Korean guitarists discuss Nile Rodgers’s guitar session featuring in LE SSERAFIM’s “UNFORGIVEN”
Korean guitar experts explained the impact of Nile Rodgers’ guitar performance on LE SSERAFIM’s “UNFORGIVEN”.
The new song “UNFORGIVEN” by the girl group LE SSERAFIM aroused keen attention even before its release by featuring world-renowned funky rhythm master Nile Rodgers.
After LE SSERAFIM’s “UNFORGIVEN” was released, listeners’ responses are divided into two opinions; “As expected from Nile Rodgers” VS “Why did he do that?”.
Nile Rodgers performed a guitar session for the song, but the guitar sounds were not really significant, making the public wonder, “Where’s the guitar part?”. Nile Rodgers chose a style where he subtly hid the guitar session as a kind of “device”, then brought it out slightly. As an artist who can perform various genres, Nile Rodgers knows how to find the perfect tone, rhythm, and melody that suits the song. However, he did it in a way that doesn’t draw attention to himself to create the maximum effect with his minimal presence, like placing a comma between two sentences. This clever method is well demonstrated in LE SSERAFIM’s “UNFORGIVEN”.
Some Korean guitarists commented, “Even if the featuring were Nile Rodgers, many Korean musicians could perform an even better guitar session”. However, they all agreed, “The symbolic meaning of the name Nile Rodgers is so powerful that adds significance to the featuring.”
Guitarist Saza Choi Woo Joon said, “As a collaboration between a legendary American funky artist and K-pop, it serves as an example of how the status of K-pop has increased”. Choi Woo Joon added, “He was not just playing the typical Nile Rodgers funky style; he performed a more rock(or alternative)-oriented guitar riff. It’s a session that shows respect for K-pop rather than showcasing his own unique music color.”
Producer and ECM guitarist Jung Soo Wook, a professor at Hoseo University’s Department of Practical Music, praised the LE SSERAFIM and Nile Rodgers’s collaboration, stating, “Through the collaboration of ‘the new’ (LE SSERAFIM) and ‘the old’ (Nile Rodgers), K-pop has successfully taken advantage of the vintage sound”. However, Professor Jung added, “It was a little regretful that Nile Rodgers’ trademark style couldn’t shine more in the song. but I believe the mixing was done this way to make the song more appealing to LE SSERAFIM’s fans.”
Lee Sung Reol, a top session guitarist in Korea and also a member of Lim Young Woong’s band, shared his opinion, saying “I’m very impressed by the ideas of using low-pitch bending in the main riff reminiscent of a scene from Western movies, like ‘A Fistful of Dollars’, as well as random muted play that enhances the rhythmic feel in the chorus parts.”
More detailed information on Nile Rodgers’ musical world can be found in the article “Funky Groove Rhythm Guitar Icon Nile Rodgers” by Cho Sung Jin in the Sports Korea magazine published on April 20, 2023.
Source: Daum
