Latest news with #Woozi
Pink Villa
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
SEVENTEEN's Woozi calls military hiatus ‘no big deal,' promises team 'will get back together' on return
SEVENTEEN has been dominating the K-pop scene lately, from their critically acclaimed 5th full album HAPPY BURSTDAY, to smashing it on the charts with their hit track THUNDER. Even celebrating their 10th anniversary with unforgettable performances by the Han River. Their momentum is undeniable, earning them top spots on touring revenue lists, surpassing even ATEEZ and BTS' J-Hope in recent figures. Truly, 2025 is shaping up to be a peak year for this powerhouse 13-member group. But with great success comes inevitable change. South Korea's mandatory military service means many K-pop idols, including SEVENTEEN members, must take a break from the spotlight. Right now, nine of the thirteen members are serving, with the rest, including vocalists Hoshi and Woozi, preparing to enlist soon. This naturally raises questions: What does this mean for the group's future? How will SEVENTEEN stay relevant when they're split up by military duty? The answer lies in a smart, intentional strategy — one that is followed by BTS. SEVENTEEN is emphasizing individuality by featuring solo songs from each member alongside group tracks ahead of military service. This approach isn't random; it's a calculated move to showcase each member's unique personality and talents while they're apart. In a recent Billboard interview, Hoshi shared, 'We would like to show more of our individualities, each of the members' personalities and capabilities, so that when the time comes and we get back together again as a group, we'll be able to showcase ourselves as a better SEVENTEEN.' This mindset reflects a deep confidence in their bond and the belief that separation is just a phase, not an end. Woozi echoed this sentiment, saying, 'We understand that fans are very sad that some of us are going to be away, but among ourselves, we don't consider this to be a really huge deal because we know that we are going to stay together.' For SEVENTEEN, military service isn't a setback—it's a natural transition, a chapter in their growth both individually and as a group. The members view it as an opportunity to develop personally and musically, so that when they reunite, they'll be stronger and more complete than ever before. Where does SEVENTEEN stand now? Currently, the group is riding a massive wave of success. They've been dubbed a 'super band' and hold the No. 3 spot on the midyear Boxscore charts for 2025, grossing an astounding USD 120.9 million and selling over 842,000 tickets on tour. Their influence is undeniable, and even with the staggered enlistment schedule, their legacy and momentum remain intact. In summary, while military enlistment marks a period of physical separation, SEVENTEEN is turning this challenge into a chance to shine individually and return as a more dynamic, evolved group. CARAT s might feel the absence, but the members' spirits remain united and focused on their long-term journey.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
SEVENTEEN's 10 Best Songs So Far: Critic's Picks
When SEVENTEEN debuted on May 26th, 2015, all odds were stacked against the group. More from Billboard Rick Derringer, Legendary Guitarist & 'Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo' Hitmaker, Dead at 77 Bunnie XO Addresses Haters Calling Her Love for Jelly Roll 'Fake' After Brief Red Carpet Kiss Morgan Wallen's 'I'm the Problem' & 'What I Want' With Tate McRae Launch Atop Billboard's Country Charts Formed by relatively small label Pledis Entertainment (acquired by HYBE in 2020), the 13-piece ensemble faced an uphill battle in the competitive K-pop scene — not the least because of their humble origins and unusually large lineup. 'It feels like it took a long time for us to get here,' Woozi said after the outfit's first MAMA daesang win in 2023. 