On Oct. 23, Korean pop powerhouse SEVENTEEN released their eleventh mini album, “Seventeenth Heaven.” Consisting of seven tracks and one instrumental, this album is the refreshing break from gloomy autumn weather we all needed.
The album follows the theme of a music festival. The album cover is bright and beautifully colorful, and the theming is consistent throughout the music video, concept photos, and overall vibe of every track. The tracks include “SOS,” which was produced by musical icon Marshmello, “God of Music,” which is the album’s title track, “Diamond Days,” “Back 2 Back,” “Monster,” “Yawn,” and “Headliner.” In SEVENTEEN, with as many members as they have (thirteen, not to be confused with their group’s name), they split off into three smaller units for one song each in most albums: Performance Unit, Hip Hop Unit, and Vocal Unit. For this album, “Back 2 Back” is an electronic hyperpop-esque track sung by the Performance Unit, including The8, Jun, Hoshi, and Dino. “Monster” feels like something I’d listen to on Halloween or hear in a horror film, and is rapped by the Hip Hop Unit, or leader S. Coups, Wonwoo, Mingyu, and Vernon. Lastly, “Yawn” is a stunning ballad sung by the Vocal Unit, or Joshua, Jeonghan, DK, Seungkwan, and Woozi, the group’s main producer who also wrote this song entirely on his own. “SOS” is an all-English optimism anthem that I listened to on my way to school this morning in an effort to feel better about my AP Lit grade (it worked!). “Diamond Days” samples one of SEVENTEEN’s oldest tracks, “Shining Diamond,” and is an EDM-type song that I still cannot really figure out if I like or not due to an unsatisfying chorus. “Headliner” is a song that the members say was written for and about the fans (or CARATs). Instead of the members being the so-called headliners, it takes a sentimental route and refers to the fans as the stars instead. Lastly, the title track, “God of Music,” is a cheesy but enjoyable song that in another life, I could have heard on Disney Channel. However, that does not mean that it is a bad song, because it is going to be stuck in my head for the rest of time. As always with SEVENTEEN, these tracks are conceptual, new, and consistent with their versatility as artists.
I think this is a solid album. Do I like it as much as their previous comeback, “FML”? No, but it is still a good album that I was impressed with. Considering the fact that this album broke the record for the most preorders in K-pop history, I am not the only one who was excited. As of now, my favorite song is “Yawn.” I am always a sucker for sad lyrics and beautiful voices, and SEVENTEEN’s vocal unit always delivers on these fronts. Do I want to cry? Do I want to turn on my phone flashlight and wave it to and fro? Do I want to go to karaoke? Yes, to all three. My least favorite is “Diamond Days.” Not to say that it is bad, but the fact that I cannot definitively say it is good is what leads me to this conclusion. As a title track, “God of Music” is definitely not their best, but is still a perfectly danceable song that I plan to learn the choreography to ASAP.
Overall, while “Seventeenth Heaven” is not my favorite album by SEVENTEEN, I will still have this album on repeat for the foreseeable future. To anyone who loves amazing performances, raw talent, and unique style, I recommend you drop whatever you are doing and give “Seventeenth Heaven” a listen, as well as paying more attention to SEVENTEEN as a whole.
