When you witness the confidence, composure, and professionalism that Le Sserafim bring to every performance, it can be hard to believe that they’re only in their second year as a group. In fact, several members have “past lives” that helped get them where they are today — from Kim Chaewon and Sakura’s time in the girl group IZ*ONE to Kazuha’s time studying ballet in Europe. But it’s as a five-member group, together with bandmates Huh Yunjin and Hong Eunchae, that they’ve found their stride.
Le Sserafim put themselves on the map shortly after their 2022 debut as a K-pop group with top-notch choreography and unforgettable performances. 2023 was a year full of milestones: They had their first fan meeting, went on their first tour, performed in the U.S. for the first time, and became brand ambassadors for Louis Vuitton, just to cite a few accomplishments. Playing in the U.S. was a surreal experience, especially for Yunjin, who grew up in upstate New York: “I used to do all of my auditions in New York, and I would get on a plane to Korea in New York…to go there all together was really memorable.”
This spring has the potential to put the group on an even higher trajectory, thanks to their first Coachella performance — something all five members are thinking about. “I think it’ll be a part of Le Sserafim’s history,” Sakura says. “Success there will open up more opportunities for us. I really want it to go well!” Chaewon is excited to perform there, too. “Being invited to the festival this year, especially this early in our career, is something I’m still trying to grasp,” she says.
Yunjin puts it this way: “We watched Blackpink’s Coachella performance last year, and we learned a lot from just watching, but we were also like, ‘It would be so cool for us to perform there some day. That would be such a dream.’ We had no idea we’d be performing the next year! It’s absolutely crazy.”
While some members may have known each other longer than others, they know how to communicate and have nailed how to work together. “I would say we’re just like a group of friends,” Yunjin says with a laugh. “We all speak very comfortably with each other — we don’t reserve ourselves too much. We like to be open about our opinions. And we like to talk things out. Especially when there’s a decision we need to make, we like to get everyone’s opinion in, and we always fool around.”
Their relationship with their fans, known as FEARNOTs (a nod to the group’s name, which anagrams to “I’m Fearless,” as well as a play on words in Korean), is just as important to them. Eunchae, the group’s youngest member, cites Le Sserafim’s first fan meeting, where they played games with fans and performed for them in a more intimate setting, as one of her favorite memories. She and Yunjin took part in writing “We Got So Much,” a song that expresses gratitude to their fans: “I tried to be as honest as possible… nothing is a given,” she says. “I wrote the lyrics honestly from my heart, and was lucky that it made it into the song.” They got even closer with their fans when they toured Asia for the first time last summer. “It was amazing to feel their love and support in the flesh,” Chaewon says. “It was one of my greatest memories.”
Even as Le Sserafim continue to reach new heights and make more of a name for themselves, they want to stay grounded and relatable. “Growing up I’ve always thought of idols to be in another world, far away, so I want our group to be one that is close by and in reach,” Eunchae says.
More doors will continue to open for Le Sserafim, and there’s a lot the members want to try. Yunjin mentions her desire to try indie rock and house music, and Kazuha shares her love for easy-listening and R&B (an influence heard on Le Sserafim’s “Impurities”). They’re always up for a challenge, though, and some of the genres explored in “Easy” were unfamiliar, too. Because previous Le Sserafim releases have been high-tempo with choreography that’s just as fast-paced, toning it down this time around was new. “Our performance director has been emphasizing letting go and toning down the energy,” Sakura shares. “It’s been fun.”
“My goal is to live without regrets,” Kazuha says. “We have a lot of opportunities and I think we may have more in the future. I don’t think anything truly comes easily, so I want to prepare everything without regrets to the best of my ability so they all remain as good memories.” This tracks in particular for Kazuha, given her years of intensive ballet training living away from family growing up.
Chaewon puts it another way when asked about life mottos for Le Sserafim: “An optimist sees opportunity in hardship, a pessimist sees hardship in opportunity,” she says. “It’s a phrase I personally like.”
