K-Pop Music Recommendation:
THE FINALE
By Lourdes Miranda
Introduction
Hello and welcome to the FINAL EDITION of the K-pop Music Recommendation issues!
As my time as a senior comes to a close, I’d like to finish this series with a bang! As a grand gesture, I’ll be reviewing a girl-group that JUST debuted not long ago! You may have heard of them and the press releases that their company, HYBE, put out, but they’re a group that was long awaited for because two former members were from a prominent girl-group that disbanded in 2021. Now, without further ado, let me hand the mic over to Lourdes Miranda to discuss and examine the “future of K-pop”... LES SERAFIM!
The group Lesserafim in order from left to right: Kazuha, Kim Chaewon, Hong Eunchae, Kim Garam, Sakura, and Huh Yunjin.
Beginnings
Source Music and Hybe Corporation founded Le Sserafim, a South Korean girl group. On May 2, 2022, the group made their debut with the publication of their debut EP Fearless.
Sakura made her acting debut in 2011 with the film Ano Hito Ano Hi. She joined the Japanese idol group HKT48 as a first generation trainee the same year. In 2012, she was elevated to full member of HKT48 Team H, then in 2014, she was transferred to HKT48 Team KIV. Sakura graduated from the organization on June 27, 2021, after ten years of service.
In 2018, Sakura, Chaewon, and Yunjin competed in the reality program Produce 48. Pledis Entertainment was represented by Yunjin, and Woollim Entertainment was handled by Chaewon. Sakura and Chaewon were named to the final lineup of the show's project girl group Iz*One, promoting as members until its split on April 29, 2021, after finishing second and tenth, respectively. Yunjin was eliminated in episode 11 after finishing 26th place.
Kazuha was a professional ballerina before joining the group, and she was discovered while studying in the Netherlands.
The group's name, Le Sserafim, is an anagram of the phrase "I'm Fearless." The girls themselves came up with the name for their group!
Formation of Group
Source Music announced the formation of a new girl group on March 14, 2022, with Sakura and Kim Chaewon expected to be the initial members. Hybe announced the group's official debut in May on March 21. From April 4 to April 9, teasers for "The First Moment of Le Sserafim" were released, revealing the members. Fearless, Le Sserafim's debut extended play (EP), was released on May 2, 2022. The EP's pre-orders exceeded 270,000 copies in seven days and 380,000 in sixteen days.
Fearless sold over 175,000 copies on the first day of its release.
Here’s the music video that will give you determination, LESSERAFIM’s Fearless!
English Translation of the Song (Lyrics by Serri):
Bam ba-ba-ba-ba-bam
Ba-ba-ba-ba-bam
Ba-ba-ba-ba-bam
Bam ba-ba-ba-ba-bam
Ba-ba-ba-ba-bam
Ba-ba-ba-ba-bam
I’ll get to that place, much higher than space
I felt it, my answer
Surging through my veins, a raging new wave
My staggering passion
I don’t care about the past
Think you should know by now
Where the trouble is, huh
I'm fearless a new b**ch new crazy
Climbing up, next one
Woah-oh-oh-oh, speed it up, highway, highway
Woah-oh-oh-oh, to that amazing ending
All of my scars are a part of me now
Woah-oh-oh-oh, ‘cause I got no fear, no fear
What you lookin' at
What you, what you lookin' at
What you lookin' at
What you, what you lookin' at
What you lookin' at
What you, what you lookin' at
What you lookin' at
What you, what you lookin' at
Mm-mm-mm-mm, I'm fearless, huh
You should get away
Get a get a get away
So you’ll feel no pain
So you, so you’ll feel no pain
You should get away
Get a, get a, get away
Mm-mm-mm-mm, I'm fearless, huh
Bam ba-ba-ba-ba-bam
Ba-ba-ba-ba-bam
Ba-ba-ba-ba-bam
Bam ba-ba-ba-ba-bam
Ba-ba-ba-ba-bam
Ba-ba-ba-ba-bam
I think it’s kinda funny
How you to try to warn me
So done with acting humble
I’ma do it my way
Bring that one forever win to me, ay
Don’t know anything but victory, ay
Got you beggin’ on your knees for me, ay
Take the world, break it down
Break you down, down
Woah-oh-oh-oh, speed it up, highway, highway
Woah-oh-oh-oh, to that amazing ending
All of my scars are a part of me now
Woah-oh-oh-oh, ‘cause I got no fear, no fear
What you lookin' at
What you, what you lookin' at
What you lookin' at
What you, what you lookin' at
What you lookin' at
What you, what you lookin' at
What you lookin' at
What you, what you lookin' at
Mm-mm-mm-mm, I'm fearless, huh
You should get away
Get a get a get away
So you’ll feel no pain
So you, so you’ll feel no pain
You should get away
Get a, get a, get away
Mm-mm-mm-mm, I'm fearless, huh
Bam ba-ba-ba-ba-bam
Ba-ba-ba-ba-bam
Ba-ba-ba-ba-bam
Bam ba-ba-ba-ba-bam
Ba-ba-ba-ba-bam
Ba-ba-ba-bam
Mm-mm-mm-mm, I'm fearless, huh
I won’t lose again, get (Ba-ba-ba-ba-bam)
Ready for my payback (Ba-ba-ba-ba-bam)
Bring it on, I’m waiting (Ba-ba-ba-ba-bam)
Mm-mm-mm-mm, I'm fearless, huh
What you lookin' at
What you, what you lookin' at
What you lookin' at
What you, what you lookin' at
What you lookin' at
What you, what you lookin' at
What you lookin' at
What you, what you lookin' at
Mm-mm-mm-mm, I'm fearless, huh
You should get away
Get a get a get away
So you’ll feel no pain
So you, so you’ll feel no pain
You should get away
Get a, get a, get away
Mm-mm-mm-mm, I'm fearless, huh
Review
The song has a sleek and strong vibe to it. On top of that, it entirely transforms how we refer to Sakura and Chaewon since their IZ*ONE days, which makes for their amazing performances. The beat is melodramatic, yet it gives off a whole different vibe from a girl group I've never heard of. It's no surprise that their CD sold a lot of copies because the beat is both refreshing and catchy. Overall, it's a fun and catchy song to dance to. This song gets an 8 out of 10 from me! They keep repeating the same phrase over and over again until our ears make an understanding that the beat is catchy, which it is, but I think next time they should add more diverse lyrics.
This has been the final K-pop Music Recommendation! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I had fun writing it!