'We were a group that started with a lot of fingers pointed at us, saying that it would be impossible for us to make it.' That SEVENTEEN has survived for ten years in the industry is a feat in and of itself, but even more impressive are the accomplishments they've managed to rack up along the way. In the last year alone, the group has performed at Glastonbury (the first K-pop act to do so), headlined a U.S. arena tour and brought 140,000 fans to Japan's largest stage for two of the most-attended concerts by a K-pop group in history. It's no secret they know how to put on a show, after all, but on top of some of the best stage presence in the business, the group's self-producing status has made their story worth following since day one: every single album has top-to-bottom writing and composition credits from Woozi and close collaborator Bumzu, while other members also regularly contribute to the process. Thus, SEVENTEEN's music is tied to their actual identity in ways most boy bands can't claim — the Hip-Hop Unit ( Wonwoo, Mingyu and Vernon) pen their own raps about everything from trainee doubts to selling out stadium tours; the Performance Unit (Hoshi, Jun, The8 and Dino) use an innate understanding of rhythm to inspire melodies; the Vocal Unit (Jeonghan, Joshua, Woozi, DK and Seungkwan) bring real life emotion to their ballads — and it's only grown with the 13 boys-turned-men as they've come into their own as artists. To celebrate 10 years of K-pop's most entertaining maestros, Billboard has rounded up 10 of the best songs from SEVENTEEN's first their sizeable roster originally made them underdogs, SVT has always found strength in numbers. So how better to match the epic scale of 'Super,' a jersey-club-supercharged battle cry, than with 228 extra dancers? The single is a manifesto on how this sprawling collective has propelled themselves to such record-breaking heights, down to its victory-lap chorus: 'I love my team, I love my crew/ We already made it this high … it's all thanks to you.' Setting aside all the Chinese mythology and anime references, this legendary hype song embraces a startlingly simple wisdom: the view from the top is better when subtle minimalism of 'Home' is roomy enough to live inside. An emotive future bass beat cleverly subverts expectations: as plinking synths and ghostly, mechanical harmonies build to their inevitable ends, the foundations suddenly fall away. Anti-drop choruses like this one have become something of a calling card for Woozi and Bumzu, who create masterful release from empty moments. Another genius aspect of this production? Beats of silence leave room for an intimate call-and-response: 'What do I do/ Without you?' the members muse, a question that is volleyed right back to a decade before raising a toast to their skyward climb on 'Cheers,' the unit leaders stared up the face of that cliff: 'So that the light shining upon SEVENTEEN doesn't go out/ Every day the light's on in our studio,' Hoshi raps on 'Change Up,' beside fellow creative stewards and Woozi. Self-producing comes with great responsibility, of course, but they don't make this grind sound like a slog. Instead, the trio rollicks along to a lively trumpet riff, pushing past hardship to joy, which is exactly the scrappy mentality that built them from the basement level wistful, starry-eyed and autobiographical anthem needs very little to fill stadiums. As the team nods to nights spent in practice rooms, driven by the idea of a brighter tomorrow, guitar chugs and sing-along chants sway them like the gentle summer breeze. A bop for the blue hour — itself released during a liminal time in their careers — this beloved B-side still reverberates to this day, particularly Vernon's prophetic lines: 'This time/ Our dawn is hotter/ When the day is bright/ The world is ours.'It's no exaggeration to say 'Fallin' Flower' is a whole world unto itself. Supplementing the core lyrical metaphor and lush synth loop, its storytelling unravels through the elaborate choreography, reaching full bloom right alongside the song's climax. In a canon of conceptual Japanese singles that have cast the guys as everything from mods and rockers to race car drivers at the Last Supper, this breathtaking entry is still the best example of K-pop's ability to spin a musical motif into a fully realized work of art.'To You' is a creature comfort. Hardly alone in that regard — this is the group that's given us balms like 'Kidult' and 'All My Love,' after all — it shines as an earnest ode to the faces waiting across the threshold at the end of a long day. (Just take the line, 'I'm grateful to you, who greets me whenever I open the door,' which Woozi wrote about his cat.) A rich atmosphere of guitars and synths washes over the track like a warm bath; its catharsis comes both from those sublime vocal runs and how even the instrumental seems to take you into its a testament to the range of the five vocal team members that a breakup song of such earth-shattering scope has moments so quietly devastating. Honeyed coos balance sentiments as bitter as lemon piths: 'I would like it if you had a hard time/ And thought of me for a bit,' Jeonghan sighs, voice softly lilting. Despite its hushed opening, the potent ballad eventually unleashes an emotional wallop, deftly maneuvering between classic boy band harmonies and Seungkwan's mighty 'My baby, my baby, my baby' goes hand in hand with shadow. One cannot exist without the other, which is why the band confronts inner demons with empathy on this twinkling drum'n'bass deep cut. 