On October 23rd, k-pop group SEVENTEEN released the mini-album “SEVENTEENTH HEAVEN” and, even before its release, it was already making history.
The agency PLEDIS Entertainment, which manages the artists, announced that the album accumulated a total of more than 5.2 million pre-sales, marking a record in the history of K-pop – which until then was held by the group itself.
“FML”, launched in April this year, had already accumulated 4.6 million pre-sales. It later became the best-selling K-pop album of all time, surpassing 6.2 million copies sold in about two months.
“SEVENTEENTH HEAVEN” seems to be heading in the same direction. In just four days after release, it reached 4.62 million copies sold, setting a new record as the highest number of sales in the first week of release in the history of K-pop.
SEVENTEEN has been gaining more and more fans around the world, including Brazil. Find out more about the group in this guide:
SAY THE NAME! SEVENTEEN
In May 2015, SEVENTEEN debuted as a group with the single “Adore U” from the mini-album “17 Carat”.
When you have a group whose name means “seventeen”, you can imagine that this is the number of members, right? It was the initial idea, but in the end, thirteen artists were selected to debut.
Currently, they explain that the account is that they are 13 members + 3 units + 1 group = 17 . Units are smaller formations within the same group and, in the case of SEVENTEEN, they are divided into Vocal, Performance and Hip Hop teams, led respectively by members WOOZI, HOSHI and S.COUPS.
In the discography and shows, there are songs that focus on each of these teams, but most of the time it’s the thirteen together.
Self-producing artists
SEVENTEEN is a group whose members themselves compose, produce and choreograph their music. WOOZI has the most song credits, having his name registered on almost 200 songs with the Korean Music Copyright Association (KOMCA).
Meet the members for each unit:
HIP HOP TEAM
S.COUPS
Name: Choi Seung Cheol
Where is from: South Korea
Date of birth: August 8, 1995
If you call Choi Seung Cheol like that, by his birth name and surname, he will get upset. He thinks it’s a cold way to call him, like when parents scold their children, you know?
Speaking of children, he is the leader of both the Hip Hop team and the entire group, so he is like the big daddy of the guys. S.COUPS is the type that is always paying attention to see if all the members are getting a chance to speak in interviews and variety shows. He is very competitive in games and, according to members, he gets stressed easily – but he is also very sweet!
WONWOO
Name: Jeon Wonwoo
Where is from: South Korea
Date of birth: July 17, 1996
“Who is that with the glasses?” The answer is WONWOO, who doesn’t just use them to complete his look, he actually needs prescription glasses. The rapper is the biggest gamer in the group (if you play against him, you’ll probably lose!) and he also has a talent for filming and editing videos.
WONWOO doesn’t talk much and tends to be more introverted. In the documentary “SEVENTEEN: Hit The Road”, he says that for this reason he always felt difficult to fit in, but that he doesn’t feel that way in SEVENTEEN. The artist said that the members always looked out for him and made him stand out in some way.
MINGYU
Name: Kim Mingyu
Where is from: South Korea
Date of birth: April 6, 1997
Because MINGYU is patient and knows how to react well to jokes, the members end up making him the main target for pranks. One time, in the middle of a rehearsal, while in the bathroom, the choreographer and members came up with a different ending to the “Left and Right” choreography and then taught it to the rapper. But when it came to dancing, they did it differently. While everyone just claps, MINGYU jumps super high by himself. See from minute 0:38 onwards:
The artist has several talents. He cooks well, he loves taking photos and has already produced one of SEVENTEEN’s music videos, “Snapshoot”. In the video’s credits, he appears as director, producer, director of photography, editor, art director and stylist.
VERNON
Name: Hansol Vernon Chwe
Where is from: U.S
Date of birth: February 18, 1998
VERNON was born in New York, but moved to South Korea when he was five, so culturally he feels more South Korean than American. He is a bit introverted, and sometimes gets immersed in his own world listening to music on headphones.
The artist also loves cinema. In an interview with Mindset, he said that another career option would have been to be a translator so he could watch films before their release. Among his favorites are “The Matrix”, “Billy Elliot” and “Everything in Everywhere at the Same Time”, according to a list he made to Weverse Magazine.
VOCAL TEAM
WOOZI
Name: Lee Jihoon
Where is from: South Korea
Date of birth: November 22, 1996
WOOZI is the one who leads SEVENTEEN’s vocal team. He is the group’s biggest producer and composer. In 2020, he was the youngest celebrity – aged 25 – to have more than 100 songs registered in his name with the Korean Music Copyright Association (KOMCA).
He’s also super homely. Do you want to ask him out? He prefers to stay at home. There’s no point in asking for a beer either, since he doesn’t feel good drinking. But there is one thing you can count on from WOOZI: he will always laugh at the members’ jokes. Both the funny and the unfunny.
