Le Sserafim debuts at Coachella to mixed reviews

Girl group Le Sserafim made its Coachella debut with a performance on Saturday. [COACHELLA VALLEY MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL YOUTUBE]

Girl group Le Sserafim made its Coachella debut on Saturday to a mixed audience reaction. Some applauded the quintet's skillful performances, while others criticized members' vocal capabilities.

Le Sserafim, decked out in custom Louis Vuitton outfits, performed 10 songs during their 40-minute Coachella debut set, according to its agency Source Music. This included the group's hits “Antifragile” (2023) and “Fearless” (2022).

The group also performed an unreleased track, “1-800-hot-n-fun,” which Billboard said was as an “uptempo highlight.”

Nile Rodgers, famed guitarist and producer of Chic, also guest starred in the group's set during the performance of “Unforgiven (feat. Nile Rodgers)."

U.S. media outlets present at the festival noted the group’s performances for being noticeably more edgy and having unrestrained energy in their reviews. Music publication NME praised the group’s “electrifying new rawness,” and the Los Angeles Times called the performance “unusually candid” for the K-pop act.

However, online viewers tuning into the festival's livestream on YouTube gave less than positive reviews. Viewers criticized the members’ live vocals in particular, which had been under scrutiny even before Saturday’s performance.

"I love Le Sserafim but I think Coachella is too much for them," one user said on Instagram.

"Are they singing or yelling?" another comment read.

This isn't the first time the group has been criticized for its vocal performances. The members were reportedly caught lip-synching on their first world tour last year, and were criticized most recently after a poor live performance of “Easy” at a Korean music show made the rounds online.

Online viewers also compared the group’s vocals to other K-pop acts’ songs at Coachella, including those of Blackpink, the first girl group to perform at the music festival in 2019. Blackpink were the first Korean act to headline the festival in 2023.

Le Sserafim was the fastest K-pop act to be invited to perform at Coachella, achieving the feat within two years of debut.

Le Sserafim is scheduled to hold another performance at Coachella on April 20.

BY KIM JU-YEON [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]