SEVENTEEN
“Finally, they are. SEVENTEEN!” When the winner of the “MAMA Awards 2023” was announced at the Tokyo Dome in Japan on the 28th and 29th of last month, loud cheers erupted. As a result, the members of SEVENTEEN, who won five awards, had the joy of putting their arms around each other’s shoulders, and the other artists and the audience who filled the Tokyo Dome celebrated them with a standing ovation.
SEVENTEEN’s performance this year was simply brilliant. The 10th mini album “FML” currently sells over 6.2 million copies, breaking its own K-pop album sales record. The 11th mini album “SEVENTEENTH HEAVEN” is the first K-pop album to exceed 5 million initial sales. On top of that, SEVENTEEN crossed the 16 million album sales milestone this year alone, adding to their continued popularity.
It is all the more surprising that this is an achievement for the group which is in its 9th year since its debut. The curse of the music industry, called the “Seven Years of the Devil,” was far from them at first. When they debuted in 2015, “a group that was criticized for not being able to do it because there were too many members” established themselves as a “target artist” without any disagreement. This is why fans and members are overwhelmed by the underlined word “finally” before SEVENTEEN is named the big winner of the 2023 MAMA Awards.
◇ “There is no other group like this”… “The best performance” performed with sincerity
What is the secret to SEVENTEEN’s popularity? Experts highlight SEVENTEEN’s unique performance capabilities. The synchronized dancing and choreography of the 13-member group is their trademark and the most powerful weapon to effectively convey the message of the song. The preparation process is fierce. This is the result of incessant sweating. The staff around SEVENTEEN said in unison: “There is no other group who works so hard during this annual holiday. If you don’t think so, it won’t be easy. SEVENTEEN’s sincerity exudes pleasant energy to the audience. It is not only their goal to become the best, but their sincerity and passion as artists who want to present the best performance to their fans is the driving force behind their success.”
◇ Writing lyrics and composition… “Self-produced idol” The broad musical spectrum of SEVENTEEN
If it’s singing songs, if it’s dancing, if it’s writing lyrics and composing. The SEVENTEEN members’ versatile musical abilities were also catered for. It was different from the beginning. WOOZI wrote and composed the song “Adore U” from SEVENTEEN’s first album “17 CARAT”, and VERNON and S.COUPS participated in the writing. The members’ names were also engraved for the lyrics of other songs. Notably, WOOZI, the group’s album producer, was promoted to a full member of the Korean Music Copyright Association in January 2019, less than four years after his debut. WOOZI owns 156 copyright-protected works. Most of the other members of SEVENTEEN are recognized for their exceptional skills and personality. The musical spectrum was broad enough to operate three unit systems within the group, including the hip-hop team, the vocal team and the performance team. In other words, SEVENTEEN originated the term “self-produced idol” because all 13 members can write and compose, regardless of genre.
◇ Friendly communication with fans… The attractive point of singing “입덕”
Friendly communication with CARATs is also one of the secrets of SEVENTEEN’s popularity. They are deeply connected with their fans through various platforms such as social media and Weverse. “Going Seventeen” has been called the infinite challenge of idol groups. Its unique sense of entertainment and unique enjoyable chemistry based on strong teamwork from the members provides an infinite point to become a fan. Pledis Entertainment attributes the unusual increase in album sales to the influx of new fans. SEVENTEEN has also always said: “Our reason for being is CARATs”. Fans have always followed SEVENTEEN in their footsteps, and this great solidarity has created a perfect synergy within “TEAM SVT”.
The goal of SEVENTEEN and the CARATs is happiness. “SEVENTEENTH HEAVEN” is an album name that borrows from the phrase “Seventh Heaven“, an English expression meaning “a state of happiness“. This means that the moment of happiness we all feel at the end of our long journey full of challenges and pioneers is the paradise of SEVENTEEN. And SEVENTEEN, and the CARATs, or “TEAM SVT“, has finally become the true god of music just like the title song of this album.
A great victory for hard work.
Journalist: Shawn
Translator: Shawn
Source: Pledis Entertainment
