Karina in Control: She’s Headlining Festivals & Fronting Campaigns, But the K-Pop Starlet Isn’t Breaking a Sweat

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It’s late afternoon in Seoul and the air is thick with humidity as throngs of sun-soaked fans push toward the main stage at Waterbomb, the K-pop music festival that merges stripped-down artist performances with over-the-top hydrotechnics and water gun battles.

Backstage, Karina is surrounded by a team of handlers fussing about, each tasked with making sure the aespa star is ready for her solo headlining performance on stage.

A hairstylist adjusts the singer’s middle part to make sure it is sitting just right, while another woman adjusts her outfit, which on this day consists of a mesh football jersey layered over a lime green bodysuit and leopard-print shorts.

Representatives from Sprite, which sponsors Waterbomb and employs Karina as a brand ambassador, mill about, eager to get a product plug in during the “Up” singer’s set.

The Sprite team has hired an interpreter for Karina’s backstage interviews and she stands to the side waiting to be called into action, but the singer politely declines and insists on speaking for herself.

“I’m so excited,” the singer tells Billboard about her performance.

“The energy of Waterbomb is amazing because so many people will be watching me perform, and I always feel the crowd’s love and support for me.” Still, there’s one thing she’s nervous about: “I’m excited, but I’m afraid of getting water on my face,” Karina admits, blushing.

“I have to be careful of the makeup.” Karina photographed in Seoul by Peter Ash Lee on July 25, 2026 Peter Ash Lee The singer’s answer seems to sum up the duality of Karina perfectly: at once carefree and cautious, eager to let loose onstage and perform for her fans, but always in total control of her vocals, choreography and — on this day — her job as a global model for Sprite.

Indeed, the singer’s Waterbomb set is peppered with Sprite shout-outs, from Karina taking a big sip of the brand’s new Sprite Zero With Tea release, to performing her songs against a giant green background.

After her set, she’ll head to the Sprite side stage (in a branded green tank top) where she’ll dutifully answer pre-approved questions about her favorite drink flavor (the Sprite Zero With Tea, of course) and pose for photos under a giant blow-up can of the lemon-lime soda.

The Sprite reps can take a breather.

This girl always delivers.