Release Date: October 17, 2022
Track Listing
- The Hydra
- ANTIFRAGILE
- Impurities
- No Celestial
- Good Parts (when the quality is bad, but I am)
Review
ANTIFRAGILE is LE SSERAFIM’s second EP and their first as a five-member group following the departure of Kim Garam in July 2022.
The title track continues with the theme of empowerment, similar to their debut single FEARLESS. The harder-sounding, street-styled Hip-Pop instrumental assists in hammering their point home. While the hook may not necessarily be the greatest in ANTIFRAGILE (I found it too simplistic), everything before that part, such as the group splitting rap duties, is pretty badass. So there’s the trade-off.
The remainder of the EP sees LE SSERAFIM going in various musical directions. First, Impurities has them going into the world of R&B. While No Celestial sees them following the trend of girl pop punk. Lastly, Good Parts (when the quality is bad, but I am) has them going into a slower, minimal pop territory to end the album.
All the remaining songs are great, and there’s not a weak one among them. In addition, they all have messages that tie into the theme of the title track in one way or another, so there is some consistency from song to song. What tickles your fancy will depend on your preferences when listening to this album. No Celestial is the b-side that stands out the most, in my opinion. It brings a much different vibe than the other tracks and leaves the longest-lasting impression after it ends.
Usually, follow-ups to strong debuts disappoint. However, LE SSERAFIM has avoided that pothole and has released an album that equals its predecessor.
