Welcome to my deep dive down the rabbit hole that is Seventeen. I’m going to try to write out my thoughts on the different albums coming out from both BTS and Seventeen since right now, they’re the only groups that I actively stan but I’m also going to start my Seventeen journey for record keeping on the blog.
This week, I’ll be discussing their 2015 release Boys Be. The only song off this one that I’m familiar with is Mansae and I already love this song so while I’ll still listen to it and watch whatever I can of that song, I’m going to be checking all of the other songs as well. Hmm..anyway, let’s jump in, shall we?
Release Date: September 10, 2015 Track List: Fronting, Mansae, When I Grow Up, OMG, Rock Favorite Song: When I Grow Up
Boys Be is the second extended play from South Korean boy band Seventeen. It was released on September 10, 2015, by Pledis Entertainment. The album consists of five tracks, including the title track, “Mansae”.
There are only five songs on this album so it’s another short one but it was another enjoyable one so I’m not that mad about it. The repackaged albums..are those the albums that throw all of the short albums together? I’m guessing that might be the deal but anyway…let’s get to the songs.
Fronting: This is a catchy song and though some of the lyrics made me roll my eyes, I can’t even stay mad about them lyrics because the song is too fun and lighthearted, kind of like War of Hormones by BTS. This song is about high school boys that can’t control their feelings for their crushes and it makes me laugh because the lyrics convey that very well. This is the kind of song that I’d expect of some very young boys but it’s got a catchy hook and it’s fun so yeah, I like it.
Mansae: This song is catchy as hell and just a whole lot of fun. I really like long haired Jeonghan and he was a highlight in the music video for me. I loved it when I first heard it and I still love the hell out of it now. Such a great song that just makes me happy.
When I Grow Up: This is my favorite song off the album. This is my kind of song in every way. I’ve always loved the softer songs that are kind of cheesy, lyric wise but the difference with this song is that the lyrics are super sweet, not cheesy at all though I’m sure others will disagree with me but dude, this sons is SO CUTE! Its a vocal line song and this is another song that I absolutely love. Gah, love it so much.
OMG: This is a performance team song and I’m starting to realize that I enjoy their songs more when I’m watching them perform it. They performed this song really well and while I liked the song fine, it’s not a favorite of mine. It’s a solid song though.
Rock: I liked this one. I really liked the bridge and just listening to Seungkwan and DK doing their thing. The way that DK can sing those high notes? I’m here for it. This is definitely going on my playlist cause I did really like this one. The performance that I watched…they are babies in this performance. They’re such great performers too. I can see why they’re so popular.
Overall, this short album was cute. I didn’t love every song but I did enjoy it as a whole. I’m really excited to dig more into the lesser known songs that I’m missing out on. Seventeen is my kind of group so I’m pretty stoked to be listening to more of their stuff. There’s lot of hidden gems. I definitely recommend this one if you’re interested.
Welcome to my deep dive down the rabbit hole that is Seventeen. I’m going to try to write out my thoughts on the different albums coming out from both BTS and Seventeen since right now, they’re the only groups that I actively stan but I’m also going to start my Seventeen journey for record keeping on the blog.
This week, I’m going back to the beginning and will be sharing my thoughts on their first album, 17 Carat.
Release Date: May 29, 2015 Track List: Shining Diamond, Adore U, Ah Yeah, Jam Jam, 20 Favorite Song: Adore U Favorite Line:
17 Carat is the debut extended play by South Korean boy group Seventeen. It was released on May 29, 2015, by Pledis Entertainment and distributed by LOEN Entertainment. “Adore U” serves as the lead single for the extended play.
As a non-Korean speaking person, what I’m doing with each song in each album is looking up lyric translations, watching performances of the songs on YouTube on top of listening to the songs on Spotify and whatever CD’s that I have (being a new Carat, I don’t have all the albums yet but I’m working on it…and it’s a lot harder to get some of the older albums which makes me sad.) Alright with all of that out of the way, let’s jump right in.
