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 this month full of comebacks was the perfect time to do it.

(Part One) (Part Three)

Album #3: Teen, Age

I wasn’t sure what to expect from Clap, with the odd little slapstick skit that  begins it, but by the time that powerful guitar riff cuts in, I was sold. Of all their songs so far, it’s most similar to the pop-rocky Adore U, though it leans further into the rock side than it does. It’s a little rough around the edges in my opinion, lacking the smoother melodies that most of their songs have, but between the solid driving beat and the great energy that they brought, I decided that I liked it.

From the album, Teen, Age, I enjoyed the soft piano of Without You, the odd distortion in Lilili Yabbay, the lovely strings in Pinwheel, and the fun energy of Rocket, but my hidden gem was Campfire. Bringing together a bighearted, brassy instrumental, their great vocals, and strings like Pinwheel’s, it just feels like a hug.

EP #4: Director’s Cut

Thanks is a special single, recorded for Carats, their fans, a not uncommon thing for a group to do on an anniversary. But Thanks sets itself apart in a few ways. Firstly, the music video is showing their creative process, rather than being a usual track. Secondly, it’s much more cathartic than songs like this usually are, discussing the pain they’ve been through and being quite honest. And thirdly, the lyrics themselves are all about how difficult it really is to thank someone for all they’ve done and how the words “thank you” can’t really fully express honest feelings. All in all, in terms of fan songs, it’s one of the strongest ones I’ve seen, besides maybe Dreamcatcher’s Reason.

From the EP, Director’s Cut, my hidden gem was Thinkin’ About You, which has such a great, propulsive beat and a simple but catchy hook. I also enjoyed the electric guitar in the anime soundtrack worthy Run To You.

EP #5: You Make My Day

Oh My! is another track of theirs that I hadn’t actually heard before, which is somewhat surprising given how many views it has. It’s more solidly poppy than their singles before, kind of going halfway in between the more electro based ones such as Don’t Wanna Cry and the brighter, funkier ones such as Mansae. The bridge, with its catchy vocalizing and the smooth way it led into the final chorus, was my favorite part. It’s good, but not that distinctive in its own right.

From the EP, my hidden gem was the chanty, heartwarming Our Dawn Is Hotter Than Day.

EP #6: You Made My Dawn

Home makes the choice to have very little instrumentation, aside from a gentle piano and a slight pulsing beat, pulling back to emphasize the chorus. I’m normally not a fan of an empty, hook-based chorus, but I think it works quite well here, for such an intimate and comforting song. I also appreciate how much room it gives their voices to be expressive, without feeling like it’s making them do all the work. It’s not something I’d listen to every day, but it’s a lovely piece.

From the EP, You Made My Dawn, I enjoyed the build up in Getting Closer, which really brought the title to life.

Album #4: An Ode

HIT had me a bit concerned from the beginning, with the insistent “hit sound, hit sound” hook and the very over the top autotune with singers who quite frankly, don’t need it. This is the first song of theirs that I’ve actively disliked, and I have no idea why this is the title they went with, because it doesn’t capitalize on their strengths at all. I’m not a fan of “I’m-better-than-you” noise music on my best days, and even then, when compared with how strong the rest of their discography is, it just doesn’t stack up. There are good parts, don’t get me wrong: the dancing is as strong as ever, and I like the bridge, but I don’t think I’ll be relistening. Sorry, guys.

Fear is the other single from this album, and while it also uses the autotune a bit too much and isn’t melodic enough for my liking, it feels a lot more like the Seventeen I know. It has excellent lyrics, I’ll give it that, and the pre-chorus’ build-up is quite strong, but overall this one’s not for me either.

From the album, An Ode, I enjoyed the spacey beats of Let Me Hear You Say, the great harmonizing (my one true love) in electro Network Love, and the mix of hip-hop, chanting, and a jazzy piano in Snap Shoot (my hidden gem).

EP #7: Haeng:geurae

Left and Right is in a strange place for me, because it comes from what’s one of my favorite k-pop releases of all time: Haeng:garae (which I’ll get to in a minute) and yet I think it may be the weakest part of the EP. That’s not to say it’s bad; I far prefer it to both Hit and Fear with its strong beat and rousing pre-choruses. But, everytime I hear it, I can’t help but think that it would be so much better if the sing-talk was the post-chorus instead of the main event, and they had a more melodic hook. I will say, though, the music video was hilarious and it got some genuine laughs out of me.

The EP, Haeng:garae, as mentioned, is one of my favorite k-pop EPs, and I love almost every song on it: the sea shanty-esque rhythm of Fearless, the downtempo R&B of I Wish are strong. But, I can never choose which is my favorite between Together and Kidult. The former has that great a-capella part and feels like an anime soundtrack in the best way, while the latter is soothing and comforting, yet still catchy.

EP #8: Semicolon

HOME; RUN is the second of the first few tracks I heard from Seventeen, and since my YouTube algorithm seemed utterly determined to make me watch it, I gave in. And watching it again now, I’m glad I did! It’s really Seventeen doing what they do best, just absolutely going for broke. Centering around a jazzy, swingy beat with insistent percussion and a twinkling piano that feels like it’s winking at you, it keeps you engaged the whole time without even trying. It’s not talked about as much as their earliest or most recent releases, and I feel like that’s a shame, because in my opinion, it’s one of their best. And that’s not even counting the music video, which is pretty great.

From the EP, Semicolon, I enjoyed the jazzy flourishes and smooth beat of Hey Buddy (my hidden gem), the elegant tango of Light A Flame, and the understated beat of All My Love.

So, this accidentally became a three-parter; see you next time for the final part! Tschüss!

(Part One) (Part Three)