Inna Christine Cabel

REVIEW Le Sserafim turns up temperature in 'HOT'

Like moths to a flame, the five members of K-pop girl group Le Sserafim seem to welcome every challenge life throws at them. Kim Chae-won, Sakura, Huh Yun-jin, Kazuha and Hong Eun-chae have cemented a formidable reputation in the industry with genre-bending explorations, viral performances and numerous unexpected collaborations with music acts from all over the world. The quintet’s grueling yet storied musical journey reaches a boiling point in its latest mini-album, “HOT,” released March 14. In a mini-album that calls itself “HOT,” any casual listener would expect high-octane, hard-hitting cuts — in the usual K-pop fare — especially since Le Sserafim has been known for taking on performance-heavy tracks such as the bombastic “Unforgiven” (2023) and “Antifragile” (2022). But the five members go against the grain in their latest EP, treating listeners to a surprisingly subtle exploration of their past year, despite focusing on their no-holds-barred approach to the challenges they face. “HOT” starts with “Born Fire,” heavy bass beats crawling into your skin an