Seventeen, the reason why they were able to become the grand prize singer

“Finally, these are the guys. Seventeen!”

Seventeen was honored with the award in the 'Album of the Year (Grand Prize)' category at the '2023 MAMA Awards' held at Tokyo Dome in Japan on the 28th and 29th of last month. With this, Seventeen won a total of 5 awards.

Seventeen's performance this year was dazzling. The 10th mini album 'FML' is currently selling over 6.2 million copies and is breaking its own record for the highest sales of a K-pop album of all time. The 11th mini album 'SEVENTEENTH HEAVEN' is the first K-pop album to exceed 5 million copies in initial sales. In addition to Kubo, Seventeen has sold a total of 16 million albums this year alone.

It is even more surprising that this is the achievement of a group that has debuted 9 years ago. The jinx in the music industry, called the ‘Seven Years of Evil’, has become a story far from them. At the time of its debut in 2015, 'a group that was criticized for having too many members (13 members)' has now stood tall as a 'target artist' with no one disagreeing with it. This is why the hearts of fans and members were filled with joy at the word 'finally' emphasized before Seventeen was called the grand prize winner at the '2023 MAMA Awards'.

◇ “There is no other group like this”… ‘The strongest performance’ created with sincerity

What is the secret to Seventeen’s popularity? Experts point out Seventeen's unrivaled performance capabilities. The 'sharp group dance' of 13 members that matches the sound of their footsteps, and the structured choreography with a story is Seventeen's trademark and their most powerful weapon to effectively convey the song's message. The preparation process is intense. It is the result of endless sweat.

The staff around Seventeen said, “There is no other group that works so hard this year. They all agree, “It’s not easy if you don’t show your sincerity on stage.” SEVENTEEN's sincerity spreads pleasant energy to the public. The group Seventeen's sincerity and passion as an artist to provide the best stage to fans, rather than simply the goal of 'wanting to be the best', became the driving force behind the group's success.

◇ From writing lyrics to composing... ‘Self-produced idols’ Seventeen’s broad music spectrum

If it's a song, it's a song, if it's a dance, it's a dance, and even writing and composing lyrics. The versatile musical capabilities of Seventeen members were also supported. The title song 'I Love You' from SEVENTEEN's debut album '17 CARAT' was written and composed by Woozi, and Vernon and S.Coups participated in writing the lyrics. The names of all members were also engraved on the lyrics and composition of other songs.

In particular, Woozi, the team's album producer, was promoted to a full member of the Korea Music Copyright Association in January 2019, less than four years after his debut. The number of copyrighted works by Woozi amounts to 156. Most of the other Seventeen members are recognized for their outstanding skills and individuality. The group's musical spectrum has been so broad that it operates as a three-unit system within the group, including a hip-hop team, a vocal team, and a performance team.

◇ Friendly fan communication… The charm point that makes people fall in love with Hwasubun

Friendly communication with CARAT (fandom name) is also one of the secrets to Seventeen's popularity. They communicate with fans through various platforms such as social media (SNS) and Weverse. Their own content, ‘Going Seventeen’, is even called ‘the idol world’s infinite challenge.’

The members' unrivaled sense of entertainment and unique pleasant chemistry based on their strong teamwork provide endless 'popular' points. Pledis Entertainment believes that the increase in Seventeen's unusual sales volume is also due to the influx of new fans.

Ultimately, Seventeen and Carat's goal is 'happiness'. The 11th mini album 'SEVENTEENTH HEAVEN' is an album name borrowed from the English expression 'Seventh Heaven', which means 'a state of extreme happiness.' The moment of happiness that everyone feels at the end of a long journey full of challenges and pioneering is the meaning of ‘Seventeen’s Heaven.’ And SEVENTEEN and CARAT, or ‘TEAM SVT’, finally became true ‘gods of music’ as the title song of this album suggests.

Kim Se-ah, Ten Asia reporter haesmik@tenasia.co.kr