K-Pop Star to Watch: LE SSERAFIM
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This story is part of Billboard‘s K-Pop Issue.
With EP titles like Fearless and Antifragile, as well as a dedicated fandom named FEARNOT, LE SSERAFIM’s brand of empowered ferocity is crystal clear — and its music is quickly connecting with audiences.
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The month after its release, Antifragile entered the Billboard 200 at No. 14 in November 2022, making LE SSERAFIM the fastest K-pop girl group to enter the tally, just six months after its debut. “I’ve only heard of the Billboard chart; I’ve never really thought about charting under our name,” group leader Kim Chaewon says. “It gave me a clear goal to work even harder to chart higher next time.”
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That time is fast approaching: Chaewon and bandmates Sakura, Huh Yunjin, Kazuha and Hong Eunchae will release Unforgiven, LE SSERAFIM’s first full-length, on May 1. Recorded as the multinational outfit split time between promotion in South Korea and Japan (Sakura and Kazuha were born in Japan, while Chaewon, Yunjin and Eunchae were born in Korea), the album features contributions from Nile Rodgers and songwriting credits for all five members.
“Unforgiven is about our determination as LE SSERAFIM to break out of others’ gaze and restrictions imposed on us,” explains Eunchae, 16, who is the youngest of the group and eight years Sakura’s junior.
“If you have true ambition, I believe you hold the power to overcome any discomfort that might hold you back,” the New York-raised Yunjin adds. “All five of us have that spark in us: It’s what drives us to push our limits and fight to grow into better people, performers and artists. It’s also what has made us and continues to make us tighter and closer as a team. We really are one body and soul.”
LISTEN TO: “Antifragile,” “Fearless,” “Sour Grapes,” “Impurities”
This story originally appeared in the April 22, 2023, issue of Billboard.
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