you…being inhumane to people in an inhumane society. I’d change that about K-pop.” Once again, we see the singer taking a risk and weighing in on topics she knows she shouldn’t be broadcasting to the world, but doing it anyway because she knows the importance of transparency in an industry that would rather conceal.

Before finally hopping off the livestream, Giselle reflected on how nice it felt to be authentically herself for once. “It was nice being real, feels like this is the first time I’ve actually been kind of me,” she admitted. “This is kind of me being free right now. I don’t know what’s going to happen after this... good luck to me.”

With everything she discussed during the live, it’s understandable that she’d be a little apprehensive as to how SM will respond to it. But honestly, knowing the things she shared could potentially get her in trouble with her company – and doing it anyway – just goes to show how much Giselle needed to get off her chest and express herself. If the response to Giselle’s live signals anything, it's that there's an appetite for this kind of honesty that the industry has been slow to acknowledge. Whether companies choose to listen is another question entirely.