In the early hours of this Monday (19), at two in the morning, the CNN was one of the vehicles present online at the press conference of the k-pop group LE SSERAFIM that took place in South Korea. The reason for the conversation was the release of the album “Easy”, nine months after the success “UNFORGIVEN”.
In case you didn't know, the quintet's name comes from the acronym for I'M FEARLESS. In Portuguese, it means “I am fearless”, and several of their biggest hits show this facet of members KIM CHAEWON, SAKURA, HUH YUNJIN, KAZUHA and HONG EUNCHAE.
In “FEARLESS”, for example, they sing that they will win, no matter the obstacle. In “ANTIFRAGILE”, which has great reggaeton influences, they sing that even difficult moments can make you stronger. In the hit “UNFORGIVEN”, they embrace the “villains” they have within, without fear of not being forgiven for their actions.
That's why the album “Easy” brings something new, never explored by the artists. After showing their strongest and not at all fragile versions, this time LE SSERAFIM wants to show their internal conflicts and insecurities.
A vulnerable version of LE SSERAFIM
“I feel like this album really embodies our heartfelt and personal stories. It’s something we’ve never tried before”, confesses KAZUHA at the press conference.
Behind all the charisma and confidence they showed the world, there was a hidden anxiety, according to CHAEWON.
“All this time we have displayed our courage, our audacity, but, in truth, we were not born with them. Everything we have achieved so far is the result of hard work and effort”, explains the group leader. “We wanted to talk about the countless nights of dedication and struggle that go on behind the scenes.”
According to Japanese band SAKURA, since they debuted as a group in 2022, the only thought they had was to do their best. But, as he received a lot of love and support, anxiety also came.
“I wondered if this love and support would continue on our next album. And I also feel a certain pressure to always show a new side of myself,” she admits. “And since LE SSERAFIM is a group that incorporates our heartfelt stories into their music, I thought showing our raw fears and deepest insecurities was really cool.”
The choreography is not at all “easy”
The main track of the new project has the same name as the album, “Easy”, and is in fact different from the group's previous singles, as it has a softer melody. But, according to the group, this doesn't make the choreography any less complex.
“It seems easy compared to other LE SSERAFIM choreographies, but it’s not,” says Sakura. “Our choreography really demonstrates what we want to express in the song “Easy”: it’s not easy, but we manage to make it look like it.”
The youngest EUNCHAE agrees: “We had to use every last drop of energy in our bodies to deliver a powerful performance. I can boldly say that this choreography is the most physically demanding of all the songs we have done so far.”
And, in fact, the effort is so much that it made YUNJIN prepare even more for the vocal effort of singing it live. “I sang while running three kilometers every day to make sure my resistance was up to date”, confides the singer.
A new direction for the clip
The person who directed the video for “Easy” was Nina Mcneely, known for having worked with Doja Cat and The Weeknd.
According to CHAEWON, they recorded in Los Angeles, in the United States, and it was the first time they collaborated with a non-Korean director. “Everything felt new, from her directing style to the storyboarding to the shooting angles and everything in between,” she describes.
Another difference that the leader felt was the fact that, this time, they were directed by a professional who is also a dancer: “She had a very detailed understanding of our choreography, so I believe she did a wonderful job capturing the performance on screen”, she praises. .
See the result:
Backstage at the recording studio
The members collaborated with producer Bang Si Hyuk, the artist who formed the K-pop group BTS. According to EUNCHAE, he wanted “different vibes” for each song – especially because the album covers a wide variety of genres.
“The directions the producer gave us were all different,” recalls the youngest. “I remember when he asked me to sing like an ice princess, like someone who is a little angry and dissatisfied.”
She admitted that, at first, she didn't really understand the direction, especially because the 17-year-old artist has a very lively and happy personality.
“I asked him what an ice princess would be, and he asked me to sing it in a cold, cynical way, as if it were really cold outside. It was a really fun way to record”, he praises.
According to SAKURA, Bang Si Hyuk even apologized to them.
“He said, 'I'm sorry, it's going to take a long time to record because we want really strong vocals,'” he recalls. “I thought we were almost done. What did we do wrong? But it motivated us to do a lot of recording, and I I even took rap lessons for the first time for this album.”
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m Robert Neff, a professional writer and editor. I specialize in the entertainment section, providing up-to-date coverage on the latest developments in film, television and music. My work has been featured on World Stock Market and other prominent publications.
