PUREFLOW, PT. 1 ALBUM REVIEW AND ANALYSIS
BY MAX GRUHN ILLUSTRATION COURTESY OF ELLA KATZENMEYER
LE SSERAFIM is a K-Pop girl group created by HYBE Labels in May 2022. The group consists of Kim Chaewon, Sakura, Huh Yunjin, Kazuha, and Hong Eunchae. On May 22, they released their second full studio-length album titled “PUREFLOW, Pt. 1.” The album sits at 27 minutes with 11 songs to accompany the album's release. I will take you through each of the songs and give an overall review of the album.
The album opens up with the title track, “Pureflow,” which is a spoken piece with an upbeat and pop-style instrumental. The track talks about the importance of opening up and having a community for when you are facing issues within your life. It emphasizes the idea that no one has an original experience, and by surrounding yourself with loved ones during your dark times, you can heal faster and even learn things that can help you within that process.
Following is the single that was released alongside the album, “BOOMPALA.” If you are familiar with the “Macarena,” then you are in for a treat since “BOOMPALA” directly samples the song, keeping the intro the same while adding their own self-love spin on the lyrics of the song. The track is high-energy and gives a modern and fun take on the classic party song.
“BOOMPALA” leads into the next track, which was also the lead single from the album, “CELEBRATION.” The song has an EDM track with softer verses and a hard-hitting chorus that touches on the idea of celebrating your inner peace and allowing yourself to be fearless. The three opening tracks work as a bond for the rest of the album, showcasing the message they are portraying while also setting up the sound.
The album leads into “Creatures,” a classic pop track with electric verses and a fun chorus that is easy to get stuck in your head. The song talks about people trying to dim your light and personality, and how, instead, you should ignore them and continue to be yourself.
This track ties perfectly with “iffy iffy,” a smoother and more relaxed EDM sound that talks about embracing your “imperfections” and what some might see as flaws. The production of the song matches its lyricism, and it’s not as pop or hard-hitting as the previous songs on the album, bringing in a confident yet composed tone.
A moment of weakness that we have all felt lies within the next track, “Need Your Company.” The song is a power ballad that portrays how important friendships are to people, even when their bonds are not as strong as they once were. The opening line of the chorus says, “I need your company, no matter how you hurt me,” which encapsulates the meaning of the song. The pain of being alone outweighs the hurt caused by someone who you once trusted with everything, and sometimes that realization can repair those once broken bonds.
The interpersonal meaning of “Need Your Company” becomes externalized with “Sonder.” This track emphasizes how everyone is living their own lives and that no one knows what is happening within others’ lives. The happiness, the pain, and everything in between are only known by the person who is living it, and it’s hard to judge someone when you do not understand the feelings and emotions they have.
The track delivers the message over another softer EDM track with a contemporary R&B feel to it. This stretch of the album showcases fear, understanding, acceptance, and acknowledgement. These four songs tell a story as they lead into each other, and each have its own unique meaning but the same undertones throughout them. It also helps that the sounds of each track all match the emotion that the lyrics are portraying.
LE SSERAFIM picks back up their fun and energetic sound that the beginning of the album held with “Saki (feat. Aliyah’s Interlude).” This track features an upbeat pop sound, with lyrics that exude confidence throughout. Some of the lyrics that showcase this include “I'm that girl between your teeth I know, I'm the only one you could never touch,” “Cars crashing on the road just to get a peek. Message at the tone, but I hit delete,” and of course “Oh, you want my number? Yeah, it's— 1-800-you f*cking wish.” The upbeat sound and cheeky lyrics are all tied together by the vocal power in the chorus, giving it a more confident and fun sound.
“Irony” is the next track on the album, which ties in earlier themes about losing yourself with the ambition to make it to the top. It also talks about how once you let yourself go, freedom and fearlessness follow, and you are able to see your true ambition. The same upbeat-pop feel with a touch of Brazilian funk brings this song to another level, matching the energy from the previous track, “Saki.”
The penultimate track of the album is titled “Trust Exercise,” with the title telling the story of the lyrics. In order for trust to build, you need to take your time and allow it to build through different events throughout your time with someone. The track is a higher-energy song with beautiful vocals that could be used in a ballad and a fun interpretation of “Physical” by Olivia Newton-John — making this a fun and light song to wrap up the album.
The album ends with “Liminal Space,” another spoken piece that talks about the five members' journey with the album. It is a casual conversation in Korean that allows them to tie all the themes together. It has a fun atmosphere with the members laughing, sharing jokes with each other, and even playing on the repetitiveness and earworm vibes of “BOOMPALA.” Overall, “Liminal Space” was the perfect end to the album, calling back to the first track while also being a spoken piece that gives a calm send-off.
Ultimately, I personally enjoyed “PUREFLOW, Pt. 1” a lot more than I originally thought I was going to. When “CELEBRATION” came out, I did not know how the rest of the album would look, but I ended up thoroughly enjoying every second of it. The songs off the album that stuck out to me the most were “Saki (feat. Aliyah’s Interlude),” “Need Your Company,” and “Irony.” These songs and the rest of the album stay true to the vibe of their discography while keeping a fresh and unique sound. With the album sitting at only 27 minutes, I encourage everyone to take a little bit of time out of their day and give this piece and this girl group a listen.
