LE SSERAFIM | HYBE’s First Girl Group

LE SSERAFIM (르세라핌) is a 6-Member Girl Group under HYBE Corporation. Yes, that’s right. HYBE. As in the entertainment company that produced groups such as BTS, TXT, and ENHYPEN (under HYBE’s subsidiary label, BeLift Labs).

The group’s name ‘LE SSERAFIM’ is an anagram of ‘I’M FEARLESS’, and it implies self-confidence and a strong will to move forward without being swayed by the world’s gaze. The members include Sakura, Kim Chaewon, and Huh Yunjin, who are former contestants of the reality survival show Produce 48; Sakura and Chaewon both made it to the final 12, and thus became members of IZ*ONE. The other half of the group includes Kazuha, Kim Garam, and Hong Eunchae.

A few months after her graduation from her former group HKT48, rumours were being speculated of former IZ*ONE members Sakura and Kim Chaewon being recruited into Source Music’s new girl group. Later, HYBE released a brief statement in response to the claims that they “cannot help verify information regarding our artists' contracts”.

Fans then reported that Chaewon’s profile was removed from Woollim Entertainment’s official website and that Woollim was no longer listed as the agency that she is under on her Daum and Naver profiles, leaving speculation that she has left the company and signed with HYBE.

After returning back to South Korea on August 23rd, 2021, Sakura was reported to discuss a new contract with HYBE, and a month later on September 23rd, it was reported that she had signed an exclusive contract with Source Music. HYBE once again responded with the fact that they “cannot confirm any details regarding an artist's exclusive contract”. Later on, on November 1st, Vernalossom announced that Sakura’s contract with them had expired.

On March 14th, 2022, it was officially announced that Sakura and Chaewon had signed to Source Music and would be debuting in their upcoming girl group.

Over a week later since the announcement of Sakura’s and Chaewon’s signing to Source Music, Source Music started a 72-hour countdown through their official website with the page reading “IM FEARLESS”, which would later be revealed to be an anagram for the group’s name, LE SSERAFIM. Later that same day, the group was reported to have six members, including Sakura, Chaewon, former Pledis Entertainment trainee and Produce 48 contestant Yunjin, two other trainees from Source Music, and a former Japanese-Dutch ballerina who was personally recruited by the CEO of Source Music, So Seongjin.

On March 29th, a project called ‘The First Moment of LE SSERAFIM’ was revealed through Weverse, which would start with the reveal of the group’s first member, Sakura on April 4th. On April 4th, the project had begun, in which voice messages, signatures, and exclusive photos of the members were revealed, as well as snippets of the group’s debut song through their official website. A week later on April 12th, it was reported that around 120,000 digital souvenirs were sold out during the project.

On March 30th, it was reported that HYBE founder Bang Sihyuk (“Hitman Bang”) would be the ‘Executive Producer’ and would oversee LE SSERAFIM’s debut album, Fearless. A day later, it was reported that the group would be working with creative director Kim Seonghyun, who has worked with other HYBE groups such as BTS and TXT.

Following the reveal of Sakura on April 4th, the rest of the members were revealed consecutively until April 9th. Sakura on April 4th, Kim Garam on April 5th, Hong Eunchae on April 6th, Kim Chaewon on April 7th, Kazuha on April 8th, and Huh Yunjin on April 9th.

LE SSERAFIM is set to debut on May 2nd with their first mini album Fearless. And by the time you read this article, they have already debuted. Personally, I am excited for LE SSERAFIM, and whatever they have in store for us next!

21.04.2022