Superlatives: A Vulture series featuring artists judging the best and worst moments of their careers. Photo-Illustration: Vulture. Photo: Pledis Entertainment.
If Joshua happens to hear a Seventeen track playing in a restaurant, he might discreetly glance around to see if anyone noticed him walking in. “Most of the time, it’s not because of that, it’s because they genuinely love our songs, so it’s pretty cool,” the singer says humbly. It’s surprising considering that after eight years in the lively 13-member boy band’s career, they now perform (and dine) in restaurants around the world. Seventeen, composed of members S.Coups, Jeonghan, Joshua, Jun, Hoshi, Wonwoo, Woozi, The 8, Mingyu, DK, Seungkwan, Vernon, and Dino, not only sell out international shows but also set records. Their tenth mini album, FML, currently holds the title for the best-selling K-pop album of all time with over 6.2 million copies sold as of July. (It also achieved the highest first-day sales in K-pop, with 3.99 million copies). Rapper Vernon adds, “We achieved numbers we never thought we would before. We were truly surprised. Nobody expected FML to do so well. These achievements always remind us of our responsibility to give Carats a better experience.” He emphasizes his point with a thumbs-up, saying, “We’re extremely grateful.”
On October 23, Seventeen released their 11th mini album, Seventeenth Heaven, which features the festive lead single “God of Music,” the catchy earworm “SOS” produced by Marshmello, two fan songs, and one track each from the group’s vocal, performance, and hip-hop subunits. As always, multiple members contributed to the production and songwriting. While Seventeen collaborates with external partners, Carats have proudly praised them as “self-producing idols” since their debut in 2015. Joshua especially appreciates when people compliment Seventeen’s strong teamwork. Their bond can be heard in perfectly synchronized shoe squeaks during dance practices, the brotherly banter in their variety show Going Seventeen, and the dynamic duo of Vernon and Joshua in this interview. They often exchange glances before finishing each other’s sentences. A week before their latest comeback, the pair find a quiet room to reflect on their shared career, even though it means sifting through a vast bank of memories. At one point, Joshua jokingly exclaims, “We have so many albums, I’m getting confused.”
Vernon: When I first heard “Left and Right,” I liked it immediately, and it grew on me even more. It’s one of my favorite Seventeen title tracks.
Joshua: When I first heard “Pretty U”… I didn’t dislike it, but I didn’t love it as much as our other title tracks. However, when we performed it and saw the response from fans and the audience, it eventually grew on me.
Vernon: That song had a completely different instrumental. It was recreated. The original title was “Joan of Arc.” We wrote that song before our debut, when we were trainees.
Joshua: The melody, lyrics, and performance were all different. The choreography was initially prepared for “Joan of Arc,” but it later transformed into something like a musical.
Vernon: If I remember correctly, the first verse was nearly the same, but the lyrics were slightly different. The original chorus was used as an outro for “Pretty U.” So it was an interesting experience. At first, it was confusing, but as Joshua said, it grew on us eventually.
Joshua: So initially, I liked “Joan of Arc” more than “Pretty U” because I was more accustomed to it.
Vernon: Our Japanese songs have heartfelt lyrics. Which one, though?
Joshua: “Ai no Chikara”? The power of love.
Vernon: I’ll choose “Hitorijanai.” Hitorijanai means “you’re not alone.” I really love the lyrics.
Joshua: Yeah, and when that song was released, we were in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic and physically apart. We just wanted to remind our fans that they’re not alone, they’re with us.
Vernon: The song is heartfelt, and it also has a wintery feel. It reminds me of the holiday season. When it’s cold outside, I feel warmth inside. It may be just me, but winter always brings back good memories of spending time with my family. So that song gives me a similar feeling.
Vernon: “Don Quixote.” We haven’t performed it much, so that’s definitely my favorite. I think it’s a really good song with great production. It received a positive response from Carats, but I wish it was more widely recognized by the general public. We had a studio session with Bumzu, Woozi, myself, and other producers. Melanie wrote the melody, and I was amazed by how quickly she came up with it. The instruments, top line, and melody… overall, it’s a fantastic song. It builds up to a dramatic climax and sounds really grand. I think it’s the coolest song to listen to.
Joshua: Maybe “Fearless”? Many people know “Fearless,” but we debated whether to make it our title track. We thought it was worthy. The performance and song are great, and we just want to shine more light on this song. It showcases what we can do as a big group. It was also the first time we used so many backup dancers.
Vernon: Our studio wasn’t big enough for all those people, so we practiced in a school stadium.
Joshua: We had to borrow it for practice. Usually, we practice amongst ourselves, but with all those dancers, there were many different formations, so it was a bit challenging to piece it all together initially. In the choreography for “Fearless,” there’s a part where Jeonghan climbs up the “stairs,” and the dancers become the stairs. He has to do a trust fall, and that took a long time to get right.
Vernon: He fell a few times.
Joshua: So we were like, “Can you do this? Should we include it?” But we wanted to show something different, so we eventually added it to the choreo.
Joshua: I have a legendary one. It was during the showcase for “Pretty U.”
Vernon: Ahh! Right, right, right. It looked like you did it on purpose, though.
Joshua: Yeah, I tried. Many thoughts were going through my mind. I thought, “Oh, I made a mistake. I should wait for the members to do it and make it look like a domino effect.” But it was our first time performing that song, so I was like, “[sighs].” I couldn’t believe I made a mistake at the most important part. I was right in the center, too. I got everything right in rehearsals, and when it was the most crucial moment, I messed up. During our last music broadcast, we actually purposefully made that mistake as a fan service. But yeah, the first time… obviously, making mistakes on stage isn’t something to be happy about. I try not to dwell on that. I thought, “Next time, I won’t make a mistake in the other broadcasts.” My members were definitely trying to make me feel better. They laughed it off and were really cool about it, so I was okay.
Vernon: I was probably at the back of the formation, so I didn’t witness it myself. I really wish I did because it would have been hilarious. [Laughs.] I make mistakes from time to time, but fortunately, they aren’t always noticeable. So even when…
