Le Sserafim returns with 'Hot'
Following the new album release, group to embark on first world tour
Le Sserafim is back, this time with some heat.
At 1 p.m. Friday, the K-pop girl group released its fifth EP "Hot," which explores the passionate emotions of giving one's whole heart to what they love.
This new album marks the final installment of a trilogy following the group's third and fourth mini albums "Easy" and "Crazy," released in 2024.
"We've finally reached the last chapter of our trilogy — 'Easy,' 'Crazy' and now 'Hot.' We prepared this album based on the lessons we learned from all the experiences we had last year. We'll give our all to these promotions as well," said Huh Yunjin during a press conference on Friday at Yes 24 Live Hall in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, shortly before the EP's release.
Planned as a trilogy project since 2023, "Easy" explores the anxieties and uncertainties behind the stage, while "Crazy" expresses a desire to break free from these fears. "Hot" takes it further, portraying a passionate attitude of diving into what they love and willingly embracing the outcome.
The album features five tracks, including the title track "Hot," a pop song infused with rock and disco elements, as well as "Born Fire," which stands out with its narration in Korean, English and Japanese. Another track, "So Cynical," co-written by Kim Chaewon, Huh Yunjin and Hong Eunchae, encourages listeners to dive fearlessly into love.
Regarding the title track, Kazuha explained, "It's a song about burning everything for what you love. It's also the first time we're doing a love song as a title track, which makes it special." She continued, "When I first heard this song, I imagined driving with a cool breeze hitting my face. It's powerful yet sentimental, which I think suits our team well."
Huh Yunjin, who participated in producing the title track, recalled the challenges of the process: "Being involved in the title track was an honor, and I wanted to give it my all. I was especially curious about how it would sound when the members sang it, so that was my biggest focus while working on it."
The youngest member Hong Eunchae shared her connection to the album, saying, "The new album is special to me because I turned 20 and prepared it with a fresh start in mind." She added, "We've taken on many new genres in this album, so please look forward to it."
Following their album release, Le Sserafim is set to embark on its first world tour, "Easy Crazy Hot." The tour will begin April 19-20 at Inspire Arena, Incheon, and take them to Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand and more. "We want people to say, 'Le Sserafim is a group you have to see on stage.' Many fans have been waiting for this world tour, so we'll make sure to put on a flawless performance," said Kazuha.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
8 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Megan of Katseye comes out as bisexual
Megan becomes second member of Katseye to come out as LGBTQ+ after Lara Megan, a member of the global girl group Katseye, has publicly come out as bisexual. During a live broadcast on fan platform Weverse with fellow member Lara on Friday, Megan shared her identity with fans, stating, 'I'm coming out. I'm bisexual.' The two celebrated the moment together, jumping in place with joy. This marks the second coming out within the group. Back in March, Lara revealed her sexual orientation through a Weverse live broadcast. She shared that she realized she was attracted to women as early as the age of eight, and confessed that she was deeply afraid when auditioning. 'I didn't know if people would accept me. I was scared it might ruin my chances,' she wrote at the time. With both Lara and Megan now openly identifying as members of the LGBTQ+ community, Katseye stands out as a rare example of queer representation in the K-pop scene. The group will return with its second EP "Beautiful Chaos" on May 27.
