It’s another edition of Fan Chant, our weekly column for K-pop fans, stans, and newbies alike. This week is all about spending some time with SEVENTEEN. If you haven’t already, don’t forget to subscribe to my companion newsletter!
For those who listen to K-pop, it’s common to peg becoming a fan to a certain era or event: awards show performances, online content, singles, and album releases are all fair game. With that being said, I do think I took a slightly circuitous route to becoming a SEVENTEEN fan (or slipping into the diamond life, so to speak).
As I wrote last year, after having the 13-piece act on my radar for years, it was a video of them eating seafood while in America that really inspired me to get my act together and learn about SEVENTEEN. I’m haunted by the knowledge that I might be the only “wooden hammer video era” CARAT out there. Ridiculous!
Regardless, I’m just happy to be here, because SEVENTEEN have absolutely crushed it with their 2023 releases — the BSS comeback was a joy to behold, FML broke records, and, now, the ultra-joyful SEVENTEENTH HEAVEN is here. The festival concept suits these guys so well, and their 11th (!!) mini-album also set a record as the most pre-ordered album in K-pop history.
To celebrate, I’m digging into SEVENTEENTH HEAVEN and narrowing it down to just five of my many favorite parts of this bright, refreshing record. If you haven’t already, take this as a sign to slip into the diamond life, too — you can be a Fan Chant CARAT!
