Le Sserafim has by no means shied away from making an attempt one thing new.
The five-member Okay-Pop group launched two wildly totally different EPs final yr — the vibe-y, aptly named Straightforward, launched in late February of final yr, months earlier than their U.S. pageant debut at Coachella, and the experimental Loopy, which dropped on August 30.
Again with the ultimate installment of their album trilogy, Sizzling, and its lead single of the identical title, Le Sserafim — comprised of members Chaewon, the group’s chief, Sakura, Yunjin, Kazuha and Eunchae — is as soon as once more displaying off a brand new facet of themselves, embracing a extra stripped down, groove-oriented sound. The bass and drum-heavy title observe is a softer sonically than a few of their earlier releases, whereas the b-side music “Come Over” — a collaboration with J Lloyd and Lydia Kitto from the British band Jungle — has a 60s-era vibe that may make one wish to seize a polka dot costume and go-go boots and hit the dance flooring.
“I feel there’s quite a lot of components that I resonate with on this album,” Yunjin tells The Hollywood Reporter. “I feel lots of people will be capable of relate to it.”
The 23-year-old New York native shared a letter in regards to the album and what it means to her on the fan-platform Weverse. “Love persevering — it’s the embodiment of this album,” she wrote on the put up. “I’m grateful for the expertise Straightforward, Loopy, Sizzling has been. I’m grateful for the numerous variations of myself it took to satisfy the individual l’ve come to know at the moment.”
The group, hailing from Supply Music, a subsidiary of Okay-Pop large Hybe, debuted almost three years in the past in Might 2022 and have been on an upward trajectory since. Following the discharge of Sizzling, the lady group is ready to hit the street on the Straightforward Loopy Sizzling tour starting subsequent month in Incheon, South Korea earlier than heading to a number of nations all through Asia, with North American dates anticipated to happen in September.
The group is stuffed with pleasure about their new album, fortunately laughing with each other all through a Zoom name with THR from Seoul as they chat about their new album, what it means to them, how they’ve grown nearer to 1 one other and the way they hope to be perceived as a bunch.
Sizzling is the final album in your Straightforward/Loopy/Sizzling trilogy. How do you’re feeling about ending it up and do you could have favourite components of creating it?
YUNJIN We put quite a lot of our love and work into it. This album is the primary album the place we actually set the principle theme as love. So it was actually, actually cool to speak about one thing like that. We needed to convey a message of actually going after what you’re captivated with regardless of not realizing the way it’s going to really find yourself. Whereas making this album itself, for me personally, I bought to like the method of doing issues as a result of the entire message of this album is to actually love the method greater than the consequence. I feel that sort of bled into me. I’m dwelling Sizzling proper now.
SAKURA I’m extremely proud that we’ve been capable of full the trilogy we began with Straightforward. I really feel we’ve grown considerably each as a staff and as people via this journey. I’m excited to maintain evolving much more as an artist sooner or later.
Kazuha, Sakura, Chaewon, Yunjin and Eunchae of Le Sserafim for ‘Sizzling.’
Courtesy of Supply Music
The sound is totally different than quite a lot of the stuff you’ve launched to this point. What was it like getting to indicate a brand new facet of the group?
CHAEWON As we have been engaged on Sizzling, from the get go, we knew that we needed to study this new style. We put quite a lot of thought into it. We did quite a lot of finding out on singing this new [kind] of music and Sizzling, though it might sound tender, there are components the place we have to delicately specific our feelings. We needed to discover a steadiness between not going over an excessive amount of, however on the identical time expressing the issues that we have to specific inside the music.
With this album, particularly with “Sizzling” and “Ash,” it feels prefer it’s a second of rising once more and declaring that is who we’re at this second in time and who we’ve turn into. How a lot of that do you’re feeling personally related to? How a lot of that did you actually wish to discover on Sizzling?
YUNJIN I all the time really feel a deep connection to issues that speak in regards to the round movement of life and demise. I really feel like with this album particularly, it was sort of the same message within the sense that even should you lose a sure a part of your self or a sure a part of you dies, it’s not utterly gone since you’re simply going to be reborn from that outdated self. In that manner, we’re all immortal for this lifetime no less than. I feel there’s quite a lot of components that I resonate with on this album, and I feel lots of people will be capable of relate to it as nicely; simply with the message that we are able to all the time rise from our previous, all the time rise from our ashes and dwell a life full of affection and your passions.
