The pop music graveyard is full of bands that have fallen out, broken up and disappeared.
British boy band Five broke up after backstage arguments escalated into a fight. A dispute over a jacket led to All Saints' decision to split. Oasis took a 16-year hiatus after Liam Gallagher threw a plum at his brother Noel.
But it's rare to hear a band talk about solving their problems. That's why I'm incredibly excited about the latest album by Korean girl group Le Sserafim.
The middle of the tracklist is a song called "Need Your Company," which details the history of conflict between New York-born member Heo Yunjin and her bandmate Kim Chaewon.
« Is friendship really just a show? »" they sing to the melancholic guitar melody.« I really want to trust you… no matter how much you hurt me.".
«"I wanted to talk about this strange, complex combination of emotions where you want to be close to someone but it's physically hard for you to admit it," Yunjin says over the phone from the Le Sserafim record label's Seoul office.
«"There are times when you doubt your own feelings, like, 'Am I the only one who wants this kind of intimacy? Or are they not serious about this relationship?'"„
Chaewon, who is absent from our interview because she is recovering from a neck injury, attributed the song's emotionality to communication issues rather than personal animosity.
«"If you look at the lyrics, it might seem like a conflict, but people are just different, you know?" she said on the Korean talk show "Lee Mu-jin Service." "It took time to adjust to these differences.".
«"Sometimes saying 'you hurt me' can sound harsh," Yunjin explained in the album's liner notes, "but it can also mean that I care about us enough to want things to work out.".
«"When we were going through difficult times, we would openly discuss things and work through them together," Chaewon explained. "And honestly, we even became closer.".
So close, in fact, that the singers eventually decided to team up for a terrifying 233-metre bungee jump from a tower in Macau, China.
Maybe Noel and Liam should try this.
«"I just held on to you," Chaewon said to Yunjin after they survived falling from a tower in Macau. [Music source]
The maturity required to tackle serious interpersonal issues is rare, but it's also a hallmark of Le Sséraphim's approach to K-pop, which combines serious self-knowledge with playful absurdity.
The group, which also includes Miyawaki Sakura, Nakamura Kazuha, and Hong Eun-chae, debuted in 2022 with sophisticated, bass-heavy dance tracks like "Antifragile" and "Unforgiven.".
Their name is an anagram of the phrase "I'm Fearless," and these early songs reflected the typical girl group image of combative, invulnerable self-confidence.
However, their resolve was tested by a particularly vicious online hate campaign that targeted everything from their stage performances to their appearance and even their families.
A 2024 documentary shows the impact of this event on the five band members.
«"I don't understand why I'm doing this, I'm suffering and crying," sobbed Sakura, a pop veteran who never faced such hatred in her previous groups, HKT48 and Iz*One.
However, against this backdrop, Le Sserafim have become one of the biggest pop groups in the world, releasing five top-ten albums in the US and appearing on Spotify's global charts more than 33,000 times.
Mentors of Katsaye
As they grew older, their music became more unusual and daring.
The house beats of 2024's "Crazy" draw influence from New York ballroom culture (that awards show performance is absolutely stunning), while 2025's "Come Over" was produced by UK dance collective Jungle.
PinkPantheress, a fan of the band, contributed to a remix of the song "Crazy" and called the band's music "way ahead of its time.".
The Le Sserafim group advised the Katseye members during their training and provided support throughout the year as the group made significant progress [Katseye / Hybe / Geffen]
Katseye, who are on the same label as Le Sserafim, claim the experienced musicians helped them when they faced their own internet trolls.
«"I talk to Yunjin almost every day," says Katseye's Sofia Laforteza.
«"I think if anyone will understand us, it's them," adds her bandmate Lara Raj.
And if you ever need a master class in how to deal with criticism, look no further than Spaghetti Restaurant.
Released last October, the single is a delightful taunt to Le Sserafim haters, asking, "If we're really that bad, why are you so obsessed with us?"«
Dripping with sarcastic self-confidence, the song is full of catchy melodies, not to mention a guest verse from BTS star J-Hope.
