There are many times when a highly admired musical artist releases an album that does not live up to fan expectations; some end up growing on listeners and become beloved, while others fall short and end up being remembered as one of the weaker releases in that artist’s discography. Korean girl group LE SSERAFIM’s latest release, the mini-album “EASY,” falls in the latter category. While it was clear that the group was aiming to experiment and break boundaries with their sound, the album ended up severely lacking in tone, lyricism, and overall engagement.
When the first teasers for “EASY” dropped, I was skeptical. The songs they showed off sounded alright, but there was something missing that I couldn’t quite put my finger on at the time. I remained optimistic, though, but when the album finally dropped, I was disappointed. The title track, “EASY,” is one of the weakest songs of the album. While some listeners may enjoy the R&B-inspired sound, the song lacks structure, and the instrumental feels empty. Not to mention, there’s a recorder leitmotif that appears constantly throughout the song, which sounds jarring compared to the more relaxed, easy-going feel of the instrumental. The members’ vocals also blend into the instruments often, and they all sound static and constrained by the lack of direction they were seemingly given.
The promotional B-side, “Smart,” was definitely stronger than the title track, but still falls short in many aspects. Taking inspiration from Afrobeat music, the lyrics of the song reflect the group’s want to persevere and rise up against adversity. While I can appreciate the powerful message of the song, it is overall forgettable, suffering for many of the same reasons as “EASY.” It also sounds very reminiscent of a song released by South African singer Tyla, and I would be much more inclined to listen to one of her songs instead of “Smart.” The song’s dance is also very sensual, which seems very out of place for 17-year-old member Eunchae.
There are some hidden gems on this album, however. “Swan Song” is the strongest track on the album, with a relaxing beat and lyrics about self-identity, resilience, and references to characters from the ballet “Swan Lake.” The concept photos taken for the album are also excellent, ranging from ethereal to groovy and Y2K-inspired. I do wish that they were used for another project instead, however, as they don’t really fit the vibe of the album.
Overall, “EASY” by LE SSERAFIM is forgettable in comparison to other releases in their discography. While it is definitely something you can put on if you want something easy to listen to, there are plenty of other albums that I would recommend instead, and I certainly would not recommend buying the physical versions of the album unless you are a diehard fan of the group.
