Concert review: Le Sserafim are ‘steady lah' with strong stage presence, use of Singlish

Straits Times

21 hours ago

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2025 Le Sserafim Tour Easy Crazy Hot In Singapore
Singapore Indoor Stadium
Aug 16
Le Sserafim's fans in Singapore are 'steady lah', the K-pop girl quintet praised repeatedly during their sold-out show at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Aug 16.
The 7,500-strong audience frequently sang along and cheered, earning the approval of the group, who also exclaimed in Singlish: 'Swee lah (Hokkien for nicely done).'
This marked Le Sserafim's first performance in Singapore since their 2022 debut and subsequent meteoric rise.
The group's line-up comprises Kim Chaewon, 25, and Hong Eunchae, 18, from South Korea; Sakura, 27, and Kazuha, 22, from Japan; and Huh Yunjin, 23, from the United States.
Their concert tour kicked off in April in Incheon, followed by stops in various Japanese cities, Taipei, Hong Kong, Manila and Bangkok. Singapore marks the conclusion of their Asia tour.
In September, they are scheduled to perform in eight North American cities, including Chicago, San Francisco and Las Vegas.
The K-pop sensation delighted fans with a comprehensive set list of more than 25 hits. They opened with Ash and Hot, two alluring mid-tempo tracks from their latest EP, released in March.
The quintet's choreography for Hot had them fanning their faces to the lyrics 'I'm burning hot'. This set the stage for a nearly three-hour energetic performance.
The group made a concerted effort to use Singlish, and were eager to impress and connect with their fans, affectionately known as Fearnot.
For instance, before launching into the high-energy Latin-pop-inspired Fire In The Belly (2023), which features a Spanish chant of 'ole ole ole', Kim encouraged the audience to join in: 'Singapore, be my kaki.'
The concert also incorporated elements of a fan meet, with the quintet engaging in long stretches of banter and playing games among themselves.
As with every show on the concert tour, they performed a local tongue twister. For the Singapore leg, this involved hilarious attempts to order coffee like a local: 'Auntie, kopi, kopi peng, kopi kosong, kopi O, kopi C, kopi siew dai, kopi ga dai, kopi gao. Da bao.'
Which member did the best? From the enthusiastic cheers, all five of them were winners.
The second half of the show featured songs that propelled them to fame, such as Antifragile (2022), Unforgiven (2023) and Eve, Psyche & The Bluebeard's Wife (2023). Just like at most concerts, many attendees held up their phones to record videos and take photos.
Sakura gently urged them to put away their phones and immerse themselves in the moment. 'We look more beautiful when you see us through your eyes,' she playfully remarked.
Indeed, they were captivating, with Kim appearing to be the most popular among the young male concertgoers, who made up a good half of the audience.
Her name was frequently yelled, even leading to a humorous shouting match when one fan, wearing a yellow jersey with her name screamed back: 'Chaewon is mine!'
K-pop girl quintet Le Sserafim performed in Singapore for the first time since their 2022 debut and subsequent meteoric rise.
PHOTO: OFFICIAL.LESSERAFIM/FACEBOOK
As the concert concluded, the group promised to return to Singapore. Huh said: 'Please get more people to like Le Sserafim.'
Their heartfelt appreciation was evident as they lingered onstage long after their final two songs – their first full English track Perfect Night and the Korean song No-Return (Into The Unknown) – continuing to say 'thank you' and 'bye-bye' to their fans.
In the eyes of the audience, the quintet were truly 'steady lah' too.