Without even flinching, Chaewon, Sakura, Yunjin, Kazuha, and Eunchae executed backward falls one by one just minutes after appearing at the Jamsil Indoor Stadium.

Surprising enough to elicit a gasp from even a fan who was watching it unfold through a live stream, what LE SSERAFIM did were essentially trust falls without people standing ready to catch them, little stunts that set the scene for the second Seoul show of their FLAME RISES tour on 13 August.

By now, anyone who is familiar with LE SSERAFIM would know that fearlessness is deeply ingrained in their DNA. Just last year, they made a huge statement by declaring, "I'm fearless", in their hit debut single, 'FEARLESS'. And lest anyone forget, the letters in their name (and tour title) can be rearranged to form that exact same phrase.

If the opening backward falls of the K-pop girl group were demonstrations of what we can do when your fears have no hold over us, then the rest of the show was their way of showing FEARNOTs in attendance and tuning in from home how they too could live life the LE SSERAFIM way. Here's what we learnt from LE SSERAFIM at the Seoul stop of their inaugural concert tour.

Know that it's okay not to be perfect

Imperfections and K-pop artists (or celebrities in general) do not usually appear in the same sentence, which is why LE SSERAFIM's openness about theirs always feels refreshing. Most of us have been conditioned to see admitting that we have flaws as something shameful, but according to the group, this need not be the case. 

Beginning their performance of 'Impurities' while lying on a rotating platform and illuminated by dim lighting, they executed the track's entrancing arm choreography as if they were placing anyone watching under their spell. Once they were up on their feet, the group strengthened their hold on everyone by doing everything they did on stage — from twirling swiftly to moving their shoulders — in a manner that spoke volumes of their self-assuredness despite knowing that less-than-perfect parts of themselves do exist. 

Then in 'No Celestial', the pop-rock anthem that began with a fiery guitar solo from Yunjin, we saw LE SSERAFIM completely shatter the image of a "perfect idol" by literally telling the world "I'm no f***ing angel, I'm no f***ing goddess". Even though the song had been performed a number of times prior to this, it was very much a necessary inclusion on the setlist as it was a reminder that the group's five members are really not that different from anyone else. And as seen from the effervescent finale of the track, during which LE SSERAFIM spotted huge smiles while bouncing as confetti rained down on them, there's nothing more freeing than knowing being rid of the unrealistic expectation of perfection. 

Later on in the show, the group's leader, Chaewon, opened up about her personal struggles while addressing her members: "As the leader, I can't always show you perfection, but you still follow my lead, so I thank you for that. Mentally and physically, there are struggles. Thank you for carrying on nevertheless."

Be unapologetic

When you choose to swim against the current, not everyone is going to be pleased with you. This can be scary, but ask LE SSERAFIM and they will tell you that the one thing that you should never do regardless of what the world says to you is apologise for your choices.

One of the first songs that they used to teach this lesson was 'The Great Mermaid', which kicked off with a breathtaking introductory "underwater" dance break. As animated waves crashed against a prop rock behind them, LE SSERAFIM embodied not only the beauty and grace of mermaids, but also the power and free-spiritedness of the mythical sea creatures while on stage. More than just a performance, this was the dance of five individuals who know who they were and were not going to let anyone dictate what they could or could not do. 

Being the concept chameleons that they are, LE SSERAFIM have never shied away from showing different sides of themselves in their releases since making their debut, and their FLAME RISES concert saw them expand on the lesson taught in 'The Great Mermaid' using a variety of styles. 

After ascending on a platform, Chaewon, Sakura, Yunjin, Kazuha, and Eunchae burst into a mesmeric performance of a reimagined version of 'The Hydra', a track taken off their 2022 EP ANTIFRAGILE. While smaller in scale than their memorable Melon Music Awards 2022 performance of the song, the FLAME RISES rendition of 'The Hydra' was equally stunning thanks to its more mysterious sound and a magnetic dance display from LE SSERAFIM. Not ones to be struck down easily, LE SSERAFIM presented the track as a warning to those who are thinking of crossing them. 

 

 

 

 

 

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Coming immediately after 'The Hydra' were two back-to-back hits — 'Eve, Psyche & The Bluebeard’s wife' and 'UNFORGIVEN' — that showed LE SSERAFIM in their most unapologetic state. With the first, a viral number that has spawned several remixes featuring Rina Sawayama, Demi Lovato, and more, the group could be seen wearing smirks on their faces, indicators of their satisfaction with rebelling against the ways of the world and chasing what is deemed by it to be "forbidden". 

Following that, they issued a resounding rallying cry to the "unforgiven boys" and "unforgiven girls" who wished to join them during a performance of 'UNFORGIVEN' that had no shortage of attitude and conviction. 

Live in the moment with like-minded people

Letting loose and living in the moment may not seem like a lesson that needs to be taught given how obvious it sounds, yet, it is the easiest of the three to forget when one is caught up in the busyness of everyday life. Throughout their second evening at the Jamsil Indoor Stadium, LE SSERAFIM made sure to remind us that if want to be truly fearless, we need to be able to enjoy life while surrounded by the people who matter to us.

In what was the sweetest part of the two-hour-long show, LE SSERAFIM involved FEARNOTs in their performance of 'Good Parts (When the quality is bad but I am)' by getting them to do simple, but adorable, hand gestures during its chorus. As the camera panned across the venue, the event's diverse attendees could be seen enthusiastically executing the moves that were taught to them by the group without worrying that they might look silly. It is without a doubt that some will find such an activity more suitable for a child, but LE SSERAFIM showed us that child-like innocence isn't something to be ashamed of. In fact, it is what many of us could use more of.   

Equally delightful were the SOURCE MUSIC outfit's cheerful live renditions of 'Flash Forward' and 'No-Return (Into the Unknown)', the latter of which was featured as a surprise song at their <FEARNADA> 2023 S/S fan meeting in March before being officially released as part of their first studio album, UNFORGIVEN. And as if the track itself wasn't already catchy enough, LE SSERAFIM decided to ecstatically yell out the fan chant, "Kim Chaewon! Sakura! Huh Yunjin! Kazuha! Hong Eunchae! FEARNOT! LE SSERAFIM!" during its instrumental segment.

Then during a finale that encapsulated the meaning of living in the moment, LE SSERAFIM initiated a dance party by bringing out their Latin-pop-inspired b-side track 'Fire in the belly'. A song that has been likened to a FIFA World Cup anthem, 'Fire in the belly' seemed a peculiar track to be released by a group like LE SSERAFIM when it came out earlier this year, but after experiencing it in a concert setting, it's easy to see why it was added to their catalogue. Just like Shakira's 'Waka Waka' and Pitbull, Jennifer Lopez, and Claudia Leitte's 'We Are One (Ole Ole Ola)', 'Fire in the belly' had a way of uniting all who were watching for a grand celebration of their common interest and life. 

And as chants of "ole ole ole ole" filled the air and LE SSERAFIM and their fans partied away, not even those watching at home, including this journalist, could resist joining in from thousands of miles away. 

2023 LE SSERAFIM TOUR 'FLAME RISES' SEOUL DAY 2 SETLIST

1. INTRO: The World Is My Oyster
2. FEARLESS
3. The Great Mermaid
4. Blue Flame
5. Impurities
6. No Celestial
7. Sour Grapes
8. Good Parts (When the quality is bad but I am)
9. We Got So Much Love *Unreleased track
10. Flash Forward
11. ANTIFRAGILE
12. The Hydra
13. Eve, Psyche & The Bluebeard’s wife
14. UNFORGIVEN (feat. Nile Rodgers)
15. FEARNOT (Between you, me and the lamppost)
16. No-Return (Into the Unknown)
17. Fire in the belly