Shining Diamond: So what I’m taking from this song is that it’s an introduction to Seventeen. The way that they slid in with that “Slip into the diamond life” made me laugh because hahaha, okay?? Don’t mind if I do? Haha. I’m digging this song. It’s not my favorite song or anything but it’s a solid introduction to the guys. Stepping into the diamond life is not a bad decision and I’m glad that I did. I love that the boys are committing to getting better and making sure you don’t regret becoming their fan in the lyrics of this song. Vernon stands out the most to me in this one, what a cutie.
Adore U: This is one of the songs I’ve heard before, I’m not super familiar with it but I do like it. Listening to it again (and again and again) only makes me like it more. I watched the MV for this one and holy cow, they’re freaking babies in it! I am LOVING baby Seungkwan! Vernon’s hair!! Jeonghan’s long hair!!! The song itself is such a cute song about having a crush and all of the feelings that come with realizing you adore someone and seeing baby Seventeen performing this one was so stinking adorable. I can’t get over baby Seungkwan and DK. Their strong singing skills were completely evident even back then. This is hands down my favorite song on the album. Love this one!
Ah Yeah: This is a hip hop team song so no singers, just the rappers and this is one of those songs that after just listening to it on Spotify, I liked it okay but it wasn’t until I listened to it a couple more times and then saw them perform it that I really started to like it. Seeing baby Vernon, S Coups, Wonwoo, and Mingyu perform this one was a lot of fun. They really do know how to put on a show.
Jam Jam: This is a performance team song, well the performance team and Vernon. It’s a nice song to dance to and the performance of this song was a lot of fun. Vernon is a lot of fun and he really shines in this song. I liked the dance but the song itself isn’t something that I would regularly listen to but it’s definitely on my weekend clean the house playlist. It’s definitely fun, that’s for sure.
20: I’m really soft for this song. I think it’s such a cute song and the OT13 performance that I saw made me love the song like a hundred times more. I also watched the vocal line perform this one on their own and loved it just as much. I really love Woozi and Jeonghan on this song, they really did their thing on this one.
This album was a great introduction to Seventeen. It showed their earnestness and they’re desire to work hard, do well, and their invitation to join them on their journey was great. I’m excited to deep dive into the rest of their music and enjoy my own journey through their history.
Welcome to my deep dive down the rabbit hole that is Seventeen. I’m going to try to write out my thoughts on the different albums coming out from both BTS and Seventeen since right now, they’re the only groups that I actively stan but I’m also going to start my Seventeen journey for record keeping on the blog.
This week, I’ll be sharing my thoughts on Seventeen’s sub-unit group, BSS. BSS stands for BooSeokSoon, three members of Seventeen, Seungkwan, DK, and Hoshi. They released a single album called Second Wind and I’ve purchased my copy
Release Date: February 6, 2023 Track List: Fighting, Lunch, 7PM Favorite Song: 7PM Favorite Line: On a day like any other day, You hear this song start to play, We’ll be there to sing it for you, Gotta keep going, what else can you do?, Fighting, yeah
BSS – the special sub-unit of SEVENTEEN – is officially releasing their first single album, SECOND WIND. BSS stands for BooSeokSoon and is comprised of three SEVENTEEN members: SEUNGKWAN, DK and HOSHI. This first release contains a CD, Outbox, Photo Book (88 pages), Lyric Book (8 pages), Photo Card (random 2 of 6), Sticker, Habit Tracker Mini Card (random 1 of 3), BSS Mini Card (random 1 of 3) and Folded Poster. NA Retail Exclusive: Postcard (random 1 of 3). Dimensions: 185 x 156 x 16 mm.
There are only three songs on this album but I wasn’t mad about it. They gave you a days worth of music to get you through the day. You can listen to one for breakfast, one at lunch (haha), and one after work. With the help of BooSeokSoon to get us through a tiring day, you just can’t go wrong. Right? Here’s some quick thoughts on the individual songs.
