Overview
“Unforgiven“ is the first full-length studio album by South Korean girl group Le Sserafim.
Background of the Production
Le Sserafim is a girl group who belongs to Source Music, a subsidiary of South Korean entertainment company HYBE, and one of the groups of the fourth generation of K-pop.
Le Sserafim was formed in Seoul, South Korea in 2022 as a six-member group by Sakura, Kim Chae-won, Huh Yun-jin, Kazuha, Hong Eun-chae, and Kim Ga-ram.
Kim Chae-won, Hong Eun-chae and Kim Ga-ram are South Koreans. Sakura and Kazuha are Japanese. Huh Yun-jin is a Korean-American.
Sakura (Sakura Miyawaki) was a member of Japanese female idol group HKT48 in 2011–2021.
Sakura and Kim Chae-won had worked as members of South Korean–Japanese girl group Iz*One in 2018–2021.
Le Sserafim released two extended plays, “Fearless“ and “Antifragile“ in 2022.
Kim Ga-ram left the group after the release of “Fearless“, and Le Sserafim became a five-member group.
Commentary
The album “Unforgiven“ was released by Source Music/YG Plus on digital distribution in 2023. It was also released on CD in South Korea and Japan.
It sold over one million copies in South Korea and one hundred thousand copies in Japan.
In the U.S. billboard, it reached number 5 on Heatseekers Albums albums charts and number 8 on World Albums charts.
It consists of 13 tracks: six tracks from the two extended plays, “Fearless“ and “Antifragile“, and seven new songs.
The first three tracks are the 2023 versions of the songs from “Fearless“. The next three tracks are songs from “Antifragile“.
The album is made by the combination of contemporary electronic dance music after dubstep, catchy pop songs, and female vocals. It is characterized by its bass-heavy sound. It also includes the elements of soul, R&B, hip hop, disco, and funk.
The lyrics are Korean and English. The Japanese edition of the album includes Japanese lyrics.
Two producers of South Korean music production team “13“, Score and Megatone participated in the production of most of the tracks.
“Fearless” is a funky alternative pop song. It was released as the debut single in 2022.
“Antifragile“ is a pop song in the Afro-Latin style. It was released as a single in 2022.
The title track “Unforgiven“ is a hip hop song featuring the guitar played by Nile Rodgers. It samples the theme of the film “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly“ (1966), written by Ennio Morricone. It was released as a single in 2023.
“No-Return (Into the Unknown)” is a catchy song in the disco pop style.
“Eve, Psyche & the Bluebeard’s Wife“ is a dance pop song in the Jersey club style. It was released as a single in 2023.
A slow ballad “Fearnot (Between You, Me and the Lamppost)“ is a message song for fans.
“Fire in the Belly” is a song in the Latin pop style.
Track Listing
- The World Is My Oyster (2023 Ver.) – 1:46
- Fearless (2023 Ver.) – 2:48
- Blue Flame (2023 Ver.) – 3:21
- The Hydra – 1:44
- Antifragile – 3:04
- Impurities – 3:16
- Burn The Bridge – 2:34
- Unforgiven – 3:02
- No-Return (Into The Unknown) – 3:04
- Eve, Psyche & The Bluebeard’s Wife – 3:05
- Fearnot (Between You, Me And The Lamppost) – 3:26
- Flash Forward – 3:15
- Fire In The Belly – 3:18