Famous K-pop girl group LE SSERAFIM comeback in 2026 with a new single, “Celebration,” became the most debated K-pop topic of the time, despite getting universal praise. The group returned in April 2026 with a new song from their upcoming album “Pureflow Pt. 1″ with themes of overcoming fear and being unique. The release was supposed to gain attention, but not in a critical way. Strong criticism has followed the group, emerging all over the social media platforms and even music review sites. This article focuses on LE SSERAFIM’s comeback that sparked debate with a full breakdown of the controversy. So, let’s dive in.
Table of Contents
What Is “Celebration”: LE SSERAFIM’s New Song
LESSERAFIM made their comeback on April 24, 2026, with their new release “Celebration” as the lead single for their upcoming album, “Pureflow Pt. 1.” It is a techno-hardstyle song that showcases how one gains strength to face challenges and fears. The song has an intense beat and an addictive melody with a tempo of 150 beats per minute. The members of the group are presented dancing around the crowd of monsters and running through deserts and cold regions.
They perform choreography with sharp movements while depicting special features that they possess, different from ordinary people. All are seen joining hands and partying as they sing “Time to celebrate .” According to the theme of the song, it should have trended, as it taught everyone to be grateful for their individuality and celebrate small wins, but it did not happen. Instead, it faced a major backlash for several reasons.
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Reasons Behind Criticism
HYBE’s girl group LE SSERAFIM is facing heated reactions online after it released its new song. Within only a few hours of its release, the song “Celebration” gathered various claims, making social media abuzz.
Comparison with BLACKPINK
As soon as the song was published, it was surrounded by instant negative comments from K-pop fans who were criticizing the group for copying BLACKPINK’s “Jump.” Listeners pointed out that celebrations, EDM structure, and video style resembled those of BLACKPINK’S and the idea was unoriginal. According to reactions surfacing online, the track looked more like a “HYBE version of BLACKPINK’s Jump.”
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2 Complaints regarding the song’s composition
Comparing the LE SSAFERIMS new release to BLACKPINK, despite having no verified evidence of plagiarism, was not the end of the controversy. After the song gained critical attention, professional and fan reviews started flooding the social media platform. They claimed that the song has a weak structure and there’s a lack of depth in it.
Many listeners claimed the song to be objectively disappointing, poorly constructed, and the biggest downgrade for LE SSERAFIM as of now. Apart from the song’s composition, one of the reviews marked that the song is incomplete since it has a short runtime of 2:33, 2 minutes and 33 seconds. This highlights LE SSERAFIM is not only being criticized for fem opinions that are comparing the group to BLACKPINK, but also for music analysis.
3 Track’s Repetitive Nature and Production Choices
Another issue surrounding the new music release “Celebration” is the repetitive nature of the track. Listeners have pointed out repetition in beats and chorus sections and high use of EDM drops with minimal use of vocals. The production is blamed for overshadowing the vocal strengths of the group members instead of balancing performance energy and musical composition equally.
4 Comparison To Previous Releases
Since LE SSERAFIM has published amazing tracks with strong hooks and unique identity styles, like “ANTIFRAGILE,” “UNFORGIVEN,” and “CRAZY,” their new tracks feel disappointing and a step down compared to their tracks known for major streaming. Another criticism surrounding the members of LESSERAFIM highlights a brief comparison between their latest and previous tracks and criticizes them for not carrying the same energy and enthusiasm as before.
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Social Media Reactions
Fans constantly started sharing their views online as soon as the song dropped. And the backlash amplified when comparing videos between BLACKPINK and LE SSERAFIM and LE SSERAFIM’s new and old tracks. Many negative comments surrounded the platform related to the group, calling the song “one of the worst tracks of 2026.”
Fans are expressing their concern for the group, claiming that they could do much better than what they did in their “Celebration” music video. The following are some of the negative comments made by listeners:
- “How did we go from this masterpiece to spaghetti and celebration?”
- “This might be the worst song of 2026.”
- “Biggest downgrade in the K-pop music industry.”
- “This song is straight up ass.”
- “Not just the song but the MV also seems heavily inspired by Jump with all this chaos going on… HYBE really is deep in BP nachos.”
- “Everybody wants another version of the Blackpink jump.”
- “oh le sserafim you deserved so much better than jumping from the Hybe version to the MV, omg, please free them.”
- “Anyway, let’s just keep supporting Le Sserafim. I hope they get a music show win, and I am excited for their new album.”
- “It genuinely baffles me how people just tear them down without thinking…. I love the Sserafim and their music, and I personally don’t vibe to “Celebration” as much as their other songs, but that’s just my personal opinion. In no way would I drag down these beautifully talented girls just because I don’t prefer 1 song, like some people are just so full of hate and in need of a job.”
As LE SSERAFIM has earned a loyal fandom over the years, there are still many fans defending the group. They are claiming that there is no such thing as copy and paste from BLACKPINK, as both the songs “Jump” and “Celebration” only have one common thing among them, that they belong to similar genres.
The song has received a mixed reaction on social media platforms; while some are seen criticizing it for its short length and copying BLACKPINK, others are waiting for the whole album to get released, as they believe the track’s real potential will be revealed once the whole album is published.
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Final Thoughts
Fans were very excited for LE SSERAFIM’s new release “Celebration,” especially after the group members were constantly sharing various posts to promote their song, but their song eventually became one of the most controversial releases of the time. If we deeply analyze the criticism following the group members, it is clear that it is due to the over expectations that their fans and audience had from them. After back-to-back hits, the audience was excited to see what’s new that they are bringing in their comeback, but still no one expected controversy and debate.
Many fans have shared a neutral response, claiming that the members might have something more amazing in the album, and they are still excited for it, as a single song does not describe the whole group’s true potential
Frequently Asked Questions
What members got kicked out of LE SSERAFIM?
Kim Garam, mainly known as Garam, is a former South Korean singer. She is a former member of the girl group LE SSERAFIM.
Why was LE SSERAFIM’s Easy MV banned?
LE SSERAFIM’s music video “EASY” was considered ineligible for broadcast by KBS due to the risk of imitation (basically because of people, especially kids, copying what is on the video). The MV description said that the music video shows LE SSERAFIM’s anxieties and struggles behind the scenes.
Does LE SSERAFIM support the LGBTQ?
A person recently shared screenshots of LE SSERAFIM showing support for the LGBTQ+ community on various occasions. One of the quotes made by LE SSERAFIM in the screenshots includes a positive review of an LGBTQ+ Japanese movie written by Sakura while she worked in media.