JEONGHAN
Name: Yoon Jeonghan
Where is from: South Korea
Date of birth: October 4, 1995
He is known for being the “Loki” of the group. Do you know the god of trickery from Norse mythology who is played by Tom Hiddleston in the Marvel films? That’s right. This is because JEONGHAN knows how to cheat very well in games (no one even notices!), in addition to being great at playing pranks on members (MINGYU knows well…).
At the same time, the artist is known for being the person the members most often vent to because he is a good listener. He also has a pet, the Doljjong stone. Yes, it’s a pet rock.
JOSHUA
Name: Joshua Hong
Where is from: U.S
Date of birth: December 30, 1995
JOSHUA didn’t think about becoming an artist until he was discovered in Los Angeles singing at a Korean fair by an agency recruiter. In the “Summer Vacation” podcast, he admits that he decided to become a K-pop trainee thinking about the free flight and stay in South Korea, where he had never been, but ended up being inspired by the other members to follow this path. Was it destiny?
Known for being a gentleman with his gentle manners, Shua also enjoys making pottery and beaded bracelets in his free time. And, when you least expect it, he’s singing “Sunday Morning” by Maroon 5, one of his favorite songs.
D.K.
Name: Lee Seokmin
Where is from: South Korea
Date of birth: February 18, 1997
Yes, there are introverted and chaotic people at the same time, and DK is proof of that. When he is among people he is comfortable with, he is energetic and loud. There is a good chance that, out of nowhere, he will start singing a song with his enormous vocal range or express his love for pizza with great passion.
DK is very sensitive, affectionate and scares very easily. He is also the leader of BooSeokSoon (BSS), a unit that unites the most chaotic and fun members of SEVENTEEN: DK, HOSHI and SEUNGKWAN.
SEUNGKWAN
Name: Boo Seungkwan
Where is from : South Korea
Date of birth: January 16, 1998
The king of variety shows! When SEVENTEEN wasn’t so popular, Seungkwan promoted the group by going on several different shows alone and winning people over with his funny personality. He is considered the biggest “mood maker” among the members.
And do you want a K-pop class? Professor Boo Seungkwan can help you. He knows so much about the subject that he used to do a live series called “We Remember K-pop” talking about previous generations of artists. He also knows several choreographies, especially for female groups.
PERFORMANCE TEAM
HOSHI
Name: Kwon Soonyoung
Where is from: South Korea
Date of birth: June 15, 1996
It’s hard to believe that HOSHI is an introvert. Especially because when he is with the members he tends to be very chaotic. In the documentary “SEVENTEEN: Hit The Road”, the singer explains that he only gets shy when he’s with people he doesn’t know.
HOSHI also has a huge love for tigers, to the point of buying clothes with their prints, having stuffed animals of the animal, and always saying that he is one. Would you enjoy Bonde do Tigrão? The artist is also one of those responsible for the group’s choreography – and just imagine the work of thinking about performances with thirteen dancers!
JUN
Name: Wen Junhui
Where is from: China
Date of birth: June 10, 1996
JUN is introverted and shy, which doesn’t stop him from being a great vocalist and dancer. When he is silent on a live or other recording, the members usually support him to talk more. When it comes to food, he has a penchant for spicy flavors (WONWOO is his companion in this) and, at the same time, he is not bothered by sour notes. He can even eat lemon without making a face.
The artist was also a child actor in China and, this year, returned to the screen in the Chinese drama “Exclusive Fairytale”, which features a romance between childhood friends who end up falling in love. Did the kissing scenes make fans jealous? Yes, but at the same time proud of his project.
THE8
Name: Xu Minghao
Where is from: China
Date of birth: November 7, 1997
Fashion icon! You can always trust THE8 to deliver an elaborate look, including painted nails. He also ventures into choreography, as in the case of his solo song “Falling Down”. Also watch out for his break dance, which always impresses his fans. He even has a series of dance videos called “Contemporary ART” available on YouTube.
THE8 also loves meditating. On the program “Knowing Bros”, he said that he was going through a difficult time and meditation changed his life. Another hobby of his is painting. In fact, in October this year his works were exhibited at the StART Art Fair, at the Saatchi Gallery, in London, England.
DINO
Name: Lee Chan
Where is from: South Korea
Date of birth: February 11, 1999
DINO is a dance prodigy who is very detailed and full of energy in his performances. His passion for the craft is also seen in the video series “Dino’s Danceology”, available on YouTube, in which he covers several choreographies. One of his idols is Michael Jackson.
He is also the maknae (youngest) of the group. In South Korea, it is common for maknaes to be treated in a special way, such as letting them win in games, or being treated like “a baby”. In the case of SEVENTEEN, they love DINO with all their hearts, and the way to show it is by constantly making fun of him. Different love languages, right? It even has the hashtag #SaveDino!
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m Robert Neff, a professional writer and editor. I specialize in the entertainment section, providing up-to-date coverage on the latest developments in film, television and music. My work has been featured on World Stock Market and other prominent publications.
