Le Sserafim comebacks are usually worth getting excited about. The performance powerhouses almost always come with trendy styling, great choreography, and catchy title tracks, not to mention their penchant for blockbuster b-sides (think “Eve, Psyche & the Bluebeard’s wife,” or last year’s “Smart”). The teaser images and videos leading up to EP Hot and its same-named title track were as eye-catching as ever, but something was different. Lyric snippets sprinkled across concept photos indicated a shift away from Le Sserafim’s usual topics of confidence (lots of confidence!) and chasing your dreams. Hot was going to be about love.
“Uh-oh,” I thought, rather ungenerously. To be fair though, romantic love has often been a slippery topical slope for girl groups. Boy groups can suffer from the romantic curse too, but the weight of gendered romantic conventions and their accompanying artistic limitations falls much heavier on female artists. Pivoting towards romance marked a quality downturn for fellow fourth generation groups like Itzy and StayC. Even in more successful instances, the median lyricism and aesthetic of K-pop love songs—from male and female artists alike—often leaves much to be desired. Predictable, old-fashioned, toxic, and saccharine are adjectives that come to mind. Le Sserafim’s turn towards romance was, therefore, a bit nerve-wracking.
Fortunately, Hot is the defiant exception to the rule. Not only is the mini album one of Le Sserafim’s strongest musically, it’s a sterling example of the romance concept done right. Here, love isn’t an all-consuming game changer, and it doesn’t see a group’s creative team abandon all their previous signatures in favor of out-of-character romantic stereotypes. Instead, love is a vehicle for self-discovery and a tool of self-actualization.
Like all Le Sserafim albums thus far, Hot kicks off with a multi-lingual spoken-word intro. “Born Fire” introduces all of Hot’s key elements: the existence of a burning love, a recurring fire motif, and an introspective edge to its romantic leanings. Tense strings are the song’s most prominent production element, giving it a surprisingly dark mood.
Lyrically, “Born Fire” has some romantic tendencies (“It’s the place to be Love/Attracted by the beautiful shimmering/I believed that the reason for existence was to burn even brighter”), but it is primarily preoccupied with visions of flames, ashes, and a fiery rebirth (“I am the one who is lost in the darkness revealed/The spark is rekindled by hot breath”). Though brief, “Born Fire” properly sets the stage for Hot, introducing a vision of love as the fire that Le Sserafim use as fuel, a mirror, and a catalyst for change.
Three of the EP’s four additional tracks—“Hot,” “Come Over,” and “So Cynical (Badum)”—could easily be mistaken for conventional (if catchy) love songs. However, a closer look reveals hidden nuances that follow the path “Born Fire” laid.
“Come Over” and “So Cynical (Badum)” bring some of Le Sserafim’s signature wit to the table. The all-English “Come Over,” co-written by Jungle’s J Lloyd and Lydia Kitto, features delightful 60s-inspired beats, styling, and choreography. Meanwhile, “So Cynical (Badum)” playfully mimics the rhythm of a pounding heart, and members Yujin, Eunchae, and Chaewon all have writing credits (Yujin is also credited on “Hot” and “Ash”). These light-hearted touches ensure that Le Sserafim’s take on romance is not only layered, but also avoids being overly dour.
The two tracks also share a general plot, with Le Sserafim beckoning a love interest to “come over and dance” and “stop being afraid” respectively. As simple as this narrative is, it’s nice to see Le Ssearafim’s confidence still take center stage in their romance era. They own and hold the reigns of their desire, encouraging their crush to take the next step.
Alas, it’s now time to address the elephant in the room, which is how appropriate Hot’s undeniably sultry concept is for a group with an 18-year-old maknae. This is not a new conversation for Le Sserafim, though the previous focus has been on choreography and styling rather than thematic issues. To be entirely fair to the group’s creative team, appropriateness is trickier to determine when there is a nearly decade age gap between oldest and youngest members. If Le Sserafim were a quartet and their youngest member was 21-year-old Kazuha, this conversation would not be needed. But uber-talented maknae Eunchae is here, and that means extra tact is called for when tackling a romantic concept.
For the most part, Hot manages to stay on the right side of the line. “Come Over” is undeniably a seduction, but one with a light touch and a PG-13 rating. The biggest offender is likely “So Cynical (Badum),” or rather, the deeply regrettable bed-squeak sound effect that closes it. Frankly, some of Eunchae’s concept photos are also really pushing it. Taken as a whole, Hot largely escapes ickiness, but it would have been a better release for the Le Sserafim of a couple years in the future.
Another tick against Hot is that its title track is its least interesting musical offering. “Hot” is pretty, with nice melodies and smooth production, but it lacks any real momentum or novelty. On first listen, it’s easy to dismiss it as both an unremarkable pop track and a cookie cutter love song.
Thankfully, “Hot” surpasses its surface-level impression. Especially with the context provided by “Born Fire,” (which directly proceeds “Hot” in the EP’s track order), “Hot” shines as the embodiment of Hot’s thesis statement. Love is a fire that can melt the shackles of fear and give you the courage to embrace your true self:
If I can live life my own way, Turning to ashes aint’ no problem
So tonight in your embrace, Bonnie and Clyde it oh
Not running from it, not running from it
Flames rising high, I love it
Let me live, I’m burning Hot
Hot’s focus on the impact love has on the self makes you understand why several members have mentioned that the love Hot showcases is not strictly romantic, even if the album’s lyricism and imagery certainly leans in that direction. It’s also a big reason why Hot’s exploration of love avoids the typical traps of the topic. In Le Sserafim’s hands, love isn’t a reason to reduce a person to a one-dimensional romance object, as is so often the regrettable fate of romance heroines in music, film, literature, and beyond. Instead, love is about self-discovery and re-invention, individually as well as with the person, persons, or even pursuits that inspire emotions powerful enough to open a whole new world.
Rebirth is at the heart of “Ash,” Hot’s most striking track. Amidst a dreamy house soundscape, Le Sserafim paint a visceral, even violent picture of a fiery renewal:
The moment the flame burns me, finally, I can breathe
In the wave of pain
I’m turning to ashes, live again like oh oh oh
The more it hurts, the more alive I am
A new born from the ashes, nothing lasts forever
“Ash” is Hot’s least explicitly romantic song, but it’s far from the EP’s black sheep. Through its shared themes of fire, inspiration, and reinvention, “Ash” is right at home in Hot, and in its exploration of the internal impact of an inciting flame (of love?), the track unveils Hot’s true focus. “Ash” would be a standout for its evocative lyrics alone, but the song is also a musical treat. Come for the thematic clarity, but stay for the excellent vocals (Yujin’s first chorus opening is goosebump-inducing), moody dance beat, and pitch-perfect touch of electric guitar.
In five short tracks, Hot accomplishes a lot, but it feels like it has more to give. The EP presents a truly nuanced picture of love. Its five songs only just start to peel the onion layers back. As the album closed, I found myself wishing a few more tracks awaited me on the other side.
Of course, an EP that leaves you hungry for more is a very successful EP indeed, especially when its starting point was a notoriously tricky concept. Smart, sophisticated, and consistently compelling, Hot is a tiny but mighty gem. Far from losing themselves in love, Le Sserafim have never been truer to who they are.
(Hollywood Reporter, Instagram, YouTube[1][2]. Lyrics via Genius[1][2][3][4], YouTube. Images via HYBE, Source Music.)
