SEVENTEEN, commonly abbreviated as SVT, is a 3rd generation K-Pop staple for K-Pop stans new and old. With an impressive discography and an equally impressive number of members, getting into the “Theater Kids of K-Pop” can be an intimidating task without a helping hand. We can take the “Fear” out of learning in POP TOKKI 101: A Guide to Seventeen!
Background
SEVENTEEN is a boy group under Pledis Entertainment consisting of 13 members. Pledis originally planned to debut a group of 17, as the group name suggests but would lose 4 trainees during pre-debut. Despite dropping four trainees, they kept the name to represent the phrase “13 members + 3 teams + 1 group”. SEVENTEEN debuted on May 26, 2015, with the title track “ADORE YOU” from their EP ’17 Carat’. SEVENTEEN considers themselves “self-produced” with all members taking the primary role or playing a significant role in choreography, songwriting, and production.
Members
SEVENTEEN performs as a group of 13 and also in 3 official subunits created during debut. Additional subunits came along later in their careers, but have no relation to the phrase “13 members + 3 teams + 1 group”. To make it clear, we have assigned “Main” and “Lead” to the rappers in the Hip Hop Team, but SEVENTEEN’s Hip Hop unit has expressed that they do not designate anyone in the unit as Main or Lead and prefer to be referred to as rappers.
S.COUPS
- Position(s): Leader, Hip-Hop Unit Leader, Rapper, Sub-Vocalist
- Unit(s): Hip Hop, Leaders
- Birthday: August 8, 1995
- Zodiac: Leo
- Fun Facts:
- S.COUPS was originally set to debut in TEMPEST, a PLEDIS boy group that disbanded pre-debut, with WOOZI.
- He’s an INFP, per his personality test results in 2019, but his group mates perceive him as an ISTP (2022).
- His representative emoji is cherries because he likes cherries.
- He has a dog named Goguma, Kkuma for short.
Jeonghan
- Position(s): Lead Vocalist, Visual
- Unit(s): Vocal
- Birthday: October 4, 1995
- Zodiac: Libra
- Fun Facts:
- Jeonghan can play bass guitar.
- Jeonghan is friends with Minhyuk from Monsta X.
- Jeonghan’s personality type when he took the test in 2019 was ISFJ. His group mates perceive him as an ISFJ (2022).
- Jeonghan has a pet rock named Doljjong.
Joshua
- Position(s): Lead Vocalist, Visual
- Unit(s): Vocal
- Birthday: December 30, 1995
- Zodiac: Capricorn
- Fun Facts:
- Joshua can play the guitar.
- His representative emoji is a deer because people often say that he looks like a deer.
- Joshua’s personality type when he took the test in 2019 was ENFJ. His group mates perceive him as an ESTJ (2022).
- Joshua was born and raised in Los Angeles, California.
Jun
- Position(s): Lead Dancer, Sub-Vocalist
- Unit(s): Performance
- Birthday: June 10, 1996
- Zodiac: Gemini
- Fun Facts:
- Jun can play piano.
- Jun is the main lead in Exclusive Fairytale, a C-Drama.
- Jun speaks Mandarin, Cantonese, and Korean.
- Jun is the only member to have updated his personality type 3 times. When he took the test in 2018, he was an INFP. His group mates perceive him as an INTP (2022). In 2023, Jun stated that his personality type is ESFP.
Hoshi
- Position(s): Performance Team Leader, Main Dancer, Lead Vocalist, Sub-Rapper
- Unit(s): Performance Team, SVT Leaders, BSS
- Birthday: June 15, 1996
- Zodiac: Gemini
- Fun Facts:
- Hoshi’s signature catchphrase is “Horanghae”, which loosely translates to “I tiger you”.
- He choreographs most of SEVENTEEN’s routines.
- His representative emoji is a Tiger because it’s his favorite animal.
- In 2019, his personality results were INFP. His members perceive him as an INTJ (2022).
Wonwoo
- Position(s): Rapper, Sub-Vocalist
- Unit(s): Hip-Hop
- Birthday: July 17th, 1996
- Zodiac: Cancer
- Fun Facts:
- Wonwoo wears prescription glasses and contact lenses because of his poor eyesight.
- Wonwoo has both a domestic and international driver’s license.
- Wonwoo started as a singer but chose to rap because of his low voice.
- In 2019, Wonwoo’s personality test results were INFJ. His group mates perceive him as an INFP (2022).
WOOZI
- Position(s): Vocal Team Leader, Lead Vocalist, Producer
- Unit(s): Vocal Team, SVT Leaders
- Birthday: November 22, 1996
- Zodiac: Scorpio/Sagittarius Cusp
- Fun Facts:
- WOOZI was supposed to debut in TEMPEST alongside S.COUPS, but the group disbanded pre-debut.
- WOOZI produces nearly all of SEVENTEEN’s music and is the primary producer of every album.
- WOOZI’s representative emoji is a bowl of rice.
- In 2019, his personality results were INFJ. His group mates perceive him as an INTJ (2022).
DK
- Position(s): Main Vocalist
- Unit(s):Vocal Team, BSS
- Birthday: February 18, 1997
- Zodiac: Aquarius
- Fun Facts:
- DK starred in a Korean musical called “Xcaliber.”
- He shares a birthday with Vernon.
- DK made it to the 3rd round of “King of Masked Singer” as Baby Demon.
