Seventeen might be one of the most iconic (and unique) K-pop boy groups, possibly ever. Since their debut in May 2015, the band has created one of the biggest K-pop fandoms (known as Carats) in the music industry. Keep reading to meet the 13-member (yes, 13) group.
The group debuted on May 26, 2015, with the EP 17 Carat, which became the longest-charting K-pop album of the year in the United States, and the only rookie album to appear on Billboard‘s “10 Best K-Pop Albums of 2015” list. They were originally formed by Pledis Entertainment, however, HYBE Labels (BTS’ music label) became Pledis’ major shareholder in 2020 (Pledis still acts as an independent label for Seventeen).
The group consists of S.coups, Wonwoo, Mingyu, Vernon (the hip-hop unit); Woozi, Jeonghan, Joshua, DK, Seungkwan (the vocal unit); Hoshi, Jun, The8, Dino (the performance unit). The reason behind their name is that they are 13 members, plus 3 units, plus one team: Seventeen!
The K-pop band is one of few “self-producing” idol groups, as they are actively involved in songwriting, choreographing, among other aspects of their music and performances. On top of that, Seventeen has been coined “Performance Kings,” “Theater Kids of K-Pop” and “K-Pop Performance Powerhouse'” by various media outlets.
“Well, what everyone has in common is our interest in the whole process,” vocalist Vernon told Teen Vogue in August 2022. “Even if we’re not directly participating, we’re always curious about what the output is like with Bumzu [long-time collaborator] and Woozi [the group’s major producer] and their work, and what they’re producing. Especially, Seungkwan, he’s really into [it]. He just always texts or calls Woozi and asks if there are any updates for the new song. In that way, every single one doesn’t miss out on participating.”
To summarize what is so unique about Seventeen: its their musical involvement, perfectly synched choreography (no easy feat for a band of 13 members) and familial bond between bandmates which might be the rarest quality in a K-pop group.
As the years go on following a K-pop group’s debut (especially after year seven), most disband, or at least lose a member or two. With 13 members in Seventeen, most assumed that at least one bandmate would go their separate ways — which is why it’s such a shock, that not only is that not the case, but the members unanimously renewed their contracts with Pledis Entertainment a year early for at least another five years in 2021.
Scroll through the gallery below for everything we know about Seventeen, including debut details, members guide and more.
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