Release Date: March 14, 2025
Track Listing
- Born Fire
- HOT
- Come Over
- Ash
- So Cynical (Badum)
In an effort to catch up on my backlog of music reviews, I will revisit some of the more notable releases that I may have missed in my recaps or wanted to explore in more depth, but could not due to other time-consuming obligations. For this article, it’s LE SSERAFIM’s fifth Korean EP HOT, released back in March.
Review
HOT is the third and final album in their Easy-Crazy-Hot trilogy, focusing on the idea of jumping into what you love without hesitation as its encompassing theme. It features the self-titled title track and Come Over as its promotional songs.
The title track, HOT, has the group entrenched in a mid-tempo, funky pop track with a retro feel. It is unlike other LE SSERAFIM a-sides, which tend to lean more towards being more intense. HOT is rather subdued and, on the surface level, is closer musically to the tone of their OVERWATCH collaboration single, Perfect Night.
Lyrically, it aligns with the themes of self-confidence, identity, and ambition. Perfectly aligning with the concept of this EP.
Come Over pushes the retro vibe further than the title track with a 1960s lounge flavour. Even the vocal track is given a vintage treatment, with a bit of audible distortion added to blend it with the instrumental. It’s a much more playful and flirty kind of song compared to the other songs. It also happens to be the only one completely in English.
The remainder of the album stays firmly within low gear, maintaining the similar sentiment established by the songs that precede them. Of the two, I would say Ash is the song that should get all your attention.
From the perspective of the instrumental only, this is the best song on the album, in my opinion. It has similar DNA to the moody, electronic pop heard on Madonna’s Ray of Light album, so it instantly caught my ear. When it comes to lyrics, thematically, Ash still aligns with the overarching concept of the EP, but differs in being more emotional and reflective. Which should be an attractive quality for those seeking that type of song.
Overall, HOT is a bit of a different beast compared to the other albums in the Easy-Crazy-Hot trilogy, with its more relaxed feeling. It’s almost like a cool-down from what the previous albums brought. But don’t let that stop you from giving it a thorough listen. It’s definitely worth your time.
