[FEATURE] 8 B-side (Non Title Track) Performances Worth Checking Out – SEVENTEEN

Although there isn’t really an optimal number of members that make up a perfect band, power rookie-dols SEVENTEEN (S.Coups, Jeonghan, Joshua, Jun, Hoshi, Wonwoo, Woozi, DK, Mingyu, The8, Seungkwan, Vernon and Dino) prove that in their case, the more, the merrier and the bigger, the better! Despite having been around for just over a year, the 13-member boy group has quickly gained prominence for having a large number of members and more importantly, the fact that almost all their tracks thus far have been self-composed and produced.

Instead of blindly experimenting with contrasting concepts, the group has managed to keep up with a consistently bright and bubbly concept that has captured the hearts of many fans. While going through SEVENTEEN’s limited but impressive discography, we unearthed several other tracks that caught our attention. In conjunction with SEVENTEEN’s upcoming ‘SHINING DIAMONDS’ 1^st Asia Pacific Tour, we take a look at 8 of SEVENTEEN’s B-side tracks that we feel are worth more than just a listen:

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Shining Diamond

‘Shining Diamond’ is a track close to the hearts of CARATs that have been supporting the boys since their pre-debut days. This song feels like a rollercoaster ride – the melody momentarily slows down at various points in time and proceeds to speed up almost immediately after that. With the members constantly prompting us, it’s difficult to resist ‘slipping into the diamond life’! This song is reminiscent of the boys’ days as trainees and its significance is shown in the fact that the band has named their upcoming first ever Asia Pacific Tour after this indelible number.

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20

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NucftfGkgE

The group is divided into three main units: Vocal, Hip-hop, and Performance. ’20’ is a lovely, light-hearted serenade by the Vocal Unit (members Woozi, Seungkwan, DK, Jeonghan, and Joshua) from their debut album ‘17 Carat’. This dreamy love song is the perfect track for the quintet to showcase their singing skills. We were especially captivated by member DK’s high note at 2:59 and the members’ well-placed adlibs throughout the video.

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OMG

This upbeat, performance-oriented track is – no prizes for guessing – courtesy of SEVENTEEN’s Performance Unit (Hoshi, Jun, The8, Dino)!  As expected from the members responsible for the group dance moves in the band, the skillful unit experiments with a mind-blowing blend of different styles and formations in ‘OMG’ to provide a visual feast for the fans. We love the catchy chorus line ‘yeah, oh my god, yeah, oh my god’ as well as Hoshi’s whispery rap – both were total earworms and stuck with us long after the song ended.

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Fronting (표정관리)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Imfa4arqUmA

Performed by the designated Hip-hop Unit (S.Coups, Vernon, Mingyu and Wonwoo) in collaboration with vocal unit member Woozi and Performance unit member Hoshi, ‘Fronting’ is a lively and funky track sure to get heads bobbing and feet tapping. Rapping in a cypher, each unit member performs their self-written parts one after another. Kicking off proceedings with Vernon and ending with Wonwoo, we can clearly see the contrasting lyrical styles and preferred rhythm of each boy. The cherries on top of the cake are the members’ gestures overflowing with charm and charisma accompanied by Hoshi and Woozi’s vocal contributions.

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ROCK

‘ROCK’ is a b-side track promoted briefly alongside their second comeback song ‘Mansae’. It is a ‘3-in-1’ track, where smooth choreography is showcased at its best, high notes mark the climax, and rap is inserted between the verses to inject pace and mesh the different parts together. The boys start off in a creative ‘X’ formation at the beginning and tease the fans with body waves during the chorus. Although we were pretty disappointed that the track was only promoted just once or twice, Hip-Hop unit member Mingyu’s gaze into the camera at 1:25 compensates for just that 😛

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Chuck (엄지척)

Although ‘Chuck’ has been performed a few times as part of promotions for ‘Pretty U’, merely listening to the track itself without watching the live stage certainly does not do it justice. The boys appeal to fans and viewers alike to show them the ‘thumbs up’, and we definitely give the interesting choreography a huge stamp of approval! A fine example is at 2:23 in the video, where the members execute intricate moves on the ground while vocal Seungkwan gets the spotlight to showcase his vocal skills. The chorus is also worthy of note as the members eschew traditional singing in favour of an intense cheer that is sure to have you singing ‘Chuck chuck brr chuck!’ all day long!

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Love Letter (사랑쪽지)

A sweet confession to the fans, ‘Love Letter’ is a breezy tune that makes it a relaxing listen. For this track, there is no choreography and the boys get to show off some impressive singing skills. The chorus is easy for fans to sing-along to and there is a twist at 2:16 during the bridge where Hip-hop unit member Wonwoo receives a solo line! It is one of SEVENTEEN’s newer tracks and the members prove that alongside the ability to pull off a complex performance on stage, they do know how to tone it down a notch and establish a connection with their fans as well.

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No F.U.N

No F.U.N is a track that dates back to SEVENTEEN’S trainee days, first revealed during their pre-debut reality show ‘SEVENTEEN PROJECT’. The boys have finally released the studio version in their latest ‘Love&Letter Repackaged‘ album! Not only has it garnered great responses from fans, it also marks a significant milestone in SEVENTEEN’s progress as a group. Dressed in pristine white suits, showcasing their solid vocals and innovative choreography with a hint of sexiness, the members have definitely shown us a preview of what we can look forward to this time during their upcoming fan meetings!

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For more information, check out our pre-event article here: https://theseoulstory.com/upcoming-event-seventeen-1st-asia-tour-shining-diamonds-in-2016/. Tickets are selling out fast, so make sure you secure your ticket to see the boys live and get ready for an awesome show 🙂

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