- In 2019, DK’s personality test results were INFP. His group mates perceive him as an INFP (2022).
Mingyu
- Position(s): Rapper, Sub-Vocalist, Visual
- Unit(s): Hip Hop
- Birthday: April 6th, 1997
- Zodiac: Aries
- Fun Facts:
- Mingyu is the tallest in the group at 186 cm (6’1).
- Mingyu is left-handed.
- Mingyu’s first director’s credit is for SEVENTEEN’s “Snap Shoot” Music Video in 2019.
- In 2019, Mingyu’s personality test results were ENFJ. His members perceive him as an ENTJ (2022).
The 8
- Position(s): Lead Dancer, Sub Vocalist, Sub Rapper
- Unit(s): Performance
- Birthday: November 7, 1997
- Zodiac: Scorpio
- Fun Facts:
- His stage name comes from the number 8 being considered lucky in China and the fact that, when laid down, 8 becomes the infinity symbol.
- The8 is the only other member from SEVENTEEN that is Chinese.
- He appeared on a variety show called “The Collaboration” with Jun.
- In 2019, The 8’s personality test came back as INFJ. His group mates perceive him as an INTJ (2022).
Seungkwan
- Position(s): Main Vocalist
- Unit(s): Vocal Team, BSS
- Birthday: January 16, 1998
- Zodiac: Capricorn
- Fun Facts:
- Seungkwan was a fixed cast member on the variety show “Prison Life of Fools” in 2019.
- Seungkwan received an offer from JYP that he rejected.
- Seungkwan’s work on variety shows earned him the Rookie Entertainer Award in 2018.
- In 2019, Seungkwan’s personality test results were ENFP. His group mates perceive him as an ENTP (2022).
Vernon
- Position(s): Rapper, Sub-Vocalist, Visual
- Unit(s): Hip-Hop
- Birthday: February 18, 1998
- Zodiac: Aquarius
- Fun Facts
- Vernon shares a birthday with DK.
- Vernon was born in New York but moved to Korea at 5 years old.
- He has a pet cat named Dodam.
- In 2019, Vernon’s personality test results were ENFP. His group mates perceive him as ENTP (2022).
Dino
- Position(s): Main Dancer, Sub-Vocalist, Sub-Rapper, Maknae
- Unit(s): Performance,
- Birthday: February 11, 1998
- Zodiac: Aquarius
- Fun Facts:
- Both of his parents are dancers.
- Dino choreographed for “Flower.”
- Dino was not the maknae in the original lineup of 17 members.
- In 2019, Dino’s personality results were ENFJ. His group mates perceive him as an ENFJ.
Music Recommendations
Aju Nice
Considered a must-know for every Carat, “Aju Nice” has been a staple at every SEVENTEEN concert as the ‘Never Ending Encore’ song since its release. As a high-energy dance song reminiscent of “Uptown Funk”, it’s a perfect Segway to understand the core of being a Carat. Full of energy and one particularly high note, many a fan has lost their voice attempting to hit, “Aju Nice” is a perfect cross between fun and technical vocal skill. SEVENTEEN released “Aju Nice” as a title track on April 26, 2016, on their ‘Love & Letter’ repackage album.
Pretty U
“Pretty U” holds a sentimental place in the hearts of many Carats since it is the song that brought SEVENTEEN their first weekly show win. “Pretty U” became the title track of SEVENTEEN’s original version of ‘Love & Letter’ and earned a nomination for song of the year in 2016. This is not to be confused with the aforementioned repackaged version of ‘Love & Letter’, which featured “Aju Nice” as its title track. As a pop-dance ballad, it’s just the right amount of bright and uplifting to make anyone feel just as beautiful as its title implies.
Change Up
“Change Up” is the first official release of the SVT Leaders unit. Released in 2017 on their second studio album ‘Teen,Age’, “Change Up” appeals to those who prefer hip-hop to pop in their music libraries. Despite only featuring 3 members out of the entire 13-member ensemble, the song is still distinctly SEVENTEEN and easily fits into their vast discography. It’s a lesser-known B-side, and out of the 2 Leader unit songs, it remains a hidden gem‚—perfectly encapsulating SEVENTEEN’s musical versatility.
Spell
“Spell” is the latest performance unit song released. Released this year on SEVENTEEN’s ’17 Is Right Here’ album, the song taps into the rich culture of ampiano music. As the title implies, the song is akin to a siren call – beckoning listeners to fall into a trance, especially curated by the soothing vocals overlaid atop a sultry, enticing beat. The music video pulls from tarot card imagery, with each member of the performance team representing a different tarot card and, thus, a different layer to the spell mentioned in the song. This is both a must-listen and a must-watch for those who like a side of lore with their music!
Don’t Wanna Cry
By 2017, SEVENTEEN had a solid brand. They were known for energetic title tracks and perfect pop dance songs meant for parties and mood-lifting. However, on “Al1′, assumptions were turned on their heads with the release of “Don’t Wanna Cry” – a melancholic breakup title song. To date, “Don’t Wanna Cry” is still in the Top 3 of SEVENTEEN’s Spotify streams and still their most streamed group music video.
Shows
Seventeen TV
If you’re a K-pop fan in general, you’ve likely seen at least one clip from SEVENTEEN TV, often abbreviated as 17TV, in a completely out-of-context meme. Turns out, these infamous green walls and often low-quality blurry faces are the pre-debut beginnings of SEVENTEEN. Fