That’s a reflection of how we feel as a group and how we want to pave our own path.” Yunjin says it’s the carnal desire to “just go forward and have pride in the path that we take.

An air of conviction radiates from these young women as they mull over the new narratives they are spinning through age-old creative mediums of song and art. The resulting album is a 13-track collection of empowering songs, headlined by a title track that embodies the group’s trademark spunk while being a sublime third installment in their growing oeuvre. “Through this album, we kind of talk about how regardless of what people think, or regardless of people’s prejudices, we’re going to conquer.” The statement rings especially true for the girls as K-pop idols, who constantly find themselves scrutinized and picked apart by the world’s watchful eyes. “Whatever decision you make, whatever choice you make, I think there’s always judgement that follows,” main vocalist Huh Yunjin tells Teen Vogue over video call, days before the long-awaited release of Unforgiven, LE SSERAFIM’s debut studio album.

Perhaps this is what makes the five-piece so riveting to watch. It’s natural human instinct - why surrender yourself to the uncertainty of shooting in the dark on the off chance of success when you have something you know is safe and will work? But for LE SSERAFIM, who debuted in 2022 as part of a rising class of innovative girl groups, these playbooks are nothing but shackles holding them back. At the heart of global pop music culture is the tendency to adopt a formulaic or methodical approach to creation, so thinking and acting outside the box is a risk most aren’t willing to take.

The Teen Vogue Handbook by Teen Vogue