'Oh, now I know you are part of me too/ I don't want to hide you, I want to hold your hand/ Because even my darkness will shine brightly,' they sing over skittering percussion. While their first Billboard 200 top 10 album constituted a bold new path, 'Shadow' balances this evolution with an ethos that's been there since the start. Who says forging ahead has to mean forgetting yourself?A hilariously reliable staple in their setlist repertoire, the guys could probably pull off 'Very Nice' in their sleep. Still, that's not to say the performance is a walk in the park: this high-energy extravaganza brings vocal acrobatics, jittery choreo and circus-esque brass to feelings of first love. (In the music video, hearts don't merely flutter; they explode into clouds of confetti.) While ultimately shut out on the weekly music show circuit upon release, the signature track has since become one of K-pop's national anthems, its joie de vivre powerful enough to get even skeptics on their feet. Ask anyone who's survived a few rounds of SVT's 'infinite' concert encores; the impact of 'Very Nice' is truly never-ending.'Pretty U' sparkles with boyish charm. Released within a year of their frothy, funk-pop debut 'Adore U,' this sleeker redux proved that the rookies were already raising the bar; SVT snagged their first music show trophy for it, something so far out of their imagined reach that was rendered utterly speechless. With hindsight, though, the breakthrough was a no-brainer: an irresistible music box that bottles adolescent emotion, 'Pretty U' synthesizes the many talents of K-pop's resident theater kids, from a cappella harmonies to its show-stopping staging. Almost a decade on, this remains their greatest record of youth, one that still shows no signs of ever getting old. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Korea Herald
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
The bridge, the beats, the burst Seventeen's 10th anniversary party shakes up K-pop
Boy band's milestone party draws 10,000 to Seoul's Hangang Park It's rare for a K-pop group — boy band or girl group — to celebrate its 10th anniversary. Most acts fail to survive the so-called 'seven-year curse,' a widely observed trend where many disband or undergo significant member changes around their seventh year. The standard contract term set by the Fair Trade Commission in Korea is also seven years. Seventeen, however, beat the odds. While members Jeonghan and Wonwoo were absent at the show due to their military service, the group marked its decadelong journey in a groundbreaking way — by performing on the Jamsu Bridge in central Seoul, the first K-pop act to do so. The anniversary concert, titled 'B-Day Party: Burst Stage,' kicked off 20 minutes behind schedule at 7:50 p.m., Sunday, opening with the premiere of the group's new main track, 'Thunder,' from the fifth studio album, 'Happy Burstday,' released on Monday at 6 p.m. Around 6,000 Carats — Seventeen's fandom — selected via online lottery, gathered on the low-lying bridge next to Banpo Hangang Park to sing along to the unreleased song in unison. 'We imagined all kinds of things when we first heard we'd be performing on Jamsu Bridge,' said member Mingyu during the show. 'We wondered, 'Will there be yachts? Will the sunset be pretty? What if it rains?' But everything turned out perfect. I hope everyone enjoys the show to the end.' Hoshi added, 'They say we're the first K-pop group to ever perform on Jamsu Bridge,' highlighting the occasion's significance. DK followed up by thanking fans: 'It's all thanks to our Carats. None of this would've been possible without you.' Those who without tickets still joined in, gathering around the nearby Banpo Hangang Park to watch the performance in real-time via large LED screens installed across the area. After performing 'Thunder,' Woozi shared a behind-the-scenes story about the song's production. 'It's a powerful track, but after 10 years of making albums, I started to doubt myself — 'Maybe I don't have it anymore.' But inspiration struck like thunder. That's how this song came about. I hope you enjoy it just as it is,' Woozi said. The group then performed the B-side 'HBD' from the new album and its 2022 hit 'Hot' from the fourth album 'Face the Sun.' 