After an exciting promotional cycle, LE SSERAFIM is back in full force with their newest mini-album, ‘CRAZY’! Fans have been talking about ‘CRAZY’ even before its release on August 30, with samplers and teasers from the album going viral on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.
Throughout the album, LE SSERAFIM members Chaewon, Sakura, Yunjin, Kazuha, and Eunchae take their listeners through the different definitions of “crazy,” with each song showcasing a unique take on the album’s standard theme. Musically, the album leans even further into an edgier sound than we first heard from LE SSERAFIM in songs like “Good Ones” and “Eve, Psyche & The Bluebeard’s Wife.” Let’s get into each track!
“CRAZY”
The album’s title track is a phonk-influenced house-pop song, highlighted by gritty, bass-heavy beats and distorted vocal samples. Yunjin starts the song with the line “Act like an angel and dress like crazy,” right before Chaewon lures us in with the song’s addictive refrain: “All the girls are girling, girling.” Throughout the rest of the song, LE SSERAFIM embraces their “crazy” side, talking about letting go, having fun, and being themselves.
In a bio for the album on Apple Music, LE SSERAFIM member Kazuha said that “CRAZY” is “…about moments when you discover something that you can go crazy about. When I first saw the title I was like, ‘Wow, that’s pretty intense!”. “CRAZY” has already become an immediate hit among fans, who have begun creating choreographies for the track. It has a great hook that will have you humming along after the first listen.
The “CRAZY” music video has finally revealed the song’s long-awaited choreography and influences, sparking even more excitement among fans. The video is visually striking, featuring intentional buffering, Snapchat-esque filters, glitchy effects, and trippy visuals that give it a surreal and modern edge. The video’s highlight, however, is the choreography, which shows LE SSERAFIM and featured dancers voguing together, drawing clear inspiration from the dance styles that emerged from 1980s ballroom culture. Many parts of the video are reminiscent of the styles of other renowned choreographers like Bob Fosse.
LE SSERAFIM pays homage to the pioneers of voguing and ballroom culture through their collaboration with the Iconic House of Juicy Couture with this video. The house, known from the HBO Max voguing reality competition series “Legendary,” brings authenticity to the video’s ballroom-inspired scenes– Juicy Couture dancers are seen in almost every shot, dancing with LE SSERAFIM and then having their feature towards the end of the video.
The video was directed by Yunah Sheep and executive produced by South Korean production company Liminal. Its creative direction was by LE SSERAFIM creative director Nu Kim, who has previously worked with BTS and TOMORROW X TOGETHER. With all this talent coming together, the result is a visually stunning body of work that has hit home with its viewers. Watch the “CRAZY” video here!
“Chasing Lightning”
“Chasing Lightning” sets the tone for the album, starting with the sound of Chaewon’s beloved dog, Shiro, barking and then growling right before the beat comes in. Over an electric dance track, the song features everyday conversation between the members about everything they’re crazy about. Chaewon talks about missing Shiro and wanting to see him, Yunjin talks about her love for Greek yogurt, and Sakura exclaims, “Time sure flies when I crochet!”. At the beginning of the song, these desires are met with dismissive responses like “We’ve got more important things to do” and “You’ve got time for that?” The demanding schedule of an idol is brought to mind, with limited time to do the things you love and a lot of worrying about things that seem more important.
In the middle of the song, LE SSERAFIM starts to realize that all this worrying might be for nothing—despite all the work they do to plan ahead and organize their lives, not everything turns out the way they expect. In other words, they “can’t change the weather,” and instead, they should do what they want and “just chase lightning.”
The end of the song is a hopeful return to the members’ desires, where instead of receiving dismissive responses, they receive positive ones: Chaewon is told to go cuddle her dog, Yunjin is encouraged to have her yogurt if it makes her happy, and Sakura gets to crochet after all: “Then do it, even if you don’t have the time / Cause doing what you love makes you feel alive.”
“Pierrot”
“Pierrot” is an eerie-sounding hip-hop track, but it’s also LE SSERAFIM’s powerful tribute to the women of K-pop who paved the way for them. The song’s beginning features a sample from Kim Wan Sun’s iconic 1990 track “Pierrot Laughs at Us,” which IU covered in 2014. LE SSERAFIM repeats the phrase “That’s my girl,” paying homage to trailblazing women in K-pop and mentioning artists like Kim Wan Sun, Uhm Jung Wha, Lee Hyori, and IU. The group calls these women “Crazy girls of the new era” and asks the listener: “Who’s next?” The answer is LE SSERAFIM.
The song is a dynamic blend of hip-hop and operatic vocals, nodding to Yunjin’s classical opera training. About “Pierrot,” Chaewon said, “Personally, I’m a fan of the hip-hop style. I was really glad to do ‘Pierrot’ because it’s my favored style and showcases a fresh new side for us as a group.”
In addition to honoring the women who came before them, the lyrics also reimagine the character of Pierrot, traditionally a sad Italian clown in French pantomime who hides his true self behind a mask. While Kim Wan Sun’s original song touches on the theme of hiding tears behind her smile, LE SSERAFIM’s “Pierrot” twists this concept by rejecting the idea of being confined to societal roles. They use the song to insist on their desires to live freely and authentically, no matter their expectations. This message is powerfully shown in lyrics like “Good girl, be a doll / A word as hollow as a balloon / Slowly blow it up, blow it, make it pop,” sparking conversations among fans about the track’s deep references and bold stance.
