Le Sserafim Make Being K-Pop Stars Look 'Easy' — but Behind the Scenes 'We Worked Our Butts Off' (Exclusive)

As they release their latest album, 'EASY,' the idols open up about pushing themselves in the public eye and smashing the stage at this year's Coachella

They may look fearless and flawless in their new music video, but Le Sserafim have never been hustling harder.

The five-member K-pop girl group released their third mini album, EASY, on Monday and chatted with PEOPLE about the real message of its title track, their upcoming Coachella debut and what it's like making a Tiktok with BTS.

When Kim Chaewon, Sakura, Huh Yunjin, Kazuha, and Hong Eunchae dropped their 2022 smash "Anti-Fragile," Sakura, 25, told PEOPLE, "It's not that we're really 'antifragile,' We're pursuing to be antifragile. It's not that we're really fearless [the title of their first EP], like we're not scared of anything. But we pursue to be fearless people."

That message carries through on their latest track, "Easy," but this time it's delivered with the swagger of the superstars they're quickly becoming.

<p>Courtesy of Source Music</p> Le Sserafim

Courtesy of Source Music

Le Sserafim

The song is a flex: "If it’s hard then I make it easy; Up on the stage, sparks fly off my body; Pull up and I rip it up like ballet; Damn, I really make it look easy," they sing in front of a neon-bedecked altar in the music video, above,

The setting and the song's lyrics ("to the world, I'm halfway seraphim") nod to the symbolic homophone of their group name, an angelic creature. But they also hint at a grittier side, and the blood, sweat and tears that goes into making their hits.

"I think it’s something that can resonate universally," says Huh, 22. "There’s nothing that’s actually effortless, you can only make something look effortless. To be able to do anything you have to put effort in. We just wanted to talk about [how] we worked our butts off for this."

<p>Courtesy of Source Music</p> Le Sserafim

Courtesy of Source Music

Le Sserafim

And there's no rest on the horizon for the group, which debuted in May 2022 and has already released three EPs and a studio album, topped global charts, and made "Best Of" lists from the New York Times and Rolling Stone, among others.

The five songs on EASY expand their range — and their reach — even further, putting to use everything from trap beats on the title track, to mellow, groovy melodies on "Smart" and sweet, heartfelt sincerity on the fan song "We Got So Much," "We always want to try on different genres and we want to expand our musical spectrum," explains Kim, 23.

As part of Source Music under HYBE, they also regularly work with the industry's biggest stars, including making Tiktok collabs with views in the tens of millions.

Asked who she was most nervous to work with, Hong, 17, admits it's BTS' J-hope, 30. The dance challenge for his song “On the street (with J. Cole)” "was one of the most fun to film," she says. "J-hope made sure I was relaxed and enjoying myself. I was a little nervous about filming on a treadmill, but it definitely added to the fun in the end!"

This April, they'll tackle a massive new challenge: taking the stage at Coachella.

The festival has become a showcase for the biggest acts in K-Pop (Blackpink headlined in 2023) and a proving ground for other groups hoping to tap into an international fanbase.

"I still can’t believe it," says Sakura, 25 of the upcoming performance. "I think they saw our potential and that’s why they invited us. So we want to try really hard to exceed their expectations and really do well on the stage."

Adds Kazuha, 20, "When we have concerts, it’s usually with Fearnot [their fanbase's collective name] who know everything about us, who know our songs, so the pressure is off in a sense. But this time around, at Coachella, there are going to be music lovers and festival lovers who don’t know us. So I want to leave a lasting impression on them. I want them to keep asking, 'Who is this team?' I want them to be curious about us."

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