aespa's Winter Sits Out Dallas Show After Shingles Diagnosis

aespa's Winter was diagnosed with shingles and had to sit out the group's Dallas concert on the 29th, SM Entertainment confirmed via Weverse on the 30th, but the label's statement made clear she had been fighting through symptoms well before that.

"Winter showed a strong will to participate in the scheduled performance as much as possible," SM wrote. "However, for the sake of the artist's health and recovery, it was decided that she would not participate in the Dallas concert and would rest instead." The agency added that Winter had already been experiencing symptoms before the Miami show but took the stage anyway, unwilling to step away from her members.

With Winter resting, the Dallas concert went ahead as a three-member performance, with Karina, Giselle, and NingNing carrying the show. For fans in the venue, it was a noticeably different night, aespa's stage presence and choreography are built around all four members, so the absence was felt.

A world tour that keeps going

The Dallas date is part of aespa's fourth world tour, SYNK : COMPLaeXITY, which spans 25 cities across North America, South America, and Europe. The scale of the schedule makes Winter's decision to push through Miami all the more understandable, and the toll it took equally so.

Shingles, caused by the reactivation of the chickenpox virus, is particularly rough for anyone under sustained physical and travel stress. There is no word yet on how long her recovery is expected to take or whether upcoming tour dates could be affected.