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The five-member girl group LE SSERAFIM has been breaking records since the very beginning of their career, and in less than six months, they have become one of the most well-known and well-established 4th generation K-pop girl groups in the industry.
After a successful debut with their mini album ‘FEARLESS’, on October 17th, 2022, the group has returned with another mini album titled ‘ANTIGRAFILE’, in which the members say they aim to be more thoughtful, sincere, and reflect upon themselves. They want us to get to know them better and perhaps ourselves as well, so if you're ready to embark on a journey of self-discovery and empowerment while listening to uplifting music, keep reading this article as we walk you through this EP.
The album starts off with the cyberpunk, bass-heavy track "The Hydra," which is named after a mythological entity and is supposed to represent the members' tenacity. Each member expresses their beliefs in their own language—Korean for Chaewon and Eunchae, Japanese for Sakura and Kazuha, and English for Yujin—promising to overcome challenges time and time again. This establishes the concept of empowerment, which runs throughout the album, and also serves as a smooth transition to the title track.
The EP's title track, ‘ANTIFRAGILE’, has a unique and fresh sound that's fairly new to the K-Pop scene in the form of an upbeat and energetic reggaeton rhythm. The song was created in tandem by the famed ‘hitman Bang’ and Honduran reggaeton artist, Isabella Lovestory, resulting in a natural and effortless melding of the K-Pop style and reggaeton genre. Although we’ve seen the incorporation of Black and Latin sounds in K-Pop many times - and you can check out of article on K-Pop x Latin Fusion to hear more on that - this song can definitely still be regarded as the first to formally introduce a reggaeton rhythm into a K-Pop song without it sounding like a poor imitation.
The addictive sound and signature pop elements of K-Pop easily combine to create an outstanding hit, and the lyrics are the icing on top of everything. The group's powerful message in the song emphasizes the value of tenacity, and the lyrics reinforce the idea that no matter what happens, they are invincible, a fact they illustrate by dancing carefree against an apocalyptic background.
Next up is the B-side song ‘Impurities’, which they are currently promoting as the second part to their ‘ANTIFRAGILE’ promotions. In the MV, the members display their effortless vocals while dancing in elegant white outfits, while bright patterns are projected against them, creating a uniquely artistic and visually intriguing watching experience. This is the first of the songs that were co-written by member Yunjin, and it’s a laid-back, sophisticated, addictive R&B track. With confidence, LE SSERAFIM declared in this song that not even their "impurities" could ever take away from their magnificence.
The following track ‘No Celestial’ is another track co-written with Yunjin, and the sound of the song takes a 180-degree turn from the previous track, displaying a more playful, rebellious, and youthful side of the group, over a guitar-heavy rock inspired backing track. This time, the lyrics are about trying to live true to themselves rather than meeting others’ expectations, and striving to be the best versions of themselves rather than worshiped as perfect.
The album ends up with a more carefree, breezy, sweet pop tune; ‘Good Parts (when the quality is bad but I am)’ is a song written and performed by the members Yujin and Sakura in collaboration with the American singer-songwriter Salem Ilese. Matching the uplifting vibe, the lyrics speak of finding the courage to embrace one’s good and bad parts.
Since making their debut in May, the group has shattered a number of records, and it doesn't seem like they're going to stop anytime soon. Their 2nd mini-album ‘ANTIFRAGILE’ made its debut at no.17 on the Billboard 200 chart, and stayed ranked on the chart for a few weeks, making them the fifth girl group in history to do so. Furthermore, the mini-album debuted at no. 2 on the Billboard World Albums Chart, no. 6 on the Current Top Album Sales charts, and no. 7 on the Top Album Sales charts, while the song "ANTIFRAGILE" peaked at no. 28 on the Worldwide Excl, US and no. 44 in the global 200.
Additionally, according to Hanteo, the EP had a first-day sales total of over 400,000 copies, making it the fifth best-selling record for first day sales by a K-pop girl group.
It would seem this is just the beginning for LE SSERAFIM though, as during the recent HYBE annual briefing, the company unveiled future plans and goals for its artist and sub-labels for the upcoming year of 2023. In the report, Source Music stated that they are preparing for a LE SSERAFIM World Tour, and they’re planning to visit cities across Asia, North America and more.
It hasn't even been a year since their debut, but LE SSERAFIM have already made a name for themselves and captured the attention of millions of people thanks to their captivating stage presence, outstanding visuals, and impressive singing and dancing skills.
We're excited to see what comes next for the group, but in the meanwhile, let's be inspired by their music. How do you feel about this comeback and which song was your favorite? Please let us know in a comment on the Kooky app!
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Writer: Valeria Vilez
Editor: Han (O.L)