REVIEW: Made My Night Is Catchy, but “Aeiou” Steals LE SSERAFIM’s Show

LE SSERAFIM have already given me one song this year that I liked enough to become annoyed by it. 

They’ve been pretty busy in 2026: April’s “CELEBRATION” led into their second studio album, ‘PUREFLOW’, Pt. 1, which arrived the following month with “BOOMPALA” as its title track.

“CELEBRATION” was fun, energetic, and almost exactly my kind of thing – right up until its extended hardstyle drop ended way too quickly. (I have since resorted to listening almost exclusively to fan-made versions that let the drop breathe longer, which probably says something about how much I liked the idea even as I wished the song had pushed it further.)

‘PUREFLOW’, Pt. 1 kept that momentum going, with “BOOMPALA” delivering another catchy, fun addition to LE SSERAFIM’s catalog. I liked it well enough, but “CELEBRATION” remained the clear standout from that stretch for me, and so far, nothing they’ve released since has knocked it out of that spot, though June did bring “ICONIC BY MISTAKE” – their collaboration with ILLIT and KATSEYE – which came close. It was another fun earworm, and I’m a big fan of multiple groups collabing.

That leaves Made My Night joining the group’s run of releases in a year when LE SSERAFIM have already given me some hard-to-beat tracks. So how does its title track hold up against that kind of competition?

Pretty well, if you ask me.

I like it. It’s catchy, easy to return to, and feels built to appeal to the general public rather than just the Fearnots. There’s nothing wrong with that. Not every release needs to be the strangest or most experimental thing in someone’s catalog, and “Made My Night” understands the value of being immediately enjoyable.

That said, “Aeiou” makes the single album more interesting by adding the more experimental sound the group’s fans have come to love. 

“Aeiou” has a sleekness that feels made for a runway. More importantly, it taps into a side of LE SSERAFIM’s sound that I’d like to hear them spend even more time with than they already have: the group’s proximity to club music, voguing culture, and the sort of unapologetically stylish pop that understands confidence as part of the production rather than simply something written into the lyrics.

“Aeiou” has an appeal that goes beyond being catchy; the sound itself has more personality. Compared with “Made My Night,” it feels less concerned with being immediately agreeable and instead focuses on establishing an atmosphere. That makes it the song I’m more likely to return to when I want something specific, not just something pleasant.

That difference also makes the pairing work. “Made My Night” feels like the obvious entry point – if one of these songs is going to connect quickly with a wider audience, I would put my money there. Its strengths are straightforward: it is accessible, memorable, and easy to like without asking much from the listener. “Aeiou,” meanwhile, makes me want to pay closer attention because it gives the project more character. And if I had to choose which direction I’d rather hear LE SSERAFIM chase further, it would be the latter without much hesitation.

I find this group interesting because they often lean into something just a little sharper, stranger, and more exaggerated than many of their counterparts. While the song that carries the project’s name is probably the one with the easiest path to broad appeal, the other track is why I find the release worth talking about.

“Made My Night” is good pop. “Aeiou” is the song that gives the release its edge. For a compact release, I think that’s a great balance: one song gets you through the door, and the other makes you want to look around.

LE SSERAFIM’S Made My Night out now.