Fighting: This song will start your day off right. If you listen to this song first thing in the morning, there is no way that you won’t start the day with a big ass smile and even some exercise from doing the dance because you can’t listen to this without doing the dance. This song, this dance, has been everywhere and there’s no escaping it. Not that I’d want to. This song is fucking great. It’s fun, it’s got a great video, Lee Young Ji did her thing on the feature and it’s just the perfect seratonin boost. Such a great track.
Lunch: This song is another fun one. It’s great to listen to in the afternoon, you know, at lunch time. I like that it’s such an easy listen and that it’s another fun, upbeat song that shows that BSS is determined to make sure we have a good day. It’s been getting a lot of play time on my playlists so if you’re looking for another fun song that is less crackhead energy than Fighting, this one fits the bill.
7PM: This is the song that you put on after work to unwind. This is a soothing song that kind of reminds me of how I feel when I’m coming down from a work out. This song is freaking great. This is my favorite song off the album and I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve listened to it (don’t worry, I didn’t loop). I’ve already learned the Korean lyrics and be gone singing along with the guys. I really like Peder Elias’ verse too. I’d never heard of him before but this was a great introduction. This is one of those feel good songs that is the perfect ending to this album.
Every single thing about this comeback worked for me. I loved the crackhead energy, the dance challenge, the different promotional contents, the music itself, and I really enjoyed seeing BSS doing their thing all over the internet and all of their performances as well. They’re such a fun group and this entire concept worked well for them and I will always include this album in my every day because it’s just that great. To listen to this album is to love fun and I love fun. I think this was a successful comeback for BSS and I had a lot of fun participating in streaming, in keeping up with the different things that they put out. I just really loved this one.
Two people have been friends for two decades, but a mere two weeks of living together blurs that fine line between love and friendship.
Han Sun Woo is a handsome rookie photographer with a warm personality, while Seo Eun Soo is a lively, straightforward, and honest person who openly expresses her feelings. Three years ago, she seized a chance opportunity to become a lyricist. Nowadays details of their relatable romance are subtly interwoven into her musical compositions.
This show was on my watch list the moment I knew that Park Hyung Shik signed up for it. I love me some PHS so I was going to watch this no matter what. I had to wait a bit before it showed up on Disney Plus but the minute that it did, I was on it. I watched the entire thing in one work day. It was short and it was sweet and I’m glad that I watched it.
Park Hyung Shik was as great as he usually is and I’m SO glad that he’s back from his military enlistment.
The Story
This drama is about two best friends. Sunwoo and Eunsoo. They’ve been best friends since they were nine years old and Sunwoo has been in love with Eunsoo for about that long as well. We follow along as they come to terms with their feelings for each other. Sunwoo, thinking that maybe it’s time to move on from Eunsoo to save their friendship and Eunsoo, coming to the realization that maybe the love that she’s never had was right there all along.
Main Male Lead
I am a sucker for an unrequited love story and my guy Sunwoo was in love with his best friend, all on his own. For years. Park Hyung Shik plays this role really well. I’m sure that I would enjoy watching him act in a toilet paper commercial but I was really soft for Sunwoo. He was a great friend. He was a good person. And seeing him step back from confessing his feelings for his best friend because she turned him down before he could ever say anything, made for an angsty romance that I thought Park Hyung Shik carried really well. He does those longing looks justice, haha.
Sunwoo was a talented photographer who had a shot for international recognition for his work and seeing him struggle with staying or going made my heart hurt for him. I was happy with his choice and I was a really big fan of Sunwoo so I was rooting for him from the jump. Loved him.
Main Female Lead
I haven’t watched a lot of things with Han Sohee but I did enjoy her in this one. Seeing her slowly come into her feelings for Sunwoo made the show all the more interesting. Sure, I thought that she took her sweet time coming into those feelings but all is well that ends well. I never doubted her feelings when she finally realizes that she’s in love with Sunwoo and was scared that she might be too late. It made their coming together all the more worthwhile since she suffered on her own just like Sunwoo did.
