The messages conveyed in songs of girl groups are slowly evolving.
After listening to recently-debuted girl groups such as aespa, IVE, and LE SSERAFIM, a noticeable trend can be pinpointed. In particular, compared to lyrics in the past which was all about love and the joy of being love, today’s lyrics have been showing more boldness, from confronting men first, to saying “I am me” and focusing on love overall.
The next step seems to be solidity and firmness, and such a value has been perfectly portrayed in LE SSERAFIM’s new title song “ANTIFRAGILE”. Here, “antifragile” is the opposite of “fragile”, which means “easy to break upon impact”, and like the its title, the song is about LE SSERAFIM’s determination to accept difficult times as a stimulus for growth and become stronger in the process. If aespa is fighting in the wilderness with their unique worldview, then LE SSERAFIM embodies the message of strength, particularly of inner strength.
As such, LE SSERAFIM have been using a unified narrative as their weapon since their debut album “FEARLESS” and title song of the same name. In “FEARLESS”, the girl group made a declaration that they would go their own way without fear in a situation where they were taking their first steps in the music industry. It is also a declaration to become stronger.
Riding over the trail of thorns / You made me boost up (Ah-ah-ah) / A party packed with lies / They don’t even burn / So much talk behind my back / Rivals I never knew I had / They all pray for the day I’m fallin’ /Onto their hands, I’ma jump in / Yes, gimme that
The lyrics are strong enough to give one pleasure. It does not mean that it is strong in the sense of stimulating, but the degree of hardness is strong, giving the listener an unknown power to jump over all the people pray for their downfall.
This message of strength was well visualized through the music video as well. The content of the MV is roughly as follows: One day, when the breaking news that a meteorite is rushing towards Earth was suddenly announced, people panic. However, LE SSERAFIM members do not care at all and spend their day on their own.
There are members who go on busking to listen to their music, do yoga detachably against the background of a falling meteorite, and some members rush head-on towards the meteorite in a cart. The message that the more shock is applied, the stronger one becomes, is expressed using meteorite collisions, and the choreography performed by 5 members in a ruined place created an impressive visual.
The unique chorus is also a killing point
Fly again, rising through the flames (Na-na-na) / Don’t forget my pointe shoes I left behind / What more must be said / Don’t underestimate the path I’ve walked / I go to ride ’til I die, die / I’ll climb higher / Top of the world I itched for (Ah-ah) / No biggie if I were to fall / I’m antifragile, antifragile
Take a closer look at this part, and it can be noticed that these lyrics are the stories of the Le Seraphim members themselves. The lyrics contain stories that happened before the debut. “Don’t forget my pointe shoes I left behind / What more must be said” alludes to Kazuha, who has been doing ballet for 15 years. “Don’t underestimate the path I’ve walked” is the story of Kim Chaewon and Sakura, who already debuted before, and Huh Yunjin, who appeared on “Produce 48” alongside the two.
Among the lyrics above, the phrase “No biggie if I were to fall” is particularly strong. These are brief but sufficient words to inspire a change of thinking and courage for those who fear failure and setbacks.
The tough choreography that brings out the song’s message and the unique chorus that spit out without hesitation are also killing points. The movement that appeals for strength by using the arm muscles is distinctly different from the normally delicate girl group dance.
LE SSERAFIM , who debuted in May of this year, is back after five months, reinforcing the unique color of the team. The public has responded positively to those who portray a strong woman in addition to being daring and dignified. As of the afternoon of the 3rd, LE SSERAFIM has ranked 3rd on the Melon chart and has collected 50 million views for the music video, establishing itself as a K-pop trend after 6 months since the debut. Now, netizens wonder how their messages will evolve and unfold in the future.
Source: daum
