You’re debuting with another girl group.

KIM CHAEWON: I wrapped up my time with IZ*ONE last year but then I became worried and uncertain about what I should do going forward. Two and a half years isn’t very long to be in a group, after all. I wanted to be in a group again because I still had a lot of dreams of things I wanted to achieve as part of a group and because I really regretted all the things I never got a chance to show off. That’s when SOURCE MUSIC told me they were making a new group and made me an offer, and the people at my previous label supported me and respected my decision, and that’s how I ended up making a fresh start somewhere new.

What helped you to make up your mind?

KIM CHAEWON: It’s not easy changing labels, being a trainee again and having to start everything over from the beginning. But I thought I would have regretted it if I didn’t do it. It’s not every day that you have an opportunity to debut with a group again, and I wanted to challenge myself, rather than take the safe way and keep myself from the things I want to do. I decided to follow my heart in the end.

What was the reaction like when you ended up in another group with SAKURA? I heard things used to be somewhat awkward between you two. (laughs)

KIM CHAEWON: You’re right. (laughs) There were a lot of members, plus we didn’t have a lot of time together. It was amazing the way I got to know Kkura better only after coming here. I never could have imagined I would be working with her again. Life throws you curveballs. (laughs) We both said we made the right choice and wished each other luck. We’re so close now that I can’t understand why we were never close back then. (laughs) She’s not one to express herself much, but now that I know her better I can tell she’s very considerate of me, and I can feel that she’s a much warmer person than I thought.

It must have been a great support for the both of you, getting this fresh start together.

KIM CHAEWON: I would have felt very anxious if I had been in this unfamiliar place by myself, but thanks to Kkura being there, I felt reassured. There were times where adjusting to trainee life and starting from the beginning again were challenging, since she never actually went through a proper trainee period and I went through mine really quickly, but whenever we felt that way there were things we could feel without even having to say anything: Ah, she’s having a hard time, or, If I feel this tired then she must be, too. I really relied on being able to know what she was feeling without having to say anything.

How did you approach restarting trainee life?

KIM CHAEWON: Since I was only a trainee for a short time before, I felt I had certain shortcomings performing with IZ*ONE, and we were so busy that I didn’t have time to improve my skills, just practice our songs, and I really regretted that. So I thought I should use this opportunity to properly experience all the parts of trainee life that I couldn’t before and work on my skills from the ground up. And dancing, I started to learn the basics again once I became a trainee. I danced in styles I never got to try before, tried freestyle, and had a lot of choreography cover assignments, too. Every week I would record my choreography, receive feedback, do supplementary practice, record again—like I was taking a test—and then I could really tell how lacking I was in the basics. That was when I realized what level my dancing was actually at. I thought, Is this all I was able to do before? (laughs)

You’re very hard on yourself. (laughs) Doesn’t thinking that way lead you to watch your old videos?

KIM CHAEWON: I watched them a lot. (laughs) For a long time I was in front of cameras, working in a bustling environment, and then suddenly I was only ever in the practice studio and couldn’t remember how I used to do it all. Even though I thought about how I did so much back then and how it must have taken a lot out of me, I could see all the places I wasn’t good enough, so then I really wanted to show off how much I had improved since then and a different side of me as soon as possible.

I imagine your debut album, FEARLESS, must mean a lot to you, given how much time and effort you have put into it.

KIM CHAEWON: The reason our debut album is so meaningful to me is because things like the entire concept and overall message were all based on interviews with us. We held so many interviews for producing the album, and I was really honest with my answers. It’s amazing the way our own thoughts and feelings went toward creating the album, and I learned a lot about myself while we were getting ready for this album—things where I never knew I felt that way—so I feel a deep affinity for the album.

What reflection of you made it to the album that you also find the most touching?

KIM CHAEWON: More than anything else, I didn’t realize until now the amount of love I have for song and dance. I think that’s why I was able to show how I have changed through the message on the album—to keep doing whatever you want to do without caring what other people think or what happened in your past, and to keep challenging yourself.

Your new vocal style really stands out. The whole album goes beyond magnifying your natural voice and is filled with the whole range of your vocals.

KIM CHAEWON: It was always nice hearing people say they liked my voice, but I was always disappointed because it felt like it started and stopped there. So I wanted to develop a more powerful voice, and I focused on trying out a new vocal style since I was a trainee again. I listened to ballads and clean-toned songs, which I always listen to, but also so many English pop songs, R&B, and a wide range of other genres I don’t normally listen to much and tried singing them differently than I would have before.

Sounds like that’s how you prepared for the title track off FEARLESS.

KIM CHAEWON: I loved how the song wasn’t typical of a girl group song and let us express something new right from when I first heard the demo version, but it was hard for me at first since it’s in a low range that I haven’t really sung in before. I always assumed it was best for me to sing in a way that sounded clear, clean and sweet. Maybe I was stuck on the idea that I had to sing that way. So I spent a lot of time thinking about whether it would suit me to sing like that and if it would sound okay. I even asked the staff if they thought it was working and they said, “It suits you. I think it shows a whole new side of you.” As I slowly gained confidence, I kept discovering this new sensation that I could do those kinds of vocals, too. I’m really happy with my vocals on the title track since I think they reveal the more powerful vocal style I was eager to pull off.

The choreography was a new style for you too, of course. Do you think it was a good fit for you?