I did wonder how I would have felt if I didn’t share my best friend’s feelings and found folders and folders of pictures of myself on his computer. I had secondhand embarrassment for Sunwoo but Eunsoo handled that whole thing just like she handled everything else, clumsily but cutely. Go figure that this show was only four episodes and yet, it felt like it took forever for Eunsoo to come into her feelings. But when she finally realizes them and acts on them, I was so satisfied.
The Cast
There was only one familiar face included in this cast but it was a pleasant familiar face. I didn’t like him for Eunsoo but I did like seeing him again. I also enjoyed the couple that ran the restaurant that Eunsoo and Sunwoo frequented, I adored Eunsoo’s Mom, and I liked Sunwoo’s work friends (except the girl that tried to hit on him, haha) as well. Most of the screentime was spent on Sunwoo and Eunsoo so there wasn’t much left over for the rest of the cast but still, the cast did a great job with the time they were given and I enjoyed them all.
Final Thoughts
There were only four episodes in this entire drama but I never once felt cheated or felt that their relationship, their story, or anything else for that matter was rushed. It was like a long movie that hit all of the right buttons to make my heart happy. There were soft moments, more emotional moments, and a lovely romance that I really enjoyed from beginning to end. It’s another great addition to Park Hyung Shik’s acting resume and I definitely recommend it.
I started listening to BTS albums from the beginning of their musical journey and this series will feature my thoughts on each of those albums. There are a lot of albums but there are also a lot of solo work that I’m interested in covering here on the blog so I decided to just name this feature, The BTS Listen because I’m an organization nerd and things need to be well organized for me or I get itchy.
This week, I’ll be featuring the BE Album. The BE album is the pandemic album that BTS worked on to gift Army with something that will help us cope with being stuck indoors throughout the pandemic. Aren’t they so good to us? This album is a short but packed album that tops off at 28 minutes on the listening scale.
Release Date: November 20, 2020 Track List: Life Goes On, Fly to My Room, Blue & Grey, Skit, Telepathy, Dis-ease, Stay, Dynamite Favorite Song: Life Goes On, Telepathy Favorite Line: People say the world has changed, Thankfully between you and me, it’s still the same.
BTS is returning with their new album BE to unfold another chapter of 2020.
As a sense of helplessness looms in every corner of the world, BTS opens themselves up to express their mixed feelings about this situation—fear and anxiety mingled with the determination to overcome all this. The album consists of a total of eight tracks including the No.1 summer hit “Dynamite” and lead single “Life Goes On”. The latter speaks on behalf of everyone stuck in the new normality brought on by COVID-19: one day, the world stopped without any warning, streets erased of footsteps and the way out is nowhere near in sight. BTS echoes in a low voice the comforting message that in the face of unexpected turns “Life Goes On” and extends their hands towards the future.
The BE album dropped on November 20, 2020 and it was my first official BTS comeback. I’m not lying when I tell you guys that I was super excited for the release day. I woke up extra early to run to Target and get my album. Haha, funny story about the release day. I work from home so my days tend to blend together but I was so ready for November 20th to get here. It’s a week after my birthday and it was going to be a belated birthday gift to myself. So the day gets here and I’m up early as hell because I needed to go and get it before I started work. I got dressed, brushed my hair, put on some presentable clothes, and drove all the way to Target. I run inside, straight to the electronics section only to discover NO BE albums out on display. I was so mad so I’m like, okay it’s early so maybe they just haven’t put them out yet. I stop a worker and ask about any new BTS albums and she had no idea what I was talking about so I pull it up on my phone and realize that…it’s November 19th and not the 20th so I was too early and I had nobody to be mad at but myself so since the albums weren’t on sale yet, I bought some damn donuts and took my dumbass home. LOL. Moral of the story? Check your calendar before you have an attitude.
Anyway, let’s get on with the reason for this post. I can’t believe we’re already here. The latest album from BTS. I feel like I started this journey so long ago and it feels that way because there were a lot of albums to go through. Man, it’s been a blast for me. BTS fans have been super spoiled for the last seven years and they signed on for 7 more years? Yippy skippy!
