Netizens are divided over LE SSERAFIM's live vocals after a short clip from the group's Summer Sonic 2026 performance began spreading online.
During the group's Tokyo performance, which featured a roughly 60-minute set with 14 songs and a live band, viewers noticed a moment involving Huh Yunjin and Sakura.
In the circulating broadcast clip, the two members briefly moved their microphones away while vocal audio could still be heard, leading some viewers to question how much of the performance was live.
The clip quickly sparked debate on Korean community forums, with some claiming the members were relying heavily on prerecorded vocals. One commenter wrote, "Yunjin and Sakura's voices when they have their mics held up and down sounded the same. Are they pretending to be singing live?"
Another reacted, "It looks like those prerecorded music shows. I'm kind of disappointed."
However, other netizens strongly disagreed, pointing to audience-recorded fancams from the festival. They argued that the fancams make it easier to distinguish the members' live voices from the backing vocals.
One netizen explained, "When you watch the straight fancam, you can perfectly distinguish between the live vocals and the backing track."
The commenter also argued that Sakura and Yunjin appeared to lower their microphones intentionally to encourage the audience to respond rather than because of a mistake.
Others suggested that LE SSERAFIM was using AR, or a prerecorded track containing vocals, while still singing live over it.
One commenter wrote, "I think they used AR but were also singing live over it though?"
This distinction became an important part of the discussion. A backing or AR track can continue playing even when a performer lowers the microphone, while the singer's live voice is added on top when they sing. Because of this, the viral clip alone does not confirm that LE SSERAFIM lip-synced their entire performance.
The difference between the official broadcast audio and audience fancams also became a major talking point. Some fans said the prerecorded vocal layer sounded especially noticeable in the broadcast mix, while live vocals could be heard more clearly in videos recorded inside the venue.
Netizens also debated the members' individual live singing abilities, with some saying it was unfair to judge the entire group in the same way.
More reactions include:
"Just listening to them, it doesn't even sound live."
"They are only lip-syncing. Their skills haven't improved."
"If you watch the video from the venue, you can hear that it's live."
"This isn't some music show, but they are using AR."
"This was a fancam from the festival and it was live."
"The issue is that they don't have any member who is good at singing live."
"You guys are starting again. So annoying."
"The members who are good at singing over the AR are good, and the ones who aren't are bad. Don't lump them all together."
"I think they used AR but were also singing live over it. If you don't even want them to use any AR, it just seems like you're criticizing them because it's LE SSERAFIM."
At this time, there has been no official confirmation stating that LE SSERAFIM's entire Summer Sonic 2026 set was prerecorded.
While the circulating clip shows that a prerecorded vocal layer was present, audience fancams have also been cited by fans as evidence that the members were singing live over the track during the performance.
What are your thoughts?