What are your private favorites on the album?
KAZUHA Personally my favourite is “Come Over.” It was a real honor to be collaborating with Jungle. (J Lloyd and Lydia Kitto from the British band collaborated on the music.) This music had the vibe that I actually like, and I believed, what would it not be like if we had a music like this inside an album? I used to be actually wanting ahead to singing it ourselves and as soon as we recorded it, it actually match nicely with us and with the album.
EUNCHAE My favourite is “Come Over” as nicely as a result of in comparison with different songs, that tells you a message. Be true to the feelings for the time being and let’s dance. It actually resonated with me, and it’s a extremely enjoyable and a pleasant music.
CHAEWON It’s “Come Over” for me as nicely. [Laughs]. I’m wondering if I would like to present a distinct reply? However I can’t say in any other case. I really like the music and it was really an honor that we labored with Jungle. They’ve a extremely well-known efficiency video. I turned an enormous fan of them after I watched it. It was actually thrilling to work with them this time round. As I listened to the music, it actually bought me considering that the music is rather like me. Whereas we have been training and making ready for the efficiency, I might actually really feel it. It stated, benefit from the second, which is one thing that basically resonates with me.
YUNJIN I used to be going to say, “Come Over” as nicely. It adjustments on a regular basis although as a result of I take heed to the album, we’ve bought all of the masters. I take heed to it and it adjustments each day, so “Come Over” but in addition “Ash.” I actually do like “Ash.”
SAKURA My favourite observe is “Ash” as a result of it’s a music that superbly captures Le Sserafim’s musical and creative identification.
Le Sserafim, who’re nearing their three-year anniversary, say they’ve solely grown nearer: “Now we have a extremely good staff right here.”
Courtesy of Supply Music
How are you feeling in regards to the group’s dynamic for the time being, and what have you ever realized in the previous couple of years?
CHAEWON For certain we’ve turn into extra snug with each other, however the factor is I noticed my members are actually good folks. [Group laughs]. The higher I get to know them, I understand they’re actually good folks. Now we have actually good teamwork, and I imagine that there’s a lot to study from one another as time goes by. Now we have a extremely good staff right here.
YUNJIN I personally have one thing so as to add, however I’m going to say it in Korean as a result of I need my group members to listen to it. So just lately we had a shoot, I don’t bear in mind precisely what, however the journey hours are 4 hours. With about two hours left, my cellphone ran out of battery and it bought turned off for the remaining two hours. I simply sat there and bought [to] considering. I discovered myself excited about my [group] members. By the point I used to be again to the corporate at Yongsan, the conclusion I got here up with was that if it’s real love, there are issues that you simply study from it. For example, if it’s precise real love, there are issues that you could study from the opposite individual, and we are able to really educate one another and also you develop collectively. That was what I noticed. The extra I considered every one in all my members, I noticed that I respect them so much. There’s a lot to study from each one in all them. And that’s real love. I noticed I really love my members. I got here again to the corporate, returned to Yongsan, went to our dorm after which fell asleep at 3 a.m., but it surely was actually humorous to appreciate that [I have] real love for my group members.
SAKURA We all the time say that we’d like all 5 of us collectively to be full, and I really worth that sentiment. Having the ability to belief and rely upon each other is what makes us such a powerful staff.
As you develop as artists, how would you like the world to see you? How do you wish to be perceived? Are there issues that you simply want folks knew about you?
KAZUHA I don’t suppose I can reply your query with one thing grandiose, however what I wish to say is that we’re additionally people. Though we could do various things, we’re the identical folks. We really feel the identical feelings — happiness — [but] we even have issues. I do imagine that we supply these true feelings and emotions in our music. Hopefully, to the individuals who dwell in the identical age as us, once they take heed to our music and see our lives, they will get braveness. They’ll really feel connection and hope. We is usually a group that may give braveness and connection to folks.
Is there something about Sizzling that you simply wish to add?
EUNCHAE This album is about having that dedication in direction of the factor that we love and giving our all whatever the consequence. We’re going to give our all — our hearts and feelings. For many who are presently hesitating, pursuing that issues that they love, hopefully our songs and our album may give them slightly braveness to begin pursuing that factor that they love. With that, we won’t neglect the dedication and devotion that we have now made at the moment and work tougher going ahead.
CHAEWON Thus and subsequently, don’t be hesitant to like us with all of your coronary heart.
