Seventeen is one of the biggest groups in k-pop (both in terms of fame and how many members they have and how popular they are) and they debuted in 2015. They actually have thirteen members, not seventeen: Woozi, Hoshi, Jeonghan, DK, Dino, Wonwoo, Seungkwan, S.Coups, The8, Jun, Joshua, Vernon, and Mingyu.

Here are my credentials: I would consider myself a fan of Seventeen. I’ve heard many of their songs and like them, including some b-sides. And I know a little about the members from watching interviews. But, I decided to do this deep dive because I wanted to know more, and I felt like now was the perfect time to do it.

EP #1: 17 Carat

Adore U, perhaps fittingly for a debut, was actually the first song I heard of Seventeen’s, because of Purple Kiss’ great cover. It establishes what would become their signature style right away: poppy and bright, with hints of rock and funk. It never lets up on its energy, and while it’s a little cringy in places, it feels like it takes pride in that and does it all with a smile on its face. I know that this was almost a decade ago, but I couldn’t help but be struck by how young they look here, and a little proud too of how much they’ve grown up. Oh my god, I sound like a mom. Right, moving on.

From the EP, 17 Carat, my hidden gem was 20, with its sunny, optimistic guitar. This release wasn’t really for me, though, since I’m more of a pop fan than a hip-hop person.

EP #2: Boys Be

While Adore U is more on the rocky side, Mansae leans more into funk, tinged with hip-hop. Their dancing skills are on full display here, especially with the leaping over each other and the synchronized movements with the female dancers too, which was a nice touch. It’s just so much fun that you can’t help but be swept along for the ride. Also, something about the setup reminded me of BTS’ War Of Hormone, though I’m glad they did away with the sexist lyrics and just focused on a love story.

From the EP, Boys Be, I enjoyed the easygoing tempo and the meaningful lyrics of When I Grow Up and the bubbly beat of Rock.

Album #1: Love & Letter

Pretty U initially seems like it’ll be firmly in the hip-hop genre, and while it does use more sing-talk than past releases, it thankfully retains the strong melodies that have set their previous works apart from others at the time. (The “Seventeen~~” harmony at the beginning was beautiful, by the way.) This isn’t one of my favorites of theirs, but in such a strong body of work, that’s hardly an insult.

Very Nice comes out of the gate swinging, going harder into funk than their releases before. The first time that you listen to it, you’ll think that the slowdown before the chorus will kill the momentum, and you’ll find that you were completely wrong when that brassy hook kicks in and you get the urge to just dance. It’s ridiculous and it’s fantastic, and it’s probably my favorite single from this third of the review. And by the time the bridge brings it home and they bow, you’ll have the urge to clap.

From the album, Love & Letter, which is pretty strong all the way through, I enjoyed the building percussion and great guitars of Simple, the lovely strings of Hit Song, the down-to-earth acoustics of Love Letter, and DK and Seungkwan’s incredible vocals in Say Yes. But, my hidden gem was Healing, which I loved the special video for—it was great watching them all have fun being silly together. The title is a perfect fit; between the summery warmth and the gentler parts, it really felt like healing. And the bridge is great too. This album seems to be them really hitting their stride, which is great to see.

Album #2: Going Seventeen

Boom Boom is a song of theirs I hadn’t actually heard before. It’s the first release that goes with a somewhat darker aesthetic—although, since this is Seventeen, it’s still pretty fun—and to match with that, it’s a little less melodic. I’m a big fan of the tempo change before the chorus that’s only punctuated by finger-snapping before the build-up continues. But I can understand why it’s not as universally loved as the rest of the early material since, while it’s good, it doesn’t feel as much like them.

From the album, Going Seventeen, I enjoyed the smooth pull-back and rush-forward of Beautiful (which I’m sure I’ve heard before but can’t place), the light horn section in Lean On Me, the jazzy texture of Fast Pace, and the heartbreaking quietness of Smile Flower.

EP #3: A | 1

Don’t Wanna Cry, in contrast to Boom Boom, is one of Seventeen’s biggest hits, and the real beginning of a shift in their sound from the brash, youthful, I’m-in-love-with-you funk pop to a more downtempo, contemplative sound led by an electro beat. But it was really their dancing that made this track take off, and it’s easy to see why. It’s difficult for one person to learn to dance so smoothly, let alone for thirteen people to do such minute movements in perfect synchronization.

From the EP, A|1, I enjoyed the emotive voices in Habit, the whistling hook in Swimming Fool, and the interesting instrumental of Crazy Love.

That’s where we’ll leave off for this week. See you next time, for Part #2! Tschüss!

(Part Three)