No. 50 on the “Billboard” Hot 100 in the US and No. 46 on the Official Singles Chart Top 100 in the UK—a remarkable showing by the title track off LE SSERAFIM’s first single album, “SPAGHETTI,” and a personal best for the K-pop group. At the heart of the song’s success, released in October, is a dance routine that takes big, bold swings, allowing LE SSERAFIM’s distinctive choreography and glances to camera to do the talking around what makes the song so invigorating. From clever representations of lines like “stuck between your teeth” to details in their movements and facial expressions really selling the idea of throwing up, the girls truly took the idea of spaghetti and ran with it, sprinkling their own unique flavor on top along the way. We spoke with Park So Yeon, head of the SOURCE MUSIC Performance Directing Team—working with LE SSERAFIM on their performances since their debut—for a behind-the-scenes scoop on dreaming up and rehearsing the “SPAGHETTI” choreography, and what makes the girl group’s performances so uniquely striking.
LE SSERAFIM’s choreography for “SPAGHETTI” is striking, with straightforward movements that suggest the idea of spaghetti. What went into conveying spaghetti “stuck between your teeth,” like with key moves such as swinging their pinky fingers to and from their mouths?
Park So Yeon: Other than the intro and the move HONG EUNCHAE does for the line “try it out,” the choreography was mostly developed in-house. There’s a lot of songs on LE SSERAFIM’s albums where you need to look into the lyrics and try to analyze them to understand what they mean, but if you look at the lyrics to “SPAGHETTI,” the meaning’s extremely straightforward. It might feel strange watching them imitate removing something from their teeth with their pinky finger, but people do do that action of getting something out from their teeth with a toothpick or their finger a lot. The idea was to capture that move in a realistic and literal way and show getting something “stuck between your teeth” out in a kind of kitschy way. There’s also a part where the members align themselves with their arms at right angles to symbolize teeth. We also tried to work in solo parts for KIM CHAEWON and HONG EUNCHAE that resemble a mouth opening and closing.
A lot has been said about how the seated dance moves that open “SPAGHETTI” help pull the audience in right from the start. What exactly went into choreographing that intro?
Park So Yeon: The opening sequence was assigned to Todd Williamson, an overseas choreographer we’ve collaborated with on something like 90% of the choreography related to LE SSERAFIM’s albums. It’s like how I’ve been with LE SSERAFIM since the very start—I think Todd, while not involved every time, has worked with the group for so long that he understands them very deeply. One thing we always consider crucial for giving direction is deciding what direction the intro will take. I mean, in movies and in music, the opening is crucial, and I think it’s essential when it comes to dancing in particular to be visually captivating from the start rather than gradually build to something. To that end, for the intro, we tend to ask for something new that moves away from what LE SSERAFIM’s done in the past. We’ll make specific requests, like, “It’d be great if they started seated,” or, “We’d like it if the meaning of the lyrics could be worked in symbolically.” The goal is to avoid crafting a routine based on what’s been done before by stripping away the old completely and having free reign to create a captivating intro. Flowing movements can actually be pretty challenging to get right for girl groups, in my opinion, but we ended up with a captivating intro thanks to not confining ourselves to anything and instead aiming for freedom of expression.
The group wears bold, cheeky facial expressions to echo confident, sassy lines like “you just say you hate it” and “you’re the one comin’ runnin’ back here every time.” What kind of directing and interpretation went into bringing the hyper-confident attitude of “SPAGHETTI” to life?
Park So Yeon: What I feel is LE SSERAFIM’s greatest strength is how they can output exactly the same values they receive as input. Good input is pointless if not executed in the same way, and while the LE SSERAFIM members are renowned for their expressiveness and emoting, it’s all a result of practice and putting in the effort. The group said from the start that they really wanted to have fun with “SPAGHETTI.” I directed their delivery and certain facial expressions, but they were proactive about providing suggestions, like, “This could be fun,” or, “How about we try it this way?” When I told them to just be themselves and have fun with it, it made the whole thing feel more natural. The song itself added a unique energy into the mix, too, of course. If you analyze the performance aspect of the song, it isn’t so much about talking to the haters as about focusing on the group showing people exactly what they wanted to show and who they are. It was about demonstrating the mindset LE SSERAFIM has as they keep making these albums and why they were singing “SPAGHETTI.”
Another great part is the vomiting motion they do along to the music, which really brings out the humor of the song. What led to choosing such a unique move for the choreography?
Park So Yeon: Right from the first time I heard the song, I knew that part needed a throwing up move. There were always going to be concerns about a girl group pretending to vomit as a dance move, but I just said, “It’ll give it a nice kick. We have to put it in.” (laughs) There are several different ways to define good choreography, but for me, what’s ultimately most important is to make it work seamlessly with the music. The group members absolutely loved that part as soon as they saw it. It’s possible they could’ve been taken aback and said they weren’t really into it, but LE SSERAFIM is a group that knows no barriers, limits, or boundaries when they’re working.
The way KIM CHAEWON looks like she’s being launched after she gets up by grabbing SAKURA’s hand feels even more dynamic thanks to the way the camera moves with her.