KIM CHAEWON: When I was in IZ*ONE, we had a lot of members and our choreography revolved around all of us moving together to create scenes and formations, so there weren’t any particularly difficult movements. But there were a lot of moves in “FEARLESS” I couldn’t do very well, so I had to practice a lot. It was a little hard tackling the subtler parts, like when I have to emphasize the way I move my hips or have to control how strong I do certain moves. The moves in the chorus look simple, for example, but I consulted with the performance director a lot about what I should do to make the poses as attractive as possible, and all of us worked together and studied a lot to make that part perfect.

Your cynical facial expressions were a first for you and really drew attention to your performance. Did you have to do any individual research for that?

KIM CHAEWON: I think I did less research than with my previous group, actually. I think it ended up sounding better because the concept and lyrics came from what we said, so I was really immersed in it. (laughs) I made that expression in the chorus without even knowing it, then found out when I was reviewing the video that I really liked the expression and tried to develop that part further.

I think your appearance has changed and grown in many ways and that it’s cleverly exhibited through the visual aspects of the album. How do you personally feel about your image, now that it differs from your previous one?

KIM CHAEWON: My hairstyle, makeup and clothing were all different, so it was a little awkward at first, but generally speaking I think I enjoy trying new things. I found out I had it in me to pull off the look, and I really liked that new side of me and felt proud about it. I think it’s a natural reflection of my feeling of making a new start for myself.

You weren’t worried that the fans would find it too different?

KIM CHAEWON: To be honest, I never worried about that. (laughs) But, if I can express myself even better in the future, I think viewers will just naturally accept me for me.

“Blue Flame” must be very meaningful for you, too, since you took on the challenge of writing some of the lyrics.

KIM CHAEWON: The label opened up participation in writing the lyrics and melody for every song to us members and adopted a system of choosing our contributions blindly. I just wanted to give it a try even if nothing was going to get chosen, so I tried my hand at practically all of them. They ended up putting in something I wrote for one of GARAM’s parts in the verse, which  I’m really happy about. (laughs) I remembered hearing that blue flames are hotter than red flames and I tried to incorporate that. When I wrote lyrics before, I used to write exactly what I was thinking and feeling, but now I’m starting to think about how to express things in a more interesting way. I would like to continue to contribute to making the albums in the future, too.

I can tell you’re feeling confident with your fresh start as a part of LE SSERAFIM.

KIM CHAEWON: This album seriously contains everything we’re looking to say right now and I think there will be lots of people who will relate to our songs. All of the members have their own situations to deal with, but we all think and feel a similar way, so I want to fully convey our group’s messages and arouse sympathy through our songs and performances. And I want to color those things clearly with LE SSERAFIM’s unique sound.

How did you end up getting closer with the other members?

KIM CHAEWON: I’m a really shy person, so I’m not someone who tries to talk to others first, but I also realized that maybe the younger members might have a hard time. I made a serious effort to try and be the one to approach them first and get close to them in my own way. We practice together all day, every day, and go through this and that together, and because of that, I want to take better care of them more and more. I can’t wait for my love for our group and the other members to grow even more. (laughs)

It must have taken a lot of effort to learn to work together as a team in such a short time.

KIM CHAEWON: Zuha used to be a ballet dancer and Kkura has already been working for 10 years now, but there are other members who are still young and just starting out—they’re still sprouting. (laughs) We all have very different personalities, ages and backgrounds, but we didn’t really have to try too hard to become a team. It’s an environment where we try to help each other out with everything and practice is really easy-going since we’re free to give feedback and ideas where it’s needed without worrying about seniority. I think it was a very natural process since we were only ever thinking about the group. Everyone is so kind.

I can already see the leader in you. (laughs) How did you end up becoming the leader?

KIM CHAEWON: I used to be the kind of person who did whatever other people told me to do and just took things as they came to me (laughs) but now there are many younger people with me and I have all this accumulated experience so I was leading without even realizing it. When the label watched us after that, they said they wanted me to be the leader and asked me to think about it. Even among all my extended family I’m the youngest, so it was always me being looked after by others, and I’ve never been responsible for leading someone else, ever. I was worried whether or not I could do it, but I figured, well, I’m sure it will work out if I just do it. (laughs) Because they say people always rise to the challenge. (laughs)

As leader and someone who already has experience in the field, what kind of help do you usually provide to the other members?

KIM CHAEWON: When we practice for live performances, I tell them how to put on their mics and how the procedure will go, or Kkura and I will tell them a bunch of little things so that they will be ready for the real thing. Personally, I want to take care of the other members’ emotional side. I think I have a lot to say about that aspect and I want to be the kind of leader they can rely on emotionally.

I guess it must be important to express yourself emotionally when in that role. You once said, however, that you’re sad that you are not good enough at doing that. Has that changed at all now?

KIM CHAEWON: I don’t think even I knew myself very well back then. And I think that naturally made expressing anything difficult. I’m in the process of getting to know myself now, and although I’m still really shy (laughs) I think I’m a lot better at expressing what I’m feeling now than I was before. Including to the fans.

What do you think about your fans?

KIM CHAEWON: I’m so grateful but I also feel bad that they had to keep waiting for nearly a year. But I want to tell them that I really, really wanted to see them, too. I’m serious when I say that even during my hiatus I was able to hold on thanks to following my supporters. And I worked harder because of their anticipation. So I really hope that, once we start promoting, they realize how much effort I have been putting in. To be honest, I just hope they, you know, keep an eye on me. (laughs)

You said in the last interview you did that you wanted to hear fans say you’re doing a good job. What are you hoping for now?

KIM CHAEWON: Now I want to hear them say “you’re doing a good job” with confidence. Good job. You’re amazing. (laughs) I’m curious and looking forward to what I will be capable of in the future, too, just like the fans are. (laughs)