It’s early, but it’s not a good start.
Koreaboo
LE SSERAFIM is back with their new album PUREFLOW and title track “BOOMPALA,” but the reception has been anything but warm.
Right after it came out, the song’s debut chart numbers were revealed. “BOOMPALA” landed at #98 on Bugs and #231 on Genie on debut, numbers that are hard to spin positively for a group of their profile.
The chart results set off a wave of criticism online, and it got ugly fast. Korean and international fans alike piled on, with most of the heat directed at two things: the song itself and the group’s vocal performance.
Yeah this group is over https://t.co/fQWCAAPsKx
— jade🍋 (@jaderockins) May 22, 2026
https://t.co/WdUTXCMDvF pic.twitter.com/eexwsdfEvV
— BLACKMAMBA (@THEOGBLACKMAMBA) May 22, 2026
oh poopala https://t.co/nUnlQCEuuu
— 🍀 (@neogens) May 22, 2026
Member Eunchae was specifically singled out, with many calling her singing off-key and her tone grating.
The song is just unlistenable because of eunchae’s off key singing and horrendous vocal tonepic.twitter.com/Pzk2LWC7Lc https://t.co/7TBIQOnNqW
— aespa Karina bbl 🫧 (@karinabblupdate) May 22, 2026
Eunchae please go back to school. Singing is not for you pic.twitter.com/Pzk2LWC7Lc https://t.co/7TBIQOnNqW
— aespa Karina bbl 🫧 (@karinabblupdate) May 22, 2026
Beyond the vocals, a lot of people felt BOOMPALA was simply a boring song with no clear identity. The lack of a defined concept has been a recurring complaint about LE SSERAFIM, and this comeback seemed to sharpen that frustration.
Cant believe this group charting worst than itzy, this is what happen if your group has no concept and just copy anything😂 https://t.co/v3afxyvkj5
— Hearts2Hearts (@Tsadssdw2) May 22, 2026
This song is flopping because aside from its a boring song, the truth is they don’t have a solid fanbase. Plus most of lesserafim listeners are armys and the other hybe fandoms but since their Bang piggy fvck them up, they now lost so many Streamers🤷♀️ https://t.co/uZgn0eUtc5
— Chan | Viva palestina🍉 (@4Amberjeans) May 22, 2026
Whether the backlash reflects genuine disappointment or just the internet doing what it does, the debut numbers are a problem. Streaming picks up over time, but first-day charts are still a strong signal of momentum, and BOOMPALA didn’t generate much of it.