Park So Yeon: That part was specifically designed with the camera in mind. But we set it up so that the rest of the group would be dancing facing the fans. That’s how it is when you make choreography—you always have to consider how it’s going to look live too, when there’s no camera. That said, I like to try and see where the choreography can be enhanced when there’s going to be a camera. You really need to see “Impurities” with all the camera work to get the full effect, for example. We wanted to use the camera to better capture the expressions on all their faces. I felt what KIM CHAEWON does for the line “completely melts in your mouth” was way more impactful than any intricate setup or other moves could’ve been. That part isn’t stuffed with different moves—she just goes with the flow and practically melts right on the floor with that expression on her face.
A grand total of five choreography videos were released for this song, including the Hot Rod Shop, Uijeongbu Market, Red Wall, and part-switch versions. What’s the backstory behind creating so many different versions?
Park So Yeon: The Hot Rod Shop and Uijeongbu Market versions were part of the plan from the outset. But then there was this sort of garage next to where we were shooting the Hot Rod Shop version in the US. We thought a fixed-camera version shot there would look stunning, and so we ended up filming the Red Wall version right on the spot. Usually for a choreography video, it’s shot in a practice studio, but we wanted to give viewers something fresh and visually arresting. And honestly, since fans don’t get many opportunities to see the group in person, we figured they’d at least enjoy seeing as many different kinds of video as possible. (laughs)
Did anything particularly memorable happen during the practice sessions for “SPAGHETTI”?
Park So Yeon: The energy they had while practicing was just incredible. (laughs) As their performance director, there are times when I have to be rigid and really take the reins, but on the other hand, when they’re given more freedom, I get to see a lot of new things from each of them. The bond they have with each other grew even stronger while they were working on this album, too. There was also this one time on tour where, with the choreo for “SPAGHETTI” already fully in place, SAKURA came to my hotel room to practice with me. She said, “There’s a part I can’t quite get the hang of,” so I said, “We can work on it together in my room if you’re up for it.” We put the song on and started dancing in the bathroom mirror together. So there’s a little behind-the-scenes taste for you. (laughs) That’s how hard the group worked on the album—using every spare moment they could find to practice so they could put on a good show for their fans.
Is there anything about the “SPAGHETTI” choreography that you hope audiences will zero in on?
Park So Yeon: The group’s facial expressions and their delivery. They had a lot of input on that, and label president So Seong Jin similarly talked about how the way they express themselves for “SPAGHETTI” would probably be more important than the actual choreography. A lot of people say LE SSERAFIM’s a great group when it comes to dancing. In my view, now that they’re in their fourth year, they need more than just good moves if they’re going to take things to the next level. What I think they need to do is express the real feelings deep inside them onstage. I used to explicitly direct them on each and every one of their facial expressions, but now I see my role as more about giving them the freedom to express themselves and helping them to tap into their potential even more. More than half this song’s all about their individual self-expression, and it feels great to see the fans recognize that. There’s songs where each of the group members shine during their own parts, and others where one of them really stands out, but in the case of “SPAGHETTI,” all five of them really show off who they are as individuals.
“SPAGHETTI” felt shockingly new when it first came out. The group’s talent and the quality of the song also clearly resonated with the public, which went to No. 50 on the “Billboard” Hot 100. What do you think sets LE SSERAFIM’s performances apart?
Park So Yeon: Honestly, I don’t think it’s something big—just that they always put in their absolute best effort. The group also isn’t afraid to try something new. It is important to show off who a group is and the concept they’re going for, but in the long run, I think it’s also important how much variety they’re able to explore. It can feel like a group’s worked themselves into a box if they keep doing similar things, especially when it comes to dance. When LE SSERAFIM performs, they’re not really thinking about if the public might not be into it or flat-out dislike it—they’re just out there to try out a bunch of new things. The thought is, if LE SSERAFIM does something new, it’ll be cool precisely because it’s LE SSERAFIM. The group members are like sponges. They can and do absorb everything, and I’m confident that no matter what they try, they’ll make it their own.
LE SSERAFIM continues to defy the conventions of girl group performances, bringing something new to every single one. What do you envision for the future of the group’s performances?
Park So Yeon: That’s something both the group and I have to work on. We were working on “SPAGHETTI” when we came to feel it’d probably be better to let them truly lean into what they most want to do instead of always trying to show people something new. The tour meant practice time was extremely limited, but whereas the worry was making sure they didn’t mess up and that we needed to do everything perfectly, now we were putting all our trust into the group members. I figured people would recognize if we practiced diligently and were sincere in our efforts. We aren’t out for good feedback or lingering on things if the feedback is bad. We’re embracing ourselves for exactly who we are and giving people that. Even though I’m directing LE SSERAFIM, they really do keep me excited. I keep wondering what kind of music their next album will bring and what they’ll look like next time they get up onstage. They’re a truly unpredictable group. I really hope they’ll tell themselves, “Whatever the circumstances, and whatever we’re doing, let’s make it our own as always!” I’m pretty sure they’ll do just fine so long as they continue on as they are—because they’re always true to themselves.