Maps of Music

Unforgiven (2023)

Where the lyrics of Unforgiven take you, and where it was really made.

The lead single samples the theme of a famous Western film, and the album debuted at number six on the Billboard 200 as the group's first top-ten album.

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Album story

Overview

• Unforgiven is the first studio album by South Korean girl group Le Sserafim
• Released by Source Music on May 1, 2023
• 13 tracks in total, with the first six previously released on Fearless and Antifragile
• Seven new tracks, including "Burn the Bridge" as the seventh track
• Lead single "Unforgiven" with American musician Nile Rodgers
• "Eve, Psyche & the Bluebeard's Wife" also released as a single

Background

• On March 16, 2023, Source Music reported an album for early May
• On April 3, the title Unforgiven and the May 1 release date were confirmed
• On April 10, the album teaser video was released
• On April 17, the track sampler video was released
• A day later, the track listing was released with "Unforgiven" announced as the lead single
• On April 24, the highlight medley teaser video was released
• The album was released alongside the music video for "Unforgiven" on May 1
• On May 1, the group held a live event on YouTube to introduce the album and talk with fans
• "Burn the Bridge" announces the start of the group's new journey, with lyrics based on the members' own writings and earlier interview remarks

Recording

• "Unforgiven" is a hip hop song built on funk guitar rhythms played by Nile Rodgers
• The song samples "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly", the theme of the film of the same name
• Rodgers said he was excited to work on the song because of its new types of chord changes
• "No-Return (Into the Unknown)" expresses excitement ahead of an adventure
• "Eve, Psyche & the Bluebeard's Wife" carries the message that one can move on to the next level only by breaking a taboo

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · es.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Le Sserafim is a South Korean girl group formed by Source Music, a sub-label of Hybe.
• The group debuted on May 2, 2022 with the extended play Fearless.
• The name is an anagram of the phrase "I'm Fearless" and refers to the seraphim, heavenly beings with six wings.
• The group was originally a six-member ensemble; Kim Garam departed in July 2022.

Members

• Current members: Sakura Miyawaki, Kim Chaewon (leader), Huh Yunjin, Kazuha, and Hong Eunchae.
• Sakura and Kim Chaewon were members of the project girl group Iz*One from Produce 48.
• Kazuha trained as a professional ballerina before joining the group.

Career

• Second EP Antifragile (2022) became the group's first million-selling release and debuted at number 14 on the Billboard 200.
• Japanese debut single "Fearless" was released in January 2023.
• First studio album Unforgiven (2023) was the group's first number-one album on the Circle Album Chart.
• English single "Perfect Night" (2023) became the group's first number-one song on the Circle Digital Chart.
• Easy (2024) and Crazy (2024) both debuted in the Billboard 200 top ten, and Hot followed in 2025.
• The Easy Crazy Hot Tour (2025–2026) became one of the top 10 highest-grossing K-pop tours of 2025.
• Second studio album Pureflow Pt. 1 was released in May 2026, followed by the Pureflow Tour.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Unforgiven was met with generally positive reviews from critics
• Cristina Jaleru of AP News called the album an absolute firecracker of a record and a bold anthem of female empowerment
• Neil Z. Yeung of AllMusic wrote that the album is an ideal entry point into the world of Le Sserafim
• Yeung particularly commended "Fearnot (Between You, Me and the Lamppost)" for highlighting the group's vocal harmony
• Onome Uyovbievbo of Riff Magazine noted the album's nonconventional tropes and experimental pop twists
• Uyovbievbo wrote that Le Sserafim is setting the example for a new generation of K-pop artists
• Paste ranked the album number three in its list of The 20 Best K-pop Albums of 2023
• Park Su-jin of IZM awarded the album two out of five stars
• Park found that the production was not cohesive and that the album did not convey the group's message well

Records

• The album debuted at number one on the Circle Album Chart
• Certified million by the Korea Music Content Association (KMCA) for selling 1,000,000 units
• Pre-orders reached 1,380,000 copies by April 28, 2023
• In the United States, debuted at number 6 on the Billboard 200 on May 15, 2023
• First-week sales in the US were 45,000 album equivalent units
• Marked the first time Le Sserafim entered the Top 10 of the chart since their debut
• Awarded Best Album Bonsang at the 38th Golden Disc Awards

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The first six tracks were released earlier as part of Fearless and Antifragile, so only seven songs are new to this album.
• Pre-orders rose from over one million copies in less than one week to 1,380,000 copies by April 28.
• The album was released alongside the music video for "Unforgiven" on May 1.
• Nile Rodgers said he was excited to work on "Unforgiven" because of its new chord changes.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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