Who are LE SSERAFIM?
LE SSERAFIM is a five-member K-pop girl group. They embrace the concept of being fearless and untouchable. The group has two members from Japan, two from Korea, and one from New York. The band’s name is an anagram for “I’M FEARLESS” which is the storyline to know when diving into this group. Source Music under HYBE ENTERTAINMENT created LE SSERAFIM. They debuted in May 2022 when their mini album and lead single, “FEARLESS,” was released to the world.
“FEARLESS” is about climbing to the top of the world and staying away from naysayers who can’t handle fierceness. On their debut single, they curse, defying the usual rules of K-pop girl groups. Their concept is nowhere near the girly bubblegum pop that is portrayed within some girl groups. “FEARLESS” is also about the beginning of their journey as LE SSERAFIM and wanting to become a spectacle all over the world.
After only two years of being an active group, LE SSERAFIM are on the lineup for Coachella. They will be playing on April 13 and 20. So far, the group has played only one US show at the GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles. Now, they are going to perform at this prestigious festival. Make sure to check out Coachella’s website for passes and bundles.
If you don’t know many details about the group, let me introduce you to one of my favorite groups.
Background on the Members
LE SSERAFIM have gained popularity, not only because of their strong music, but also because of two influential members. Miyawaki Sakura is an ace in the industry. She has worked for over 12 years. Originally, Miyawaki was in Japan as a member of HKT48 and AKB48 until she auditioned for Produce 48 in Korea. She became a member of the 12-member group IZ*ONE after placing 2nd in the show. Produce 48 is a K-pop survival show where the group IZ*ONE was formed. Kim Chaewon and Huh Yunjin participated in the contest as well.
Kim Chaewon got tenth place, while Huh Yunjin, sadly, did not make it into the temporary group. Survival shows in Korea tend to create groups that have a contract for usually only three years. IZ*ONE was probably the most successful group to come from these shows. 26 music show wins later, the group disbanded in 2021 after their contract ended. The girls’ futures were not determined until the news broke.
More Background on the Group
The two trained with many different girls who were contenders for the group until Huh Yunjin became a permanent member who knew the girls well because of their time together on Produce 48. Nakamura Kazuha was scouted by LE SSERAFIM’s choreographer, as she was a professional ballerina. She struggled with choosing between staying with ballet or joining HYBE’s new group. Eventually, Kazuha ended up taking the chance and joined the group. She still uses elements of her ballet within their music, as well as their performances. Hong Eunchae, the youngest of LE SSERAFIM, has been a trainee under Source Music since 2021. She secured her spot as the last member of the group. If you want to watch how the group came to be, check out their documentary The World Is My Oyster.
LE SSERAFIM’s First Album Releases
A year after their debut—May 2023—they released their first full-length project. UNFORGIVEN includes updated versions of tracks from their first and second mini albums. At first, LE SSERAFIM was a six-member group with Kim Garam until a bullying scandal came to the forefront. Finally, Source Music ended up taking her out of the group due to fans being upset LE SSERAFIM was getting backlash.
The thirteen-track album is a journey from beginning to end. Each era starts with a spoken word intro against a runway-type beat, as their concept also includes the world being their runway. Source Music put a lot of time and care into their storyline to show just what LE SSERAFIM are made of and what they can be. Multiple genres are included within this album showing their versatility. Some genres include reggaeton, pop, R&B and rock. After two years in the music industry, the group currently has 13.3 million followers on Spotify. This usually takes other groups 3+ years to accomplish. Besides being a part of HYBE, when you have members acting close like sisters and making great content, their fame was imminent.
LE SSERAFIM have fantastic b-sides, with a personal favorite being “Impurities.” The R&B track discusses allowing yourself to be human as you are perfect with the flaws you have. Their confidence and empowering lyrics make you feel content with yourself. In their music, they discuss being uncontrollable; they won’t become the perfect woman for you. They are strong independent women, which is a concept needed more in K-pop. There are a lot of love songs in K-pop and LE SSERAFIM defy that. They want to spread their power to the world with real messages that relate. This is why they receive mass success and praise.
LE SSERAFIM Announce New Project
LE SSERAFIM took to their social media on January 22 to announce their new mini album, EASY, out on February 19. A dramatic trailer—titled “Good Bones”—for the project came out on January 25. For every era, they always release a trailer to get you excited for what’s to come and a small insight into what storyline the project will follow. The visuals are next level in the trailers and this one is no different.
