LE SSERAFIM Talks About 1st Reactions To Group Name, Feeling Pressured By Pre-Debut Media Attention, And More

HYBE’s first girl group LE SSERAFIM has made their highly-anticipated debut!

On May 2, LE SSERAFIM held a showcase for the release of their debut album “FEARLESS.” The group’s members include former IZ*ONE members Kim Chaewon and Miyawaki Sakura, former Pledis Entertainment trainee and “Produce 48” contestant Huh Yunjin, and Kazuha, Kim Garam, and Hong Eunchae.

Their team name LE SSERAFIM is an anagram of “I’M FEARLESS” and implies the group’s self-confidence and determination to move forward without being afraid of the world’s gaze. Huh Yunjin shared her first reaction to their group name, saying, “My first thought was, ‘It’s extremely luxurious.’ It was fascinating and touching. I remember getting goosebumps all over my body and tearing up that day.”

Kazuha added, “Since PD (producing director) Bang Si Hyuk gave us the name LE SSERAFIM, it’s meaningful. He personally proposed the idea of using an anagram of ‘I’M FEARLESS.'”

LE SSERAFIM is the first-ever girl group to be jointly launched by HYBE and Source Music. Sakura explained, “Honestly, I think it’d be a lie to say that there was no pressure. While there was pressure, on the other hand, I was thankful for all the attention. The members and production team said ‘Let’s do what we can instead of being self-conscious of others’ gazes’ and ‘Let’s show them [us] as we are.'”

Regarding the group’s unique strengths, Huh Yunjin explained, “Cool and outstanding seniors are [currently] promoting so it’s an honor to even join that lineup. Since we just debuted today, it’s difficult to say that this specific aspect is our strength. However, I think it’s great that our debut album captures our thoughts and perspectives of how we view the world.”

LE SSERAFIM’s debut album “FEARLESS” includes a title track of the same name as well as four b-sides. Despite this being their first album, members Kim Chaewon and Huh Yunjin are credited as lyricists on the No. 3 track “Blue Flame.”

Kim Chaewon commented, “The lyrics written by me and Yunjin were chosen. I’m happy to have my name in the credits of our first debut album. My desire to actively participate in song production in the future has grown more.” Huh Yunjin added, “I was so, so happy. Since I got to sing lyrics that I wrote, I felt proud while recording and I remember singing excitedly. Since I have a desire for song production, I will continue to work hard in the future as I want to participate in our next album too.”

After debuting in Japan as a member of HKT48 and in Korea as a member of IZ*ONE, this is now Miyawaki Sakura’s third debut. She commented, “When all my promotions ended, I wanted to continue group promotions and promote as an artist on stages all across the world. That’s when I met with Source Music and our thoughts aligned well, so I ended up joining [the agency].”

Miyawaki Sakura continued, “Since it’s my third debut, there is pressure. I keep thinking that I want to do better. However, I think people need to feel pressured in order to grow. I will continue to work hard in the future. I want to promote diligently this year and perform on many award show stages at the end of the year. I also want to receive the rookie award, which we can only receive once as LE SSERAFIM.”

Sakura’s fellow former IZ*ONE member Kim Chaewon mentioned that since she and Sakura were re-debuting and Huh Yunjin had already been introduced to the public through “Produce 48,” they already had certain images formed of them. She continued, “We’re receiving a lot of attention but [because of that,] I don’t think we are free from other people’s perspectives. That’s why we consistently talked about the subject of not dwelling on the past or being affected by the world’s gaze and incorporated that in our album.”

Kim Chaewon also spoke about taking on the leader role in LE SSERAFIM, which is not something she did in IZ*ONE. She shared, “At first, we thought it’d be okay to promote without a leader but then we decided we needed one for smooth communication with our agency. After discussing, I ended up taking on the role of leader. There isn’t anything difficult. My members follow me well. I’ve gained more responsibility than before and I’m thankful to have this good experience with this team.”

Lastly, the group talked about which nicknames they wanted LE SSERAFIM to have. Kim Chaewon commented, “A lot of people have thankfully called us a ‘team of a different class’ so I want to become a team that is worthy of that.”

Hong Eunchae added, “LE SSERAFIM is a group that shows ourselves as we are through songs and performance. I think it’ll be great if I were to hear from someone, ‘I want to become like that.’ I want to become a group that offers a positive influence through honest music.”

Check out LE SSERAFIM’s debut music video for “FEARLESS” here!

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