For LE SSERAFIM, 4th EP is about going ‘Crazy’ for something you truly love

Creating good music and leaving an empowering message are the objectives of K-pop girl group LE SSERAFIM in making an album, and “Crazy” is no different. This time around, their fourth EP is a reminder to go crazy in following their dreams.

LE SSERAFIM (composed of Kim Chaewon, Sakura, Huh Yunjin, Kazuha and Hong Eunchae) made their comeback with “Crazy,” six months after “Easy.” Stepping onstage in black, white and silver ensembles at a media showcase in Seoul, the quintet brings a determination to deliver a positive message to listeners.

“There’s always a message we want to convey and music is a gateway to conveying that message. That’s how we select our music,” said Yunjin. “The message of ‘Crazy’ is to go crazy and have fun. We pick the message first and choose the genre that goes with that message.”

The mini-album has been in the works since last year, and includes “Chasing Lightning,” “Crazy,” “Pierrot,” “1-800-hot-n-fun” and “Crazier.” According to a press statement, the title track “Crazy” combines the house and EDM genres, while “Pierrot” features a sampling of the song “Pierrot Laughs at Us” by Kim Wan-sun.

“Crazier” was produced and written by Yunjin, who also led the recording with her bandmates.

Through the album, the girl group hoped it would show the “passion that LE SSERAFIM holds” and that they’re capable of taking whatever life throws at them.

“In preparing for this album, we talked about what makes us go crazy, and what are we crazy for. It was cool how we all had similar answers. All of us are crazy for the team and what we do as professionals,” the group’s leader Chaewon said.

Creating the EP

While “Crazy’s” direction follows a different direction from their previous releases, the quintet welcomed the shift in the quintet’s music style, with Sakura saying it displays a feeling of “meeting something exciting which exhilarates you.”

“This time around, being more crazy and more fun is what we try to showcase,” Kazuha chimed in. “When we were shooting, we had so much fun on set. I think we try to express different types of vibes, energy, and mood, something we haven’t done before. We’re excited to show this kind of music.”

One of the title track’s highlights was the use of voguing in its choreography, a form of dance inspired by models in fashion magazines. “It requires a lot of core strength. We have a lot of muscle. We pride ourselves in being fit, but still, it was so difficult,” admitted Sakura.

“The more we tried voguing, I realized that it’s really important to be expressive. It’s hard to be as expressive in the beginning, but thankfully, one of our dancers had a lot of experience in voguing so it helped,” Yunjin said, agreeing with her bandmate.

Eunchae, on the other hand, said balancing on one foot was challenging, and they had to “grow [their] core muscles” as a result. “We focused on growing our core muscles. And in the training room, we tried to sing the whole song while standing on one foot. A lot of preparation went into it,” she said.

Yunjin then touched on being the chief producer for the b-side “Crazier,” where she was asked to create a song showing the beauty of being “crazy and showing moments of restraint” at the same time.

“‘Crazier’ is not only about what I feel but also what my bandmates felt. We had a lot of conversations to weave our thoughts and our generation’s thoughts into this song. This track feels more special to me and the members. It was a very fun challenge for me and I’m happy that I got to know more about myself and my bandmates,” Yunjin said.

According to Sakura, Yunjin was “even nicer” while directing the group during the recording. “She knows us inside and out, she gives very clear and detailed feedback so we can understand her quickly. She gave us really good advice so we had a lot of fun recording together with Yunjin,” she recalled.

LE SSERAFIM’s goal

The album is LE SSERAFIM’s first release since the Coachella festival in April, which Chaewon and Yunjin said is a representation of their “first step” to showing a better side of the group.

“All the members of LE SSERAFIM love being onstage — dancing and singing from a very young age. It’s just really grateful that we get to go crazy for something that we like,” Eunchae said. “Through this promotion, I want people to feel that LE SSERAFIM enjoys and works tirelessly for the work they love, and they look happy.”

Meanwhile, Chaewon hoped the record would show listeners their fearlessness to explore different genres with ease.

“I would love to hear a particular description of this. Working on ‘Crazy’ gave us a new challenge and a new genre. As we share this new music and album, I hope that people will tell us, oh LE SSERAFIM can pull off any genre,” she said.

Apart from the music, Yunjin said the album explores how people can go crazy for the things they love while hoping that one’s “seed of passion” will ignite them to push for what they’re passionate about.

“I almost feel like we’re born with that seed of passion. As we go through life, whether it’s because we’re afraid of how others will think and we have to live through certain expectations, the seed doesn’t flourish. I feel like we hesitate in achieving our dreams. Living a life being crazy about this is precious,” she said.

With this in mind, Yunjin hoped the album would remind listeners that it’s okay to “go crazy” for something they truly love. “We are living in this day and age where it’s really hard to go crazy for something you truly love. That led to a conversation on what we’re truly crazy about.”

“Loving something to the point where you go crazy for it, you want to pour your heart out and soul is so precious,” she continued. “I feel that the moments we get to share with our fans are as precious too. That’s how we conceived of the idea of ‘Crazy.’”