Seventeen (South Korean band)
Seventeen (Korean: 세븐틴; stylized in all caps or as SVT) is a South Korean boy band formed by Pledis Entertainment. The group consists of thirteen members: S.Coups, Jeonghan, Joshua, Jun, Hoshi, Wonwoo, Woozi, DK, Mingyu, The8, Seungkwan, Vernon, and Dino. Seventeen has conquered a large audience since its debut and has grown into an internationally recognized K-Pop group with signature music and performances.
The group debuted on May 26, 2015, with the extended play (EP) 17 Carat,[2] which became the longest-charting K-pop album of the year in the US[3] and the only rookie album to appear on Billboard's "10 Best K-Pop Albums of 2015" list.[4][5] Seventeen has released four studio albums, twelve EPs and three reissues.
Seventeen is considered a "self-producing" idol group, with the members involved in songwriting, music production, and choreographing, among other aspects of their music and performances.[6][7] They perform as one group and are divided into three units—hip-hop, vocal, and performance—each with a different area of specialization. They have been labeled "Performance Kings", "Theater Kids of K-Pop", and "K-Pop Performance Powerhouse'" by various domestic and international media outlets.[8][9][10][11]
Name[edit]
The name Seventeen is derived from the expression "13 members + 3 units + 1 group", representing how the 13 members are divided into three different units and come together to form one cohesive group.[12][13] The name originally referred to how 17 members (with the other 4 former pre-debut trainees — Jang Do-yoon, Samuel Kim, Shin Dong-jin, and Yao Mingming) —planned to debut.[14]
Artistry[edit]
Musical style[edit]
Since their debut, Seventeen have been heavily involved in their creative process and having a tight control over their music production. Woozi has written and produced each of their tracks, with contribution from other members, and their choreography has largely been created by performance team leader Hoshi. This has contributed to the group's distinctive musical style, with each comeback characterized by a new sound.[153] Woozi explained in an interview with The Korean Herald , "Our participation ... went much further than just contributing our opinions. The leaders of the three unit groups went to every album production meeting to make sure that we could tell our own story."[154]
Other ventures[edit]
Endorsements[edit]
On October 13, 2016, Seventeen were appointed models for the American perfume brand Clean.[155]
On January 9, 2017, DD Chicken announced that they selected Seventeen as their new models for the year.[156]
In April 2017, Seventeen were chosen as new advertisement and marketing models for the uniform brand Elite, which announced that the group will start advertising and marketing activities as Elite models from the second half of the year.[157] On September 29, sports brand Dynafit announced that it selected Seventeen as models to introduce products such as training and daily wear for before and after exercise.[158] On December 1, Global Eco cosmetic brand the SAEM announced that Seventeen as its new advertising models to promote products such as the Urban Eco skincare series.[159]
On August 31, 2018, Seventeen were selected as new advertising models for the outdoor lifestyle brand Lafuma.[160] On November 1, Seventeen were selected as advertising models for the chicken franchise Nene Chicken alongside labelmates NU'EST W.[161]
On February 7, 2019, Seventeen were selected as advertising models for AO+ colored lenses, introducing special color lenses for each member.[162] On September 23, Seventeen were chosen as Honorary Ambassadors for the Korea Brand & Content Expo 2019 in Dubai.[163] On December 5, the group were appointed ambassadors for the COEX Winter Festival.[164]
In 2020, Seventeen became the first Korean artists to work with designer Francesca Amfitheatrof. She launched her own brand, Thief and Heist, and chose Seventeen as her next partners.[165]
On September 6, 2021, it was announced that Seventeen would be partnering with Cigna to help individuals accomplish their goals via the personal wellness coach TUNE H platform that provides exercise, nutrition, sleep, and mental care management to the younger generation.[166] On October 19, Lazada named Seventeen as their first regional Happiness Ambassadors, ahead of its annual flagship 11.11 shopping festival. The group starred in Lazada's 11.11 film and performed at its virtual concert on November 10.[167]
In April 2022, Seventeen collaborated with Apple to help global fans experience their music in more creative ways. The group kicked off the tech company's Today At Apple sessions and become the first K-pop artist to participate in the remix session program to commemorate the opening of a new Apple store in Myeong-dong, South Korea and the release of Seventeen's digital single "Darl+ing" on April 15.[168][169]
Philanthropy[edit]
Since their debut in 2015, Seventeen celebrates their anniversary by donating to charitable causes. In 2017, Seventeen participated in "Letters from Angels" as part of its 15th anniversary; the adoption campaign, run by Korea's Social Welfare Society and photographer Seihon Cho, raises awareness for orphans and single mothers by displaying photos with celebrities to promote adoption.[170]
On their third anniversary, Seventeen worked with 1st Look magazine to design and sell personalized T-shirts made by the members, donating proceeds to those in need.[171][172]
Ahead of their fourth anniversary, Seventeen donated to a campaign by ChildFund Korea that provides housing support to children in need under the name of their fan club, Carat. Members Mingyu and Seungkwan personally designed the signboard that they also gave.[173]
On their fifth anniversary, Seventeen donated to children and adolescents in need, specifically supporting education for the youth, including educational mentoring for children of multicultural families, scholarships, and cultural and arts education.[174]
In 2020, Seventeen collaborated with jewelry designer Francesca Amfitheatrof and her brand Thief and Heist on a limited-edition eco-friendly bracelet called "The Tag". The bracelets were made of recycled plastic, and a portion of the proceeds was donated to the Plastic Bank organization to help preserve the environment.[175]
On May 26, 2021, Pledis Entertainment revealed that the group made a donation to the international humanitarian non-governmental organization Good Neighbors in order to assist children who have been victims of abuse. Their donation helped fund the victims' recovery and psychological treatment, in addition to supporting the improvement of their emotional stability and the restoration of their daily lives at home.[176]
On May 26, 2022, Seventeen made donations to the underprivileged around the world to commemorate the seventh anniversary of their debut. The group's donation went to the UNESCO Korean National Commission's Global Education Sharing Project to help those such as children and teenagers in Africa and Asia receive an education.[177]