Spaghetti, which has become incredibly popular online, also "was a turning point," says Yunjin.
«"We realized how positive and energetic we are, especially when we're on tour.".
«"It turns out that we really like having fun.".
«"It helped us narrow down what we wanted to do for our new music, and that's how Spaghetti came to be.".
Spaghetti's distinctive visual style and wild spirit mark a new chapter in the band's history [Source Music]
This song breathed new life into the group Le Sserafim.
They've always been funny offstage—think of their futile attempts to escape rehearsals, their relentless teasing of "little" Eun-chae, or the time Kazuha snuck into the concert line dressed as a horse—but now they're adding their humor to their music.
Take, for example, the album's track "Saki." It's a noisy, gang-bang-style rap, using Sakura's alter ego as a vehicle for spreading slanderous rumors about the group.
«"It's kind of satirical," says Yunjin. "Everyone's like, 'Who the hell is Saki?' Why is everyone so obsessed with her? Is she some powerful person's daughter? I heard she's rude. No, I heard she's sober and drives everyone home from parties.".
So what is the truth?
«"She never really goes to parties," Sakura laughs. "She's very introverted. She likes to stay home and pursue small hobbies. She knits and crochets.".
«I’m a little afraid of becoming just „Sakura from Le Sserafim,“» the singer says.
«That’s why I try to keep myself busy with different hobbies, because even in difficult times, when you dive into the world of crochet, all those fears fade into the background.».
Sakura's knitting spawned a whole line of merchandise. Kazuha's horse dance inspired hundreds of memes. [Le Sserafim] The band Le Sserafim recently celebrated its fourth anniversary. [Source Music]
However, when it comes to decisive moments, the group is as united as the scarves on Sakura's head, and the story of their album is one of solidarity.
Before recording a single note, Yunjin (who co-wrote most of the songs) talked with her bandmates about their feelings.
«"She's one of our closest friends," says Cajua. "We've been through the same things and shared so many different emotions. The fact that she was able to turn that into a song for us so we could express it through lyrics means so much to us.".
«"Overall, we had the same feelings," Yunjin recalls. "We wanted to talk about how this sisterhood helped us become more resilient, so we could dream and run again.".
The band wrapped up their first world tour in January but will hit the road again in July [Source Music].
The lead single, Celebration, brings that energy to the dancefloor while redefining the band's definition of fearlessness.
«In our early years, fearlessness meant freedom from fear, and that’s why we are strong,» says Sakura.
«"In the era of Fearless 2.0, we don't deny fear, we embrace it. We use fear as fuel to move forward.".
But perhaps Le Sserafim's boldest move was using a sample from the 90s comedy song "Macarena" in their current single "Boompala".
It wasn't supposed to work. I didn't. wanted , for it to work. But damn, it works… The combination of that upbeat chorus with a powerful Latin house beat and the soothing line: « You can't keep the clouds in the air ».
Boompala [Original Music]
It became another viral hit. The opening choreography, where Chaewon breaks from her meditation to dance discreetly, went viral on TikTok. As a result, their album sold over 500,000 physical copies worldwide last week.
For the fans who have remained loyal to Le Seraphim through thick and thin, it is a joy to see the team entering a new, happier era.
In gratitude for this support, the band will begin their second world tour this July, including their first UK show in London on October 16.
Eunchae says they'll keep the same festive atmosphere from last year's EasyCrazyHot dates.
«"While touring, we were constantly thinking, 'Maybe next time we should try this kind of performance or this kind of stage production.' So we added a lot of those ideas. I think it's going to be a real visual and auditory feast.".
Yunjin hints that we may hear more new music before the concerts conclude in December.
«The album is called «Part 1»… So, as you can imagine, there will be a continuation later.».
I'm looking forward to it.
Thanks to the group's translator, Minzhi Song.
Tickets for Le Sserafim's concert at the O2 Arena are now on sale.
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