'This year marks our 10th anniversary, and since it's our fifth full-length album, we titled it 'Happy Burstday,'' said Mingyu. 'It's a celebration of our 10 years and a combination of the words 'burst,' as in explosion or release and 'birthday.'' 'The album includes three group tracks including 'Thunder' and solo songs by all 13 members — 16 songs in total,' Vernon said. The hour-long concert featured a total of 12 songs, including fan favorites like 'Rock With You,' 'God of Music' and 'Very Nice.' The performance was followed by a dazzling fireworks display over the Han River, adding to the party atmosphere. Visual effects using the Moonlight Rainbow Fountain — installed on Banpo Bridge directly above Jamsu Bridge — heightened the spectacle. As the group sang 'Our Dawn is Hotter Than Day,' the fountain lit up in Seventeen's official colors, rose quartz and serenity. During 'God of Music,' the water jets danced in sync with the rhythm, amplifying the festive mood. The event was livestreamed globally via Hybe's global fandom platform, Weverse; Hybe Labels' YouTube channel and Naver's ZikZok platform — allowing fans from Japan, China, the US, Indonesia, Singapore and beyond to join in virtually. As the concert neared its end, Hoshi said, 'It feels like we just debuted yesterday, and now it's already been 10 years. The concert just started, but it's already over.' DK added, 'Performing here is truly overwhelming.' Seungkwan wrapped up the night by saying, 'Just being able to perform in this space felt like a miracle.' To mark the occasion, Seventeen also hosted a three-day fan event starting Friday on Some Sevit — a cluster of artificial islands on the Han River. The event included a 'Seventeen History Zone' chronicling the group's journey, an interactive message wall, an offline version of the group's mobile game 'Puzzle Seventeen,' a photo card exchange area and self-photo booths.
Korea Herald
24-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Seventeen to drop full-group album in May: report
Seventeen will release an album featuring all members on May 26, according to a local media report on Monday. The upcoming album will be rolled out on the group's 10th debut anniversary. All 13 members, including Junghan who began serving his mandatory military duty in September last year, completed recording the album, the report added. The fact that all members participated in the album makes it more special, since Wonwoo is enlisting next month, and Hoshi and Woozi will follow in the latter half of this year. Hoshi and Woozi mentioned they were notified of the due dates at the band's fan meeting held Thursday and Friday in Incheon, Korea. The two formed a duo subunit and dropped the single 'Beam' earlier this month. In April, the band will host fan meetups in Osaka and Saitama, Japan, for five days.
Korea Herald
13-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Hoshi X Woozi dominate Chinese and Japanese charts
"Beam" tops QQ Music's Digital Best-Seller chart in just three days Seventeen's special subunit, Hoshi X Woozi, is making a strong presence on the Chinese and Japanese charts with their first album, "Beam." "Beam" topped the daily and weekly "Digital Best-Selling Album" single category on China's largest music streaming platform, QQ Music, on Wednesday, and secured the No. 2 spot on the annual chart. QQ Music ranks annual charts based on digital album downloads over the past year as of the chart announcement date, and "Beam" soared to the top ranks in just three days after its release. The No. 1 album on this chart is "Teleparty," released in January by another Seventeen subunit, BSS. On the same day, "Beam" also entered Japan's Oricon "Daily Single Ranking" at No. 3, showing a strong performance on Japanese music charts as well. The music video for the album's title track, "96ers," has also gained traction, making it to YouTube's trending videos in multiple countries and regions, including South Korea, Japan, the US and the UK. With this momentum, it has secured a high position in YouTube's "Music Video Trending Worldwide" rankings. Hoshi and Woozi will participate in Seventeen's full-group fan meetings in two Japanese cities from April to May, with a total of five shows. Before that, they will meet fans at Seventeen's ninth fan meeting "Seventeen in Carat Land" at Incheon Munhak Stadium March 20-21.
