SAKURA on LE SSERAFIM's Comeback, Rewarding Moments, and Her Sense of Style

One-fifth of LE SSERAFIM, SAKURA teases the K-pop girl group’s highly anticipated comeback and tells L’Officiel Singapore why she’s here to stay after over a decade in the industry.

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Just five months ago, a new all-girl group was unleashed into the dynamic world of K-pop. LE SSERAFIM, consisting of five members, delivered their first EP Fearless (the group’s name is an anagram of the phrase “I’m Fearless’’ after all), which sold almost 200,000 copies in the first day of its release.

The group’s success hasn’t come overnight though — especially not for this member: Japan-born SAKURA. The 24-year-old began training to be a pop star as far back as in 2011 when she joined Japanese idol group HKT48. Seven years later, after placing second in reality girl group survival show Produce 48, SAKURA went on to become a member of Korean-Japanese idol group Iz*One.

Along the way, she earned spots in various films and television shows. But it is this year that SAKURA has truly blossomed — in March, South Korean entertainment company Source Music signed an exclusive contract with SAKURA and officially unveiled her as the first member of LE SSERAFIM.

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Tell us about some of your favourite moments with LE SSERAFIM since the group debuted.

It’s hard to pinpoint exact moments of LE SSERAFIM as there are countless memories. Some of the moments I still cherish are our debut showcase when we were able to meet our fans, FEARNOT, every pre-recorded stage for music show programs with them, and fan signing events. Basically, every time I am able to meet FEARNOT is my favourite moment.

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LE SSERAFIM’s first EP and single have done phenomenally well. Do you recall what your reaction was to some of the big moments like the EP being certified KMCA platinum or when you had your first music show win?

I am grateful for all the love and support I received from the very beginning. LE SSERAFIM is my third debut, and I do think this should be my last. So my biggest objective is to give back with our music and performances, to show the better version of me, and to continue to improve as an artist. I want to be able to express how I feel and how I have grown both mentally and musically as an artist, especially with all the times I have been through.

Could you give us a little teaser of what we can expect from LE SSERAFIM’s comeback?

This is our first comeback ever as LE SSERAFIM, so we wanted to give it all we have. We started working on the album the day after we finished our promotions for Fearless. Our hope was to create a well-prepared stage that is above and beyond the expectations, and I believe we have! So I hope you are all ready for a lot of outstanding stages we have prepared for you!

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Was there an especially rewarding moment while preparing this album?

Our members got even closer to each other, and these connections really showed through when we practised for this album. Our chemistry and sync were on point and the process itself was visibly faster than when we first met and practised prior to our debut. It really was rewarding for all of us to watch.

LE SSERAFIM is an anagram of the phrase “I’m Fearless”. Could you tell us about a recent time when you were proud of yourself for conquering a fear?

We recently released our documentary film called The World is My Oyster on YouTube. I spoke about my deeper feelings I had for the first time as an artist. At first I feared putting these emotions out in front of cameras, but I watched people gain strength and courage through our honest and real selves shown in the documentary. I was proud to overcome some of my fears, be fearless, and show who we are, and help give a little push to those who need it to be more courageous.

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What is your most recent fun memory with the members?

We started an original content series on YouTube called DAYOFF, and I recently experienced staycation with the members for the first time. We had a great, relaxing, and fun time so I realised then why staycations attract so many people and how they gained popularity.

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You started your career in the industry in 2011. Did you want to be in music from a very young age and what influenced you to want to take this path?

I started learning musical theater when I was young, and I always loved expressing myself on stage ever since I can remember. It naturally helped me realise the path I wanted to take, and at the time idol groups were becoming and leading the trend in Japan. So it became my dream.