“1-800-hot-n-fun”
Dedicated LE SSERAFIM fans might recognize “1-800-hot-n-fun” from their Coachella set in April, where they first performed the song as a teaser for ‘CRAZY.’ Since then, it’s become an instant performance classic. The song’s title, formatted like an American toll-free number, sets the tone for its playful and sassy vibe, with the members telling their listener to call them on the phone: “1-800-hot-n-fun, that’s my number, hit my line”. With heavy guitar and bass lines, the track draws from alt-rock and pop-rock influences, creating an edgy and incredibly catchy sound.
The lyrics are packed with fun and memorable lines, like the cheeky opening where Yunjin quips, “Really, I’m honestly just sad about my shoes,” and the playful shout-out, “Where the heck is Saki?” referring to member Sakura, who’s “waiting down in the lobby.” The song’s theme revolves around partying and having a good time, with a nod to pop culture as they demand the DJ to “play something by Beyoncé.”
“미치지 못하는 이유 (Crazier)”
Right after the high energy of “1-800-hot-n-fun” comes the final track of the album, “미치지 못하는 이유 (Crazier),” translated as “The Reason Why I Can’t Reach It.” This song offers a reflective and introspective close to the album and leaves its listeners thinking. Written and produced by Yunjin, it carries the personal touches fans might find familiar from her solo work.
As a slower and more mellow track, “Crazier” is a comedown from the songs before it, yet it still maintains the overarching theme of “CRAZY” that runs through the album. The lyrics delve into the complexities of the members’ emotions, exploring the idea of being “crazy” for wanting more, with lines like “I’m crazy for feeling more” and “What’s crazier than loving more?”
About the song, Yunjin expressed that she thinks “…the word ‘crazy’ means different things to different people.” She explained that this track is about the absence of “crazy” and how youthful life can still be beautiful without it. By ending the album with “Crazier,” LE SSERAFIM asks their listeners: “What does CRAZY mean to you?”
A Look at the Team Behind ‘CRAZY’
It’s important to note that LE SSERAFIM has built a solid writing and producing team for ‘CRAZY’. Four out of five of the songs on the album were made by longtime LE SSERAFIM collaborators 13, a Korean production team whose past work includes songs from GFRIEND, Taemin, and Block B. Fun fact: they’ve also written and produced on every LE SSERAFIM album to date!
The one song on ‘CRAZY’ where 13 does not appear in the production credits is “1-800-hot-n-fun”, produced by prominent dance/electronic music producers BloodPop and AO Beats. BloodPop is known for his work on Lady Gaga’s ‘Chromatica’, Beyonce’s ‘Renaissance’, and Jungkook’s “3D”, which makes him a great choice for the vibe LE SSERAFIM was going for with this album. HYBE chairman and founder Bang Si-Hyuk (“hitman” bang) also has production and writing credits across the album, alongside several other longtime HYBE and Source Music collaborators.
HYBE and Source Music have also been very creative with ‘CRAZY’ physical albums, including a teddy bear balaclava in certain versions and plenty of photo cards. The album comes in three versions and follows the eccentric pre-release concepts we saw in LE SSERAFIM’s promotional content (Thundering Cedar, Heathers Rock, and Fairy Floss).
Crafting the Craze: LE SSERAFIM’s Promotional Playbook
LE SSERAFIM’s promotional strategy and creative direction for this album have been nothing short of a masterclass in marketing. Since its release, LE SSERAFIM has been promoting this album like “crazy” (no pun intended), namely with their recent performances at KBS Music Bank, SBS Inkigayo, MBC Music Core, and STUDIO CHOOM.
The group has also held two official listening parties for the album, one in Seoul and one in Los Angeles. Attendees of the “CRAZY THUNDER PARTY” in Seoul could listen to the album with exclusive commentary from LE SSERAFIM and interact with a never-before-seen concept photo exhibition. Attendees of the “CRAZY BALL” in LA could dance and sing along to the album in a club setting, featuring drag performances to songs from the album– once again nodding to the ballroom themes the group was inspired by.
If you don’t live in Seoul or LA, no need to worry—LE SSERAFIM has planned virtual listening parties on Stationhead for fans worldwide to listen to the album together.
LE SSERAFIM has been taking social media by storm on the digital front, especially on TikTok and Instagram. The group has been posting videos of themselves dancing with famous idols, teaming up with big names like JIN of BTS, Kyujin of NMIXX, Jun. K of 2PM, ZEROBASEONE, famous Korean YouTuber Dex, and even a virtual appearance from Noah of PLAVE.
In the spirit of the album’s club and party themes, LE SSERAFIM also posted an official DJ set on their social media channels, inviting DJ Co.kr to mix a 30-minute live set featuring songs across their discography. Watch the set here!
And the fun is far from over! LE SSERAFIM just released a remix album for ‘CRAZY,’ titled ‘Party Remixes 1’, on September 2, featuring a Vogue remix of “CRAZY” with American ballroom performer and “King of Vogue” Dashaun Wesley, who is known for being the host and MC of “Legendary” on HBO Max.
The remix album also includes an English version of “CRAZY”, which was released along with a brand new music video. LE SSERAFIM members dance in a colorful store and play with hula hoops, party streamers, and boas.
On September 4, LE SSERAFIM released a surprise remix of “CRAZY” with singer and producer PinkPantheress. PinkPantheress is known for incorporating 90s and early 2000s sounds into her music. She also happens to be a huge K-pop fan!
It even looks like a second remix album may be coming soon, so be sure to stay tuned!
With ‘CRAZY,’ LE SSERAFIM has boldly declared their individuality as artists, cementing their place as leaders of a new generation of K-pop. The album’s blend of modern and nostalgic references adds more fun for listeners to explore. LE SSERAFIM’s words clearly show that no matter the expectations imposed upon them, they will continue to live and express themselves authentically. Congrats to LE SSERAFIM on another successful album release!
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Featured image credit: Courtesy of SOURCE MUSIC