Korea Herald
8 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Annual Culture Communication Forum to crown winners of sustainable K-Style contest
International gathering showcases finalists with creative takes on Korean tradition The Corea Image Communication Institute will hold its 16th annual Culture Communication Forum on Thursday at the Grand Hyatt Seoul, wrapping up a monthslong global contest centered on "sustainable K-style." The event will bring together senior diplomatic and business leaders for a ceremony recognizing the competition's finalists and winners. KAIST President Lee Kwang-hyung will deliver opening remarks, with congratulatory messages from Italian Ambassador Emilia Gatto and Japanese Ambassador Koichi Mizushima. EU Ambassador Maria Castillo Fernandez will join around 10 other ambassadors in attendance. Corporate attendees include Seo Jung-ho, chair of the Ambassador Hotel Group; Cho Jung-il, chair of The Hanok Heritage; and Sean Blakeley, chair of the British Chamber of Commerce in Korea and Honorary Ambassador of Foreign Investment Promotion for Korea. Franz Hotten, president of Pernod Ricard Korea, will also attend alongside some 60 guests. The forum's centerpiece will be a live vote to determine the winners among 12 finalists, selected from entries submitted between March 20 and May 30. Participants submitted ideas for reimagining Korean cultural traditions through a sustainability lens, exploring how K-style can evolve for future generations across music, cuisine, film and fashion. Finalists will present their entries, ranging from video clips to spoken presentations in Korean, during Thursday's event. The video competition features long- and short-form categories, each with four finalists. The grand prize winner in the long-form category will receive a prize package worth 3 million won (around $2,213), including 1 million won in cash. The short-form winner will receive a 2 million won package, with 700,000 won in cash. For the Korean speech segment, contestants from the United States, Spain, China, France and Egypt will compete for the grand prize. Each will deliver a three-minute speech on sustainable K-style, with the winners determined by real-time audience voting. The top prize is valued at 3 million won, including 1.5 million won in cash. The forum begins with registration at 4:40 p.m., followed by the main program at 5 p.m. A special pansori performance by French artist Mapo Lor will round out the ceremony. Founded in 2003 and officially registered with the Foreign Ministry, CICI promotes Korea's global image through cultural exchange. Since 2010, its annual CCF has served as a global platform for dialogue among cultural and diplomatic leaders.
Korea Herald
10 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Korea celebrates first National Gugak Day, with diverse festival
'Gugak is core pillar of K-culture', says Minister Yu In-chon South Korea officially marked its first-ever National Gugak Day on June 5 with a series of cultural events designed to spotlight the continued relevance of traditional Korean music. Declared by Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yu In-chon during a commemorative ceremony at Gyeongbokgung, the new national day aims to bridge the past and present by raising public interest in gugak and activating the gugak-centered cultural industry. 'To promote gugak, revitalize its cultural industries, and elevate public awareness, we declare June 5 as National Gugak Day,' said the minister in his speech. 'With the enactment of the Gugak Promotion Act and the inaugural celebration today, I believe we've reached a significant milestone in the history of gugak.' He continued, 'Gugak has accompanied our lives for centuries, present at every moment of joy, sorrow and celebration. It has been preserved and developed across generations, arriving here today. Its growing global popularity as a core pillar of K-culture is thanks to the dedication of those who have quietly upheld its traditions.' Yu, now serving his second term as culture minister, also took a personal moment during the ceremony, noting that this would likely be his final official appearance before stepping down following the recent change in government. 'This may be the last time I address you at an official event like this. My heart is full of gratitude and emotion,' he said. June 5 was chosen for National Gugak Day to commemorate the first official record of yeominrak, meaning 'music enjoyed by the people,' which appeared in the Annals of King Sejong on this date in 1447. The day encapsulates the ethos of shared cultural heritage and aims to invite all citizens to appreciate and participate in Korea's traditional performing arts. To mark National Gugak Day and the broader Gugak Week running from June 5 to 30, a wide array of cultural events is taking place across the country. At Gyeongbokgung Palace's Geunjeongjeon Hall, audiences can experience a commemorative performance titled "Sound of the Heavens, Music of King Sejong (Sejongjo Hoerye-yeon)," while Gwanghwamun Square hosts the Yeominrak Grand Festival, featuring street parades of traditional nongak from six different regions, special performances, and interactive activities. Beyond Seoul, performances, educational programs, hands-on workshops, academic symposia, and conferences are being organized by regional gugak centers and cultural foundations nationwide, offering opportunities for the public to engage with Korea's traditional music heritage.