This album kicks off with a slow ballad called Life Goes On. This is a group song and the other title track off the album. I have two favorite songs on this album and this is one of them. This song is such a feel good song that speaks on what the boys are feeling and going through during the pandemic. They’re just as sad as us but if we just hold on a little longer, life will go and we’ll be able to go outside again. We’ll be together again. I have so much love for this song and I don’t even care that I’ve heard this song a million times. I still love it dammit!
Fly to My Room is next up and it’s another slower song that features Jimin and V on vocals along with J Hope and Suga bringing the rap line goodness. This song speaks on exactly what we’ve been going through this last year. A year was stolen from us and being stuck in our rooms so we might as well make our rooms, our spaces into the places we love most in the world. This song could so be the world’s anthem for the last year. I love it.
Next up is Blue & Grey. This is the song that V wrote when he was depressed so it’s a slow ballad that I’m not going to lie, I cried the first time that I heard it. I read the lyrics along with listening to it and man, that man was hurting and I’m glad that I read what he said about writing this song. He explained that when he was having a bad time, he started writing this song and it helped him get his feelings out into the world and after he was done, the depression seemed to dissipate and he was able to let go of all of those feelings and move on. He’s a lot happier now and I’m so glad for him. Knowing the backstory of this song makes me love it so much more and though it’s a very sad song, there’s a wistful hopefulness to it that makes me happy.
It’s been a while since I’ve heard a skit with the boys just talking to each other but there’s one in this album and if you don’t speak Korean, I highly recommend checking this video out cause they’ve got you covered.
Now, it’s Telepathy time. This is my absolute favorite song from the whole album. It’s such a fun, upbeat song with a message of hope that BTS and Army will be reunited again and I’m so here for it. Suga wrote this song in thirty minutes and if that ain’t impressive, I don’t know what is. Do I love this song? Hella.
Dis-ease is the next song and it’s a J-Hope song that everyone is part of. J-Hope said that he got the idea to write this song by wanting to talk about sickness. He wanted to talk about his inability to rest properly during the pandemic because he was constantly working on things and that’s his dis-ease. We all have our own shit that we’re working through, a dis-ease, if you will and he packed those thoughts into this song and what we got was an up-beat song with a hopeful message that though you have a love-hate relationship with something, you can overcome it. This is a great song, with an old school vibe that I dug.
The next song, Stay, is a unit song that features Jungkook, Jin, and RM. It’s another upbeat song with what sounds like EDR influences. Jungkook spoke about this song at the BE global press conference and said that this song is about how even though we’re all far a part now, we still always stay together and if that ain’t the truth, I don’t know what is. It’s another fun song that lifts spirits and keeps us all together through the power of music. I’m all about it.
The last song on the album is a song that everyone in the world is familiar with. It’s the first song that BTS has ever released that is ALL IN ENGLISH. It got nominated for a Grammy and though the boys didn’t win, they still lit up the Grammy’s like dynamite (and so did Army, haha). Dynamite was the first song that released while I was already a BTS fan so I love it. Jimin said that this song is a song that he thought would lift Army’s spirit and give them something to be happy about and he’s right. I didn’t know that I needed 30 versions of this song but I’ll take them all.
Overall, this was the album we all needed in this crazy, wacked out time that we’re living in. BTS made this for Army to help us through the pandemic and we are so damn fortunate to have a group that loves us enough to do something like this. This album is too short but I don’t even care because it’s still packed with goodness that is still making me super happy, four months later. The physical album is a thing of beauty and I’m so glad that I got it. Photocards, postcards, great music, and posters of our favorite 7? Yes, please!! So good!
Favorite Performance
This is the performance I needed during this damn pandemic. I needed this whole album, to be honest, and I’m grateful that BTS gave us something to get us through. This song, in particular, is one of my absolute favorite songs on the album and I was so damn happy when the song started up on their MTV Unplugged show. This performance showcases a lot of what I love about watching these guys perform. You can see how much they love to perform for us. They’re so happy and it shows! I just love this performance to pieces.
