LE SSERAFIM‘s recent performance at Coachella 2024 was followed by a lot of praise but also a lot of criticism and comparisons. While the first comparisons were made between previous K-Pop sets at the Coachella stage — like BLACKPINK and aespa — Korean media has now turned towards likening the HYBE girl group to even bigger Western pop stars.
LE SSERAFIM at Coachella. | @voguejp/X (formerly known as Twitter)
One article, in particular, caught the eye of netizens and quickly became a hot topic due to the reporter comparing LE SSERAFIM to iconic 90s pop star Madonna and claiming the Coachella performance was the “coronation of the new K-Pop Queens.”
Madonna’s iconic Jean Paul Gaultier cone bra. | Vogue
The article detailed the group’s debut at Coachella on April 14, highlighting their specially designed Louis Vuitton outfits, which featured a striking “Damier” pattern, and likened it to the creative collaboration between Madonna and designer Jean Paul Gaultier during her Blonde Ambition Tour.
LE SSERAFIM’s Louis Vuitton outfits. | Louis Vuitton LE SSERAFIM’s Louis Vuitton outfits at Coachella. | @voguejp/X (formerly known as Twitter)
Despite the critical acclaim some outlets and fashion critiques bestowed upon the performance and the attire, fans voiced their discontent and amusement at the lofty comparisons. Comments ranged from critical to outright mocking of the article.
“‘Reminds you of Madonna at her peak in the 1990s?’ What? Madonna?… Seriously, have some conscience. “It’s great to have luxury photo shoots, but it would be nice if they practiced singing too. They are singers, after all.” “Where are you even adding Madonna’s name?” “ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ “ “They must have really wanted to hype this up to send them there, but go ahead, keep trying ㅋ” “Please don’t call it K-Pop…” “ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ, I usually just watch videos and laugh in the community, but this I have to comment on. It’s too funny. ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ , ‘The coronation of the new queen’ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ “ “‘Coronation of the K-pop queen’ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ , reminds me of when they called Harry Styles the ‘Emperor of Pop’, he got so much flak for that too.” “Be careful with these sensational articles that keep adding fuel to the fire…” “Jean Paul Gaultier and Madonna would mean the Blonde Ambition Tour era, which was a really intense tour… I get that it’s just a comparison of fashion, but it’s still pretty funny.” | TheQoo
Despite these criticisms, mainstream media in North America — including USA Today and Rolling Stone — recognized LE SSERAFIM’s growing global influence, hinting at a promising upward trajectory for the group. The girls are slated for another live performance on April 21, and their recent singles, “EASY” and “SMART” have seen increasing streams on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, reflecting their popularity post-Coachella.
