Easy is the third extended play by South Korean girl group Le Sserafim. It was released by Source Music on February 19, 2024, and contains five tracks including the lead single of the same name.
Background and release
On January 22, 2024, Source Music announced that Le Sserafim would be releasing their third extended play titled Easy on February 19.[1] The comeback trailer was released on January 26 and 27.[2][3] On February 7, five track sampler videos were released.[4] A day later, the track listing was released with "Easy" announced as the lead single.[5] On February 13, the highlight medley teaser video was released.[6] The music video teasers for "Easy" were released on February 16 and 18.[7][8] The extended play was released alongside the music video for "Easy" on February 19.[9]
Promotion
Prior to the release of Easy, on February 19, 2024, Le Sserafim held two live events on YouTube and Weverse, aimed at introducing the extended play and connecting with their fans.[10]
Composition
The album draws from the group members' uneasiness and worries behind their confidence.[11] The intro track, "Good Bones" was described as an "unruly" rock and roll song,[12] and features narrations in Korean, Japanese and English.[13] The lead single, "Easy", is a trap and R&B song, expressing how the group "makes hard things look easy".[11][14] "Smart" has been described as an Afropop-inspired Amapiano song.[12]
Critical reception
Easy was met with mixed-to-positive reviews by the music critics, NME's Rhian Daly gave the album four stars out of five, writing that it "presents a new evolution in Le Sserafim's oeuvre, not just thematically but musically too".[13] Lee Seung-won from IZM gave the album 2.5 stars out of five, writing that "although Easy has a lot of charm in its sound, it has more flaws than any of the group's other works."[15]
Commercial performance
According to the Hanteo Chart, the album sold 783,358 copies on its first day of release.[16] In Japan, the album sold 107,000 copies within its first week of release, marking Le Sserafim's highest first-week sales in the country.[17]
^Moon, Wan-sik (January 22, 2024). 르세라핌, 2월 19일 컴백..미니 3집 'EASY' 발매 [Le Sserafim, comeback on February 19th..3rd mini album 'EASY' released] (in Korean). MT Star News. Archived from the original on February 19, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2024 – via Naver.
^Lee, Min-ji (January 26, 2024). "세상이 우리한테만 쉬운 거 같니?" 르세라핌, 예사롭지 않은 메시지 ["Do you think the world is just easy for us?" Le Sserafim, an unusual message] (in Korean). Newsen. Archived from the original on February 19, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2024 – via Naver.
^Ji, Min-kyung (January 27, 2024). 르세라핌, 건강·세련美 돋보이는 트레일러..한 편의 패션 필름 [Le Sserafim, a trailer that stands out for its health and sophistication..a fashion film] (in Korean). Osen. Archived from the original on February 19, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2024 – via Naver.
^Baek, Ji-eun (February 7, 2024). 르세라핌, 역대급 메시지 담은 수록곡...트랙 샘플러 공개 [Le Sserafim, a song with the greatest message of all time...Track Sampler Revealed] (in Korean). Sports Chosun. Archived from the original on February 19, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2024 – via Naver.
^Kim, Na-yul (February 8, 2024). 르세라핌, 'EASY' 트랙리스트 공개..전 멤버 곡 참여 [Le Sserafim, 'EASY' tracklist revealed...all members participate in the song] (in Korean). Herald Pop. Archived from the original on February 19, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2024 – via Naver.
^Yoon, Jun-ho (February 13, 2024). 장르·메시지 모두 새롭다...르세라핌, 미니 3집 'EASY' 하이라이트 메들리 공개 [Both the genre and message are new...Le Sserafim releases highlight medley for 3rd mini album 'EASY'] (in Korean). Ten Asia. Archived from the original on February 19, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2024 – via Naver.
^르세라핌 'EASY' 뮤비, 도자 캣 그 감독이 연출 [Le Sserafim's 'EASY' music video directed by Doja Cat]. Sports Kyunghyung. February 16, 2024. Archived from the original on February 19, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2024 – via Naver.
^Kim, Ji-hye (February 18, 2024). 르세라핌, 신곡 퍼포먼스 일부 공개..강렬한 올드스쿨 힙합 [Le Sserafim reveals part of new song performance... Intense old school hip hop] (in Korean). Herald Pop. Archived from the original on February 19, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2024 – via Naver.
^Kim, Ye-na (February 19, 2024). 르세라핌, 오늘(19일) 컴백...역대급 퍼포먼스 예고 [Le Sserafim, comeback today (19th)...A preview of the best performance ever] (in Korean). Xports News. Archived from the original on February 19, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2024 – via Naver.
^Lee, Seung-hoon (February 19, 2024). 르세라핌 온다..올드스쿨 힙합 입은 '이지' 오늘 발매 [Le Sserafim is coming..'Easy' in old school hip hop released today] (in Korean). MT Star News. Archived from the original on February 19, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2024 – via Naver.
