LE SSERAFILM is a five-member girl group consisting of Kim Chaewon, Sakura, Huh Yunjin, Kazuha, and Hong Eunchae. The first girl group produced by BTS’s label HYBE and SOURCE MUSIC held a debut showcase event on January 25 to celebrate the release of their first single, FEARLESS, in Japan.

This event was LE SSERAFIM’s first showcase in Japan and was an opportunity for the members to greet approximately 2,000 lucky fans. These fans were chosen by lottery from among those who pre-ordered the FEARLESS CD.

Held at Tokyo Dome City Hall, the venue went dark at the beginning of the showcase, prompting the audience of fans to immediately applaud as the intro of Blue Flame -Japanese ver.- began. At the same time, a chess piece was projected onto a large LED chessboard on stage. The crowd only became more and more excited as LE SSERAFIM’s logo and the White Baccharis-inspired concept photos of the members appeared before the members appeared in white costumes on stage. The members continued to mesmerize the audience with their incredible performance of Blue Flame -Japanese ver-, and once the song ended and the members left the stage, Masayuki Furuya appeared as the MC, chatting about the hyped K-pop artists, and inviting them back to enjoy a lighthearted chat. Amidst the applause from the audience, the girls introduced themselves for the first time following their debut in Japan and enjoyed a photo shoot for the media. Many members of the press were in attendance to see LE SSERAFIM’s memorable debut, and the packed space was a testament to the group’s immediate popularity.

When asked how their debut in Korea was comparable to their debut in Japan, Sakura responded quickly. “Even though I have experience debuting in Japan before, today felt more special. I’m a little more nervous. Of course, it makes sense to be a little anxious about starting fresh as a member of LE SSERAFIM, but I’m equally excited because I know that our fans will support us.”

The name of LE SSERAFIM’s fanbase is FEARNOT. “LE SSERAFIM is an anagram of the phrase ‘I’M FEARLESS,’ which embodies our goal to keep moving forward and to not be impacted by what anyone says,” said the group’s leader Kim Chaewon. The members then took turns discussing the tracks included in the Japanese release of the single FEARLESS.

FEARLESS -Japanese ver.-

Kim Chaewon: “This is the Japanese version of FEARLESS, the title track of our debut album in Korea. I think it’s the song that best shows what we’re all about–we’re always moving forward and we refuse to be stuck in the past.”

Blue Flame -Japanese ver.-

Hong Eunchae: “Blue Flame, which we just performed for the first time on stage, was on our debut album in Korea. Chaewon and Yunjin directly added their lyrics to the original version for the Japanese release, making the song even sweeter.”

Choices

Kazuha: “The third track, Choices, is LE SSERAFIM’s first original Japanese song. It has retro hip-hop and R&B vibe, and I think it’s stylish. It has a street culture feel too. This is also our first drama tie-in song! It’s the theme for the show How to Spend Money Happily.”

The music video for FEARLESS -Japanese ver.- was released at midnight on January 25th. “To portray LE SSERAFIM’s goal to always move forward, we thought about chess–the queen can move wherever she likes,” said Sakura. “I really hope that everyone enjoys the Japanese version of FEARLESS!”

“The music video was shot with a completely different image in mind when compared to the Korean video,” said Yunjin. “We had a lot of fun during the shoot. I have so many favorite scenes, but the final one with the words ‘I’M FEARLESS’ and the LE SSERAFIM logo might be at the top.”

Kim Chaewon also chatted about the photo shoot for the single’s cover with a smile. “I wanted it to be different than the Korean cover and I wanted us to show off our new charm. The White Baccharis concept was inspired by what these flowers stand for in flower language, which is ‘trailblazing’ or ‘breaking new ground.’ In the Pink Musk photo shoot, we strived to show the fans our more human side. I remember preparing for the shoot by researching what poses would be best for each member.”

“I personally think that Kazuha and Eunchae looked so cute. Overall, the Pink Musk shoot was just adorable–I have all of the images saved in my personal picture folder,” Sakura said with a grin. She also claimed to have been given a lecture from Eunchae on how to pose, spurring her to start practicing on the spot. The members clearly have an incredibly close relationship.

“Since this is our first single for Japanese fans, we really wanted to share our goals and the freedom we’re seeking,” said Kim Chaewon. “We’ll keep doing our best while performing and creating music, so please support us!” The audience responded with a loud round of applause.

The Q&A corner featured questions collected from fans in advance. When asked about how the members of LE SSERAFIM have prepared for their incredible performances at music award ceremonies and other events, Kim Chaewon quickly responded. “To be honest, I feel like most of us always wish we had done better. We’re never satisfied with our current state, so we always worry and talk about how we can make our performances better. This happens right up until we’re on stage!”

After the music video for FEARLESS -Japanese ver.- was shown on the big screen, the members reappeared in their White Baccharis concept costumes. The game corner of the event began soon after!

In the first game, Checkmate – Let’s Take the King, each member had to complete a mission attached to their selected chess piece. The most exciting part of the event was the group mission, in which each member had to dance with perfect choreography to a very specific moment of Blue Flame -Japanese ver.- The girls also competed in a rock-paper-scissors duel with the MC and a tongue-twister challenge!

After a commemorative photo was taken with the audience, the event came to a close. One by one, the members expressed their gratitude to the fans who had gathered at the venue.

Hong Eunchae: “For me, today was a very exciting and happy day. I’m glad I was able to spend it with FEARNOT. Thank you so much! Make sure to keep your eyes on us!”

Kazuha: “Thank you so much for coming to our showcase today even though it’s so cold outside! We’ll keep doing our best so we can hang out with you again. Please support us going forward!”

Huh Yunjin: “We’re so happy to be making our debut in Japan and we’re so excited about what’s to come. I want to keep doing things for all the FEARNOTs out there! I love you all!”

Sakura: “Thank you so much for coming to our debut showcase today despite the cold weather and despite it being a weekday. I’m so excited to enjoy more time with the FEARNOT community in all kinds of places in the future, so please keep walking with us. Thank you so much for today!”

Kim Chaewon: Thank you FEARNOTs, for coming to our debut showcase in Japan. Please look forward to all of our Japanese activities in the future!”

The last song began with stylish chess visuals projected on LEDs, and finally, the girls began to perform FEARLESS -Japanese ver.-The first Japan showcase was an incredible success, and the audience watched in awe as the members performed their energetic dance moves. The Japanese version of FEARLESS managed to garner more attention than anyone expected, with some websites selling out of the single during the preorder stage. The track also reached the top spot on the Oricon Daily Chart on January 24.

The debut showcase event will be broadcast on the Amazon Music Japan channel on Twitch on February 20 at 20:00. This will include a behind-the-scenes making-of video and a special interview exclusively available during the stream. Check out LE SSERAFIM’s official website for more details!

(P)&(C) SOURCE MUSIC