K-pop girl group LE SSERAFIM (르세라핌) recently performed an hour-long set at the Summer Sonic 2026 festival in Tokyo, Japan. However, their performance has since sparked a lip-syncing controversy, with some netizens alleging the group used pre-recorded vocals.
LE SSERAFIM took the stage at Summer Sonic 2026 in Tokyo on August 16, performing several of their hit songs over approximately one hour. While many initially praised their stage presence and live performance, an official livestream clip unexpectedly ignited debate after the show.
A performance clip circulating on social media shows members Huh Yunjin (허윤진) and Miyawaki Sakura (宮脇咲良) turning their microphones towards the audience. Despite this, their vocals continued to play at nearly the same volume, leading some netizens to question whether the sound heard was live or pre-recorded.
The related videos garnered nearly 2 million views in less than a day, drawing criticism towards LE SSERAFIM and their agency, HYBE.
One netizen sarcastically commented, “So this is how they make fans believe they always sing live with almost no backing track.” Another mocked HYBE, stating, “HYBE learned how to make perfect ‘live pre-recorded audio’ but can’t teach LE SSERAFIM how to sing.” Some even found the situation “a bit scary” due to how convincingly the audio resembled a genuine live performance.
However, as the controversy grew, fans came to LE SSERAFIM's defense, presenting comparison videos filmed by audience members at the venue.
Fans pointed out that videos taken by attendees at the festival clearly captured the members' actual singing, suggesting they were not entirely relying on pre-recorded vocals. Instead, they argued that the official livestream version seemed to have an excessively loud backing track, leading to a discrepancy between the livestream audio and the actual live sound.
One fan commented, “The backing track seems to be only that obvious in the livestream version; the members’ voices were actually very clear at the venue.” Others expressed frustration that some netizens immediately interpreted the livestream clip as lip-syncing, arguing that watching the full performance would reveal that while the backing track was loud at the beginning, the members' microphone volume was subsequently increased. “But once again, everyone only picks the clips that support their own criticism,” a fan added.
Currently, opinions remain divided online regarding whether LE SSERAFIM engaged in lip-syncing. The core of the controversy centers on the audio processing of the official livestream versus the sound experienced by the live audience.
Notably, the same Summer Sonic festival previously generated significant discussion over BLACKPINK (블랙핑크) member Jennie’s (제니) performance, keeping the performances of K-pop artists at this year’s festival a trending topic online.
