For the members of Le Sserafim, few issues are as important as a pair of headphones. Whether or not they’re laying down tracks within the studio, tuning out the chaos of a bustling airport, or curating the last word playlist for a late-night dance session, the proper pair of headphones is greater than a useful device — it is an adjunct, a press release, and a key to their world as worldwide superstars who spend a whole lot of time in transit.
The Okay-pop group’s newest collaboration with Sony Audio brings this concept to life with the discharge of a brand new Smoky Pink colorway for the model’s acclaimed 1000X noise-canceling headphones. By fusing cutting-edge know-how with the group’s stylish, trendsetting model, the partnership redefines the connection between music, trend, and self-expression, one thing Huh Yunjin highlights as integral to their daring, assured picture.
“When we first saw the actual headphones on the set of our commercial, it had a dreamy and transient kind of feel, which went well with the concept of ‘Crazy,'” she shares with Mashable over a Zoom name. “Whenever we’re on the go, we like to have our headphones with us. We like listening to music, but we also like the look of it. It’s aesthetic.” Yunjin laughs, then provides, “And it makes you look busy!”
Le Sserafim’s Sony collaboration captures the essence of their life-style: balancing inventive work with moments of unplugged downtime.
Credit score: Courtesy of Sony Audio
It’s not like Kim Chaewon, Sakura, Huh Yunjin, Kazuha, and Hong Eunchae want any assist wanting busy. As one of many business’s most in-demand woman teams, the ladies have spent extra time accruing airline miles and being shuttled from one schedule to a different than at dwelling. Following the discharge of their single “Crazy” in August, Le Sserafim attended their very first MTV Video Music Awards in New York Metropolis, the place they carried out the membership tune through the VMAs pre-show and took dwelling their first Moon Individual. Then, earlier this month, they carried out on the primary stage on the 2024 MTV Europe Music Awards in Manchester, UK.
When Mashable catches up with the group in late October, they’re in the course of preparations for his or her subsequent album and the upcoming slate of end-of-year music performances. “We’re grinding,” Yunjin says. So, their tech turns into an outlet for creativity and leisure amid their demanding schedules. For Sakura, the group’s resident gamer, her headphones are as important for winding down as they’re for work. Final 12 months, she even crocheted ribbons and tied them in bows on her headset.
Accessorizing their tech like this displays their distinctive personalities, including a extra private contact to their busy lives. Chaewon’s cellphone background is her canine, Shiro. For Yunjin’s birthday in early October, the members gifted her with customized stickers of herself. Sakura proudly shows one on her floral cellphone case. “I put some on mine as well,” Yunjin says, holding her cellphone to the digicam. Her cellphone is a colourful mixture of charms and characters that mirror her outgoing character. She just lately added a small canine allure to her system. “I used to have a lotus flower and a jellyfish charm,” she provides. “I literally changed it two minutes before this meeting.”
In distinction to Yunjin’s eclectic, colourful model, Kazuha takes a extra minimalistic method to her tech as she reveals off her glossy and complicated black cellphone case. “I like things that are very simple and clear-cut,” the lithe dancer says. “Not only for my phone, but I think the Sony headsets are beautiful, just in and of themselves. So, I use them as they are because they look cool and chic.”
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The excellence between their equipment speaks to the group’s versatility, mixing individuality with collective unity. From Eunchae’s enjoyable, daring method to accessorizing her cherry cellphone case to Kazuha’s minimalist sophistication, every member brings one thing distinctive, reflecting their broader method to trend — all the time evolving and all the time on-trend.
“If you feel like something is missing, adding a pair of headphones perfects the whole look,” Eunchae explains. For instance, the youngest member likes sporting her headphones round her neck. “It makes you look really relaxed and chill,” she says. “Sometimes, I also put my headphones around my bag, so they dangle on it.” Whether or not it’s glossy wi-fi headphones or a classy pair of wired ones, the group sees tech as a strategy to elevate their aesthetic.
“Our style is diverse,” Yunjin says, “so having long-lasting accessories that can suit every look is important because our hair colors change all the time.”
However their relationship with tech doesn’t cease at how they model it. As idols, they’re always related to their gadgets. Their telephones are instruments for staying related with their followers and indulging of their hobbies. Between rehearsals and performances, Yunjin scrolls via social media, interacts with their fan neighborhood, and, like many within the group, retains her inventive circulate going by curating playlists for various moods. “I use my phone mostly to listen to music,” Chaewon provides. In the meantime, you could find Sakura watching her favourite dramas on her cellphone. “I spend a lot of time watching films and shows on streaming apps.” At present, Sakura and her bandmates are obsessive about the cooking competitors collection Culinary Class Wars on Netflix. “Eunchae is the only one who hasn’t watched it yet, but she feels like it’s too late to hop on the bandwagon, so we’re waiting for Season 2,” Yunjin laughs.
The members are additionally obsessive about their digital cameras, which they’ve customized with stickers. “I know there was a boom for digital cameras before I was born,” Eunchae says. “But I think people are enjoying that retro vibe and feel that those little cameras give.”
However as a lot as tech performs a significant function of their lives, the members of Le Sserafim additionally acknowledge the necessity to step away from their gadgets each occasionally. Regardless of their fixed connection to the digital world, they discover methods to unplug and recharge in moments of downtime, disconnecting from the thrill of notifications and the pressures of social media.
Eunchae shares a enjoyable ritual the group has adopted: “When we eat together, we’ll say, ‘OK, let’s put our phones face down and just talk.’ If someone’s caught looking at their phone, they get playfully scolded by the others.” It’s a small however significant approach they create area for actual connection amidst their tech-heavy lives.
Smoky Pink matches the dreamy vibe of Le Sserafim’s newest EP, ‘Loopy.’
Credit score: Courtesy of Sony Audio
Yunjin echoes this sentiment, explaining that whereas it’s tough to flee know-how, she tries to make use of it extra deliberately. “I try to interact with technology as a creator instead of just a consumer,” she says. “We film TikToks between schedules or get together for creative projects. Yesterday, we filmed like 10 TikToks. It’s a way for us to stay productive and have fun with tech.” However even she is aware of when to utterly sign off. “Sometimes I’ll just read or write, away from the screen, to reset.”
Sakura, however, finds solace in additional tactile actions. “I like to knit,” she says. “It helps me relax and disconnect from social media. It’s a peaceful hobby that gives me a moment of quiet focus.” For Sakura, knitting is greater than only a pastime — it’s a aware strategy to be current, away from the digital world always demanding consideration. She’s additionally excited to learn the paperback guide her mother despatched her from Japan.
For on a regular basis they spend on-line, whether or not for work or leisure, these moments of unplugging remind the members of the significance of steadiness — utilizing know-how to reinforce their lives whereas additionally taking time to nurture their creativity, friendships, and well-being in a extra analog approach.
