[ALBUM & MV REVIEW] Diving into SEVENTEEN's Latest Album 'Seventeenth Heaven' and the 'God of Music' MV

[This review reflects the opinions of the author and not necessarily those of allkpop.]

Track List:

SOS (Prod. Marshmello)
God of Music
Diamond Days
Back 2 Back
Monster
Yawn
Headliner
God of Music (Inst.)

Breaking yet another record, Seventeen, one of the kings of K-Pop, are back with their 11^th mini album, “Seventeenth Heaven.” This release consists of 8 distinct tracks in total, with one being an instrumental of the title track, “God of Music.” The songs are masterpieces by none other than Woozi himself, along with Bumzu, S.Coups, Mingyu, Wonwoo, Hoshi, and Vernon, who are familiar names in the songwriting credits since their debut.

With how diverse-sounding and incredibly addictive each track on this album is, their global influence and popularity are certainly warranted as they continue to prove that they are not limited to just one style of music. This 13-member group from Pledis Entertainment (HYBE Labels) shows no signs of slowing down as they keep progressing to become one of the best idol groups of their generation.

Although it’s already “Pumpkin Spiced Latte” and spooky season, Seventeen has decided to dress up as “Summer” this Halloween, and they’re already winning the best costume contest! Previously, with title tracks “F*ck My Life,” and “Super,” Seventeen showcased their strong charisma and powerful side. However, they switched gears with “God of Music,” and went back in time to their earlier sounds with a lively dance song. The big and bright energy this title track has certainly takes us back to their 2016 classic, “Very Nice,” a rhythm that makes it hard not to dance and jump along to.

One might argue that the title can be ambitious, but they served it right, as it was a lot of fun right off the bat! It’s a song filled with a big ball of rhythm and sunshine. It’ll cheer and warm you up in this gloomy and cold season, especially with the punchy and catchy “Kung chi pak chi kung kung chi pak chi yeah” line that will quickly become an earworm for many.

When the tracklist was released, fans were excited for “SOS (Prod. Marshmello)” because of the collaboration with Marshmello, an American DJ, and it was no surprise that the song lived up to expectations. Maybe because it was produced by Marshmello, but the song sounded the most mainstream Seventeen had ever done. At the same time, it still sounded very much Seventeen.

If you’ve been a fan of Seventeen since their earlier days, “Diamond Days” will certainly take you back to 2015, as they whisper, “Slip into the diamond life,” in the song, similar to in “Shining Diamond.” “Slip into the diamond life” has been the fandom’s phrase of saying that they have started stanning Seventeen, and the phrase being whispered again on this track shows that the group always remembers how they started.

“Back 2 Back” is a pop-dance track, brought to you by the performance unit. As always, these boys will never miss and know exactly what to deliver to have fans hooked and listen to the same song… back-to-back.

The Hip-Hop unit decided to throw their own Halloween party with “Monster,” a fun track that is perfect for the season and has that hint of chaos and goofy, both of which are Seventeen’s DNA. If you were to describe their variety show, “Going Seventeen,” with a song, then “Monster” would be the perfect representation.

In contrast to “Monster,” the next track on this album is on the softer and sweeter side of the vocal team. “Yawn” is a ballad track that fans believe, based on the lyrics, might be Woozi’s gift to member Seungkwan and his beloved best friend, Moonbin. It’s an absolutely beautiful song that would have you in tears.

Excluding the instrumental version of “God of Music,” “Headliner” is such a great way to end the album. The perfect balance of ballad and pop, along with the powerful and captivating vocals, just wraps all of the emotions that are being conveyed in this album so well. The chorus feels as if you’re watching the credit scene of an excellent movie with a victorious ending.

MV Review

The music video really matches up with the song and appropriately spreads the positive message in a fun and bright visual format. The lyrics sing about sending their appreciation to the “God of Music,” and essentially, an ode to music, a form of expression that can bring everyone in the world together. The music video begins by setting the scene in a world where music doesn’t exist or disappear. But of course, this world would have Seventeen to save the world and bring music into the world.

The music video is an art in itself, where they celebrate unity and diversity by showcasing that it doesn’t matter what your background is or where you’re from; music can bring people together. It was also a clever move to feature S.Coups being in the hospital as he is sitting out most of the promotions to recover from surgery.

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