Hours before SEVENTEEN dropped their new greatest hits album, 17 Is Right Here, on April 29, the K-pop sensations seized the moment by holding two electrifying concerts at the Seoul World Cup Stadium to preview the record and celebrate nearly a decade of hits together.
Against the backdrop of the stadium, SEVENTEEN leader S.Coups noted the sentimental moment, telling the crowd, “Standing here, I feel like I’ve been running towards this very moment up until now,” a testament to the journey they’ve undertaken alongside their devoted fanbase known as CARATs. Seungkwan added, “Our goal today is to present all CARATs here with the best day they ever had.”
With a five-piece live band noticeably elevating the SEVENTEEN musical experience to new heights from opening tracks “Super” and “Don Quixote,” the SVT crew delved into a slightly adjusted setlist for the closing shows of their ‘FOLLOW’ AGAIN tour that previously hit Osaka and Kanagawa in Japan, as well as Incheon, South Korea. Offering fans a glimpse into their upcoming album, the live premiere of four new songs — including their maximalstic, break-beat single “MAESTRO” — made the tour finale all the more montemous. Mingyu reflected that they “were both nervous and excited to showcase the first performance of ‘MAESTRO’ here,” with Hoshi noting, “We wanted to show our ‘best’ selves for the CARATs. We really put our best efforts into this performance.”
As the concert drew to a close and each of the 13 members shared parting words with the crowd, Woozi encapsulated a collective sentiment, saying: “The ‘Best [Of]’ album will be released the day after tomorrow. It’s an album dear to me, embodying SEVENTEEN’s beliefs. Today’s show was also like that in some sense. Performing today, I was strongly reminded of all the memories tied to each and every song. Today may have been an ordinary day for some, but for everyone here and us, it was a day of 10 years, making it so much more valuable. This moment is so special to us, so we always try to capture and remember everyone with our eyes as much as possible.”
Read on for more from SEVENTEEN’s Seoul shows, and see exclusive photos of S.Coups, Woozi, Hoshi, Seungkwan, Mingyu, Jeonghan, The8, Joshua, DK, Wonwoo, Jun, Vernon and Dino below:
SEVENTEEN’s latest single, “MAESTRO,” was revealed at the ‘FOLLOW’ AGAIN to Seoul concert, where thousands in attendance saw all aspects of its intense breakbeat production and orchestra-inspired performance.
The8 commented how the track “has one of the fastest beats-rhythms with a house dance break. I hope it feels fresh and new.”
Alongside the premiere of “MAESTRO,” each of SEVENTEEN’s three teams premiered the new tracks they recorded for 17 Is Right Here. The Vocal Unit (consisting of Woozi, Jeonghan, Joshua, DK and Seungkwan) shared their harmonious and euphoric vocals with “Cheers to Youth.”
“‘Cheers to youth’ is a song that I really like and we wanted to perform,” Woozi shared. “I pictured how the CARATs would react and it was exactly right.” Later in the concert, Hoshi explained the inspiration for the song.
“During the tour, I mistakenly said something and it was brought up when we all got together to talk afterward,” the leader of the Dance Unit shared. “[The members said] it was wrong to make such a comment, and I said, ‘Sorry, it’s my first time living today [this day.]’ Woozi heard this and took inspiration for this specific song.”
The Performance Unit of SEVENTEEN (Hoshi, Jun, The8 and Dino) shared their new Afrobeat-inspired song “Spell” alongside a slinky performance that allowed the foursome to showcase their incredible physicality.
“The time really flew today,” Dino later remarked. “I had so much fun — I feel that what’s really important during a concert is what sort of feelings and emotions we feel and share. Today was filled with joy and excitement, and it’s all thanks to you. We thank you sincerely.”
The final new song revealed at ‘FOLLOW’ AGAIN to Seoul was the Hip-Hop Unit’s “LALALI.” Decked out in Adidas gear, S.Coups, Wonwoo, Mingyu and Vernon shook Seoul World Cup Stadium with the bombastic rap track that’s quickly becoming a SEVENTEEN fan favorite with its anthemic shout-outs and cheeky lyrics.
“We began the show by promising you the best day, and I hope we kept that promise,” Seungkwan told the crowd at the closing of ‘FOLLOW’ AGAIN to Seoul.
“It’s still hard to believe that I’m standing here with this joyous view in front of me … I’m grateful to be part of this nine-year-old band with all the members. Another thing I wanted to mention was this: I believe it’s up to us SEVENTEEN as an artist to make it easier for supportive, caring fans to show their love and support for us without any discomfort or inconvenience. We’ll continue to do our best. Thank you and we love you so much.”