13-member boy band Seventeen is chasing their dreams in 'Going Seventeen.' This is their third mini-album, containing 8 brand new tracks. The exciting news? Every member had a hand in this, though Woozi wrote few all by his lonesome.
The mix team's "Beautiful" is a great song to kick off the album. Right out of the gate, there's a majestic intro, and they waste no time getting into the groove after that. Joshua launches into falsetto in the pre-chorus, simultaneously delivering a great hook. I really enjoyed The8's lines here, as well, he brings an edge to it that I would sorely miss.
"Boom Boom" is their title track, and the whole thing has a kind of boyish charm to it. They may no longer be young and free (well... they're still young), but from this tune you wouldn't know it. It's fun, upbeat, and energetic; what it lacks in impact it makes up for in cuteness. It's bound to be endearing to fans when Mingyu croons "You got me like boom boom."
"Highlight" has some techno nods, though it's still firmly in the pop realm. There are some interesting sounds here, like a thunderous crowd and mechanical chugging for a beat. The way this is built is perfect; the setup amps up the tension for the payoff in the chorus. It's my favorite on this disc, and I enjoyed it more than "Boom Boom."
The hip-hop team's "Expect" was a bit disappointing. Instead of something edgy that spat fire, we got a song that dragged and lagged its way to the final second. The raps were sing-songy, lacking flow and rhythm. They didn't even sound like they were having fun, which sometimes redeems awkward hip-hop. What we were left with was an old-time jazz tune with lackluster vocals. I guess you can say that I didn't expect this.
"Don't Listen" is a tender ballad, heart-rending and all that. But Seungkwan's contributions are where the heartstrings are really pulled. To be honest I was growing weary of the subdued delivery and then he kicked it up a notch. This is a Woozi tune about a guy cutting a girl loose, telling her to ignore him and stay. Great take on the breakup scene.
Seventeen has always flirted with crossing genres -- in fact the band is tailor-made for that. Here, they integrate it into the songs more, which makes this EP more cohesive and less choppy. You don't have the feeling that they crossed into a different style more than actually incorporated it. That plus the fact that they were so involved with this endeavor makes it that much better. The album really doesn't have any filler and is a tight release. This band just keeps on getting better, and truly are going Seventeen.
MV REVIEW
In the MV for "Boom Boom," the boys are involved in a heist.
You see them plan for it and the buildup to the climax. They have a dizzying array of high-tech toys to play with, like surveillance equipment and drones, all the while ducking security lasers and cams.
They fail.
It's actually pretty fun to watch, like when they botch the job and run away -- or that sweet drone they set up. I couldn't help but laugh as one of them steps over the laser and has to lift his leg with his hands -- that could have been handled with a lot more agility (see "Like A Cat" by AOA). But the highlight of this MV has to be the dancing.
Whatever the flaws in the drama part, the dancing is what sets it apart. All the signature moves are there that you've seen in the past, plus some new surprises. They move fluidly like they were born to dance, and some of it was done so fiercely you'd swear they hurt themselves in the process. Whatever -- the end result is 13 guys dancing as one and delivering a visual treat.
He was...um...stiff from dancing. Yeah, that must be it...
Now what I want to see is an MV where some of the dance moves incorporated into the drama part. Too cheesy? I dunno. Still, I have to give this one a thumbs up on both concept and execution.
