[CELEB] Not even losing a member can stop Le Sserafim

K-pop

Published: 13 Oct. 2022, 14:52 Updated: 13 Oct. 2022, 17:09

[CELEB] Not even losing a member can stop Le Sserafim

Le Sserafim's concept image for "Antifragile" [SOURCE MUSIC]

Le Sserafim (stylized in all caps) is releasing its first music since reorganizing as a five-member girl group.

Consisting of Miyawaki Sakura, Kim Chaewon, Hong Eunchae, Kazuha and Huh Yunjin, the group is set to drop its second EP “Antifragile” on Monday.

With five new tracks, Le Sserafim plans to continue showing its theme of fearlessness and confidence. Similarly to its debut song which nonchalantly proclaimed “I’m Fearless,” teasers for the upcoming title track show members proclaiming “I will rise over and over again [...] I am antifragile.”

Le Sserafim's concept image for "Antifragile" [SOURCE MUSIC]

Snippets of the five songs have already been pre-released on short-video platform TikTok and has been seeing enthusiastic user interaction, with fans creating more video clips using the songs in anticipation of their official release. A highlight medley pre-released on YouTube surpassed 1 million views in two days.

Le Sserafim, whose name is an anagram of “I’m Fearless,” debuted in May amid heavy public attention as “HYBE’s first girl group.” The group’s management Source Music is a subsidiary of HYBE, the K-pop powerhouse behind boy bands BTS, Tomorrow X Together and Enhypen.

Le Sserafim's debut showcase in May 2022 [SOURCE MUSIC]

It held a lavish debut showcase at Jangchung Arena in central Seoul, at the time as a team of six. After member Kim Ga-ram left for her involvement in a school bullying scandal in July, the group reorganized in no time and is making a relatively swift sophomore release.

Already at the time of its debut, members Sakura and Chaewon were already well-known names on the K-pop scene. They were formerly active as members of girl group IZ*ONE, a project girl group formed by the 12 finalists of Mnet’s hit idol audition program “Produce 48” (2018). IZ*ONE and its members built a high profile through hits such as “La Vie en Rose” (2018), “Violeta” (2019), “Fiesta” (2020), “Secret Story of the Swan” (2020) and “Panorama” (2020).

IZ*ONE [SWING ENTERTAINMENT]

While also known as a talented dancer, Chaewon especially received recognition for her talent as a vocalist. She competed on MBC’s singing competition show “King of Mask Singer” (2015-) in 2021, in which contestants perform wearing a full-face mask to hide their identity in order to be judged solely based on their singing.

After IZ*ONE disbanded in April 2021, the two made headlines in March when news broke that they had signed with Source Music in order to become part of the agency’s new girl group.

Kim Chaewon of Le Sserafim [SOURCE MUSIC]

Members of Le Sserafim were revealed one by one in April, and Chaewon was chosen as the leader. Having already proved her singing skills, Chaewon was also named a main vocalist within the group. She underwent a stark makeover upon joining Le Sserafim, presenting bold outfit and hairstyle choices.

With a built-in fan base from Sakura and Chaewon’s former girl group activities, Le Sserafim was off to a smooth start. Its debut EP “Fearless” (stylized in all caps) sold over 307,000 copies in the first week of its release, which was the highest CD sales by a debuting K-pop girl group at the time.

Le Sserafim's concept image for "Antifragile" [SOURCE MUSIC]

The EP’s track of the same title was streamed over 100 million times on Spotify and ranked on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart for 19 consecutive weeks. Le Sserafim has already broken its record with “Antifragile,” which has surpassed 560,000 copies in preorders before its official release.

Tracks “Antifragile,” “The Hydra,” “Impurities,” “No Celestial” and “Good Parts (when the quality is bad but I am)” will be made available on music streaming platforms from Oct. 17 at 6 p.m.

Kim Chaewon

Date of birth: Aug. 1, 2000
Zodiac Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Undisclosed
Debut: May 2022 as a member of girl group Le Sserafim
Agency: Source Music

Kim Chaewon first became known to the public as a member of IZ*ONE, a project girl group formed by the 12 finalists of Mnet’s hit idol audition program “Produce 48” (2018). The group disbanded in April 2021 and a year later, Kim was revealed as a member of K-pop powerhouse HYBE’s first girl group Le Sserafim (stylized in all caps) along with her former bandmate Miyawaki Sakura. An anagram of the phrase “I’m Fearless,” Le Sserafim debuted in May 2022 with the EP “Fearless,” which set the highest record at the time for CD sales by a debuting K-pop girl group.

This information was confirmed by Source Music on Oct. 12, 2022.

BY HALEY YANG [yang.hyunjoo@joongang.co.kr]