Le Sserafim
Le Sserafim is a South Korean girl group formed by Source Music, a sub-label of Hybe. The group consists of five members: Sakura, Kim Chaewon, Huh Yunjin, Kazuha, and Hong Eunchae. Originally a sextet ensemble, member Kim Garam departed from the group in July 2022.
Le Sserafim debuted on May 2, 2022, with the extended play Fearless. It was followed in October with their second extended play, Antifragile, which became the group's first release to sell over a million copies and made them the fastest K-pop girl group to debut on the US Billboard 200 at the time. Both EPs' title tracks reached the top ten of South Korea's Circle Digital Chart and were certified platinum for streaming in South Korea and Japan.
Le Sserafim's first studio album, Unforgiven, marked their first number-one album on the Circle Album Chart and their first top-ten album on the Billboard 200. The album's singles "Unforgiven" and "Eve, Psyche & the Bluebeard's Wife" peaked at number two in South Korea and were certified gold for streaming in Japan. The group's first English single "Perfect Night" became their first number-one song on the Circle Digital Chart, topping the chart for six weeks. In 2024, Le Sserafim earned their second number-one album in South Korea and top-ten album on the Billboard 200 with their third extended play Easy. The EP's title track was their first entry on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Name
The group's name, Le Sserafim, is an anagram of the phrase "I'm Fearless" as well as a reference to the heavenly beings with six wings, seraphim.History
2011–2021: Pre-debut activities
made her acting debut in the movie Ano Hito Ano Hi in 2011. That year, she joined the Japanese idol group HKT48 as a first generation trainee. She was promoted to a full member of HKT48 Team H in 2012 and transferred to HKT48 Team KIV in 2014. After being with the group for 10 years, Sakura officially graduated on June 27, 2021.Sakura, Kim Chaewon and Huh Yunjin participated in the reality competition series Produce 48 in 2018. Yunjin represented Pledis Entertainment, which at the time was not owned by Hybe Corporation, Source Music's parent company, while Chaewon represented Woollim Entertainment, her former label. After finishing in second and tenth place, respectively, Sakura and Chaewon were named to the final lineup of the show's project girl group Iz*One, promoting as members until its disbandment on April 29, 2021. Yunjin finished in 26th place and was eliminated in episode 11.
Prior to joining the group, Kazuha trained as a professional ballerina. After passing an audition, she was personally scouted by Big Hit Music founder Bang Si-hyuk during her studies at Dutch National Ballet Academy in the Netherlands. Kazuha also previously attended the Bolshoi Academy in Moscow, Russia and the Royal Ballet School in the United Kingdom.
Hong Eunchae was a student at Def Dance School for two years. She previously auditioned for JYP Entertainment and Pledis Entertainment before joining Source Music in 2021.
2022: ''Fearless'', Kim Garam's departure, and ''Antifragile''
On March 14, Source Music announced that they would launch a new girl group, with Miyawaki Sakura and Kim Chaewon set to be the first members. On March 21, Hybe confirmed the group would officially debut in May. The members were revealed in "The First Moment of Le Sserafim" teasers from April 4 to April 9. On April 13, Source Music announced that Le Sserafim would release their debut extended play, Fearless, on May 2. Pre-orders for the EP surpassed 270,000 copies in seven days and 380,000 copies in sixteen days. On May 10, eight days after their debut, the group earned their first music show win on SBS MTV's The Show.Prior to the group's debut, Kim Garam became a subject of controversy. She was accused of bullying other students at her middle school and engaging in underage smoking and drinking. Hybe Corporation denied the allegations, claiming that Kim was the victim, not the perpetrator of bullying. They expressed that they would take legal action against those who spread false rumors, and Kim was not removed from the debut lineup. On May 20, Hybe Corporation and Source Music issued a joint statement regarding Kim Garam's bullying allegations, announcing that she would take a hiatus due to the pending investigations and that Le Sserafim would temporarily promote as a five-member group. On July 20, the companies announced that Kim Garam would depart from the group and that her contract had been terminated, with Le Sserafim to continue as a five-member group.
Le Sserafim released their second EP, Antifragile, on October 17. It marked their first release as five members, following Kim Garam's departure. The album reached number 14 on the Billboard 200, making Le Sserafim the fastest K-pop girl group to debut on the chart. On November 24, Hybe released a webtoon, titled Crimson Heart, based on the group's message to "advance without fear" through the platform Webtoon.
2023: Japanese debut and ''Unforgiven''
On January 25, 2023, Le Sserafim made their debut in Japan with the release of the Japanese single "Fearless". It contained Japanese versions of "Fearless" and "Blue Flame", along with an original Japanese song, "Choices". "Choices" served as the theme song for the Japanese drama 3000 Yen: How to Enrich Life. On March 16, 2023, Source Music reported that Le Sserafim would be making a comeback in early May. On April 3, they announced their first studio album, Unforgiven, which was released on May 1. In June, it was announced the group would embark on their first concert tour, the Flame Rises Tour, beginning in August. On July 25, the group released their second original Japanese song "Jewelry" from their second Japanese single, "Unforgiven". The single, released on August 23, also featured Japanese versions of "Unforgiven" and "Antifragile".On October 12, Source Music announced that the group would be releasing their first English-language digital single, "Perfect Night" on October 27 in collaboration with Blizzard Entertainment to promote Overwatch 2. An in-game event featuring cosmetics and game modes themed after the group ran from November 1 to November 20. The group performed at BlizzCon on November 4. On November 19, the group released "Dresscode", which serves as the theme song for the Japanese live-action television series adaptation of the manga series Sexy Tanaka-san.
2024: ''Easy'', Coachella and ''Crazy''
On January 22, 2024, it was confirmed that Le Sserafim would release their third EP, Easy, on February 19. It debuted at number 8 on the Billboard 200 simultaneously with Twice's EP With You-th at number 1, which marked the first week where two all-female K-pop acts were featured in the top 10. The lead single of the same name debuted at number 99 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking the group's first entry on the list. The English versions for the lead single and "Smart" were released on February 23 and March 22, respectively. In April 2024, the group performed at Coachella with Nile Rodgers, where they debuted a new song titled "1-800-Hot-N-Fun". The group confirmed in late June 2024 that a comeback was scheduled in August 2024. On July 10, the music-themed Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, California announced that a special K-pop exhibit will take place in August 2024, displaying the accessories and performance gear worn by artists under Hybe, including Illit, Le Sserafim, Fromis 9, and BTS.On August 5, it was announced that Le Sserafim would be releasing their fourth EP, Crazy, on August 30. The English version and various remixes for the lead single of the same name, including a collaboration with American performer Dashaun Wesley, were released on September 2. On September 4, a lead single remix featuring English singer PinkPantheress was released, followed by another lead single remix with French producer David Guetta on September 9. On September 11, Le Sserafim performed "Crazy" and "1-800-Hot-N-Fun" at their first-ever MTV Video Music Awards and won the PUSH Performance of the Year award for "Easy".
In October, Le Sserafim announced that their third Japanese single "Crazy" would be released on December 11. On November 10, the group made their first appearance at the MTV Europe Music Awards with a performance of "Chasing Lightning" and "Crazy". They were also nominated for three awards: Best Push, Best New, and Best K-pop; they won Best Push. On November 12, the group released the song "Star Signs" which doubles as a pre-release for the upcoming Japanese single "Crazy" and a campaign song for the Japanese brand, Lumine.