LE SSERAFIM have fully entered their self-confidence era with ‘PUREFLOW’, Pt.1, having emotionally built themselves back up after they reckoned with their psyches during the ‘EASY’, ‘CRAZY’, and ‘HOT’ trilogy. Spanning across genres such as their usual pop, EDM, House, and even Brazilian Funk, PUREFLOW has everything one could ever need for a self love summer playlist (except length as the run time clocks in at a mere 27 minutes, par the course for a K-Pop album these days).
Titular song “Pureflow” opens the album with ruminations on dealing with sadness and shame narrated over a hopeful indie rock beat. ‘For we are not fearless, and therefore powerful’ is LE SSERAFIM’s enlightened response to these painful emotions.
Speaking of enlightenment, “BOOMPALA”‘s illuminated musings on life, ‘Nothing’s forever so nothing’s to fear’, as well as its references to Hindu and Buddhist spirituality amongst thumping, rhythmic, Latin House beats is a musical rebirth for LE SSERAFIM. They shirk their fears and dance to the Macarena instead, which is interpolated heavily throughout the song, imbuing “BOOMPALA” with a fun and campy energy which conjures up simpler times, when fears did not capture our minds so completely.
After all that self actualisation, it’s time for a “CELEBRATION”. This song has divided fans due to its hard and fast EDM and techno beats, but LE SSERAFIM’s take on this genre within the K-Pop sphere (thanks to producer Softest Hard) is refreshing with its headbanging beat and outer space aesthetics. The fun albeit simple “Creatures” follows: a pop rock song that is quite the return to normalcy after the adventurous “BOOMPALA” and “CELEBRATION”.
An insightful pause is brought by “Need Your Company”, a ballad unabashedly longing for another’s company even if they have the capacity to hurt us. The synths yearn and ache, joined by hearty and gritty guitars and drums building up to an explosive chorus of pleas for a loved one’s company. We continue with the more sombre tracks as we meet “Sonder”, the musical embodiment of the word. The wistful piano and strings sweep and warp as the phaser effect on the girls’ voices bring the perfect twang to this song.
We jump back onto the self-confidence train with the absolute bop that is “Saki” featuring Aliyah’s Interlude. This 2000s-style pop song brings sexy and smooth beats, paired with a punchy piano and equally as punchy vocals. The girls reclaim their confidence from those who prey on their downfall, with Aliyah pressing delete on the obsessive haters as they leave their message on ‘1-800-you f***ing wish’.
The girls let out a jagged breath with “Irony” as they are now the ones tasked with letting go of their obsessions, recognising the irony in the liberating feeling of doing so. The harsh flute-y beats that capture our attention at the beginning are impressively incorporated into this song through the genre of Brazilian Funk, courtesy of Tropkillaz. Its clicking and clacking gets us up and moving to yet another banger.
Listening to “Trust Exercise” is a trust exercise in itself, sampling “Let’s Get Physical” by Olivia Newton-John which has not always lent itself to skilful sampling. LE SSERAFIM achieve what others have not however, with melodic and cheerful synths and an almost coy tone singing about how falling for someone takes time and patience.
We end our journey by entering their “Liminal Space”: the transition between ‘PUREFLOW’, Pt. 1 and the next. The girls chit chat in the car about the production of PUREFLOW, reminiscing over certain memorable moments as a nostalgic indie instrumental seeps in. Chaewon asks where they’re going, and answers her own question: “We are the destination ourselves”. This couldn’t be truer, as LE SSERAFIM have reconnected with themselves during the course of this album, establishing a mature outlook on life’s various problems but not shunning their vulnerabilities or fears, having learnt from their past mistakes.
There’s more to come from their personal and musical journeys though as Sakura once again questions where they’re going. It seems we’ll have to find out in Pt. 2.
LE SSERAFIM are on Instagram. You can listen to ‘PUREFLOW’, Pt. 1 here.
