Let’s talk about Le Sserafim their latest release: HOT!
Back in September 2024 I posted my very first musical essay on this blog. Just because I had too many thoughts and I wanted to write an essay about it. Fast forward to today and that very same blog is my most read piece on this entire website! Because of that blog my work has been recognised in countries all over the world and even till this day that blog gets hundreds of views every month. I am talking about the blog: Why Le Sserafim’s “Crazy” is a masterpiece.
Thank you very much to everyone for reading that blog, loving the album and wanting to understand the deeper meaning behind the music of our beloved Fimmies! It gave me the courage to post more of those kinds of blogs and develop my writing. I also lowkey missed writing essays like I did in uni, so this was the perfect way for me to introduce it back again in my daily life.
Let’s get into the album!
At first Le Sserafim let the fire consume them, but then became the fire themselves. This album portrayed fire as a double edged sword, it destroys but it also forges. What is unique about the way Le Sserafim approached this, is that they didn’t just follow the phoenix lore like rising from the ashes. No, they were the flames that created those ashes. Meaning: they are no longer at the mercy of the flames. They are the flames! They didn’t just survive it, they are invincible. They can no longer be burnt, because they are the heat, danger and power.
The shift happens in HOT, the negativity (backlash, hate train from 2024, etc) don’t bother them, it fuels them. With the lyrics “I’m burning hot” they are saying that they own the fire.
At first listen this album almost sounds like a love album in some way since there is a “love interest” mentioned. Yunjin said that it can also mean “something”, as in finding something that you really love, that you will do it no matter what the outcome may be. It’s about pursuing that burning passion.
Born Fire
The opening track starts off differently then we are used to from them. No catwalk sound, but rather a delicate instrumental before the great entrance of the rhythmic, hard-hitting garage house beat.
The song follows the journey of a flame, which soon grows into a powerful fire, while the aforementioned and frequently discussed element works as the definition of multiple topics, such as being reborn, personal drive or even a strong emotion.
The theme of flame or burning has been a recurring topic in their works. It was explored in their song Blue Flame from their debut mini album, as well as in other tracks such as Burn the Bridge, Fire in the belly, Chasing Lightning, and (of course) HOT and Ash.
HOT
HOT, the last installment to their Easy, Crazy, Hot trilogy. With HOT you would expect an edgy, loud and rebellious song. Basically a wildfire. But that is not the kind of fire that Le Sserafim wants to show us. They have embraced and controlled the flame. A controlled flame won’t hurt anything. It will keep you warm and light up your surroundings. That’s the kind of hot that they want to convey. And also, they are unbothered now by all the noise, hate and so on.
This song is their most personal title track yet. The lyrics resonate strongly with what Le Sserafim must have been feeling when the so called hate train was happening. Nevertheless, they are not going to scream or put out a loud track to overshadow it. No, they take the highroad by bringing out a message of I’m going to show my beautiful self to the world whether or not you like it, and nothing is going to extinguish my flame.
The pop track incorporates rock and disco elements that enhance its catchy melody. These musical elements further emphasize the lyrics, which express the passion of sacrificing everything for the person or something they love. Everything Le Sserafim does, they will go all for it, basically saying: we are going crazy for it. They enhance this statement by talking about “Bonnie and Clyde”.
The colloquial expression “Bonnie and Clyde” is often used to describe a couple that is extremely loyal and willing to do anything for each other. Even in the face of danger. In this instance, it is synonymous with the phrase “ride-or-die”. This comes back around, but in other words, in the last song of this album, So Cynical (Badum).
Come Over
When two producers of the British band Jungle come over (pun intended) with their neo soul, funk, nu-disco, dance genres to get you this song is just amazing! The song is an invitation in a teasing and calling out way to all of those who hesitated about Le Sserafim. Again, rather than screaming, the Fimmies have fun with this song by having created one of the most jaw dropping choreographies.
Ash
The main lyricist Yunjin wanted Ash to focus on the moment between life and death, but also the pain that comes with that. You can’t experience relief when you haven’t fully embraced suffering. Ash is not just about that pain, it’s about embracing it. To step into the fire willingly. Only by doing so, this transformation called “ash” will happen. This song is the story of fire, surrender and power. However it is with a protagonist whose surrender is intentional.
[…]
The moment the flame burns me, finally, I can breathe
In the wave of pain, I’m turning into ashes
Live again like oh, oh, oh
The more it hurts, the more alive I am
A newborn in ashes, nothing lasts forever, baby
I’m about to bloom again, pour oil all over my body
Light thе flame […]
– English translation Ash, Le Sserafim
No fear, only full acceptance. It’s the art of honouring that pain. This whole album plays with contradicting the expected emotions. They are not broken, neither angry. They sound steady and very much the most them since they started out as a group, because this is their story. With this album the Fimmies became alchemists since even in the flames they left their mark as stated in the lyrics. The flames can’t consume them, they walk through them untouched and are invincible.
The electro house track also suggests that a new life starts after peeling away the old one. By this, the song officially announces the end of the trilogy.
So Cynical (Badum)
Welcome to the closing statement of the Easy, Crazy, Hot trilogy! An open invitation and a message to Fearnot that Le Sserafim is going to start a new chapter with the question: are you with us? Besides that, this song feels like the final exhale after the storm aka hate train. It’s not about proving anything anymore, it’s about moving forward and having fun.
The song also explores how pressure from society to appear aloof, as well as the desire to protect oneself from pain in relationships, causes people to develop a pessimistic view of life as well as a lack of emotional vulnerability in relationships.
Through the song, the Fimmies encourage the listener to start taking risks – to stop hesitating, and to start being more honest and true to oneself – so the listener can truly enjoy life and make the most of the opportunities they have. This message is underlined by the repeated heartbeat “Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-dum” which not only ties the track together, but also represents being open with your emotions.
“Easy, Crazy, Hot” trilogy
At first I was very surprised when it was announced this was going to be a mini album, because the other trilogy consists of two mini albums and a studio album. But when I thought longer about the message of this album, why would they take more than a mini album to explore the theme? They said what they needed to say about the subject(s) and now they are ready to move on.
It is interesting to me that already from the start of the Easy era they knew that the next albums would be Crazy and Hot. And that the album in itself still contains messages of things that are recent. But that was probably a case of last minute decisions.
How does this trilogy tie all together? Well, do we remember what Le Sserafim said in the Easy trailer, Good Bones? “Easy, Crazy, Hot, I can make it.” Safe to say now: they made it. Maybe before releasing the different parts of the trilogy they didn’t know what was going to happen along the way and there were even doubts if they were going to survive it. But they did. And now they will move on to a new chapter.
“HOT” is the anthem
Whatever happened along the way, if the team and Le Sserfim themselves already knew the themes of the albums beforehand, I do not think that they already knew at the start of Easy era that HOT was going to be the anthem of the trilogy.
Hot is about survival, it is about transformation, owning your own path and reclaiming the narrative.
As a Fearnot I got teary eyed many times while writing this essay. They are artists in the purest of forms. By daring to not just tell a story but writing poetry. Being fearless about using their pain as their strength. They made it, and they became the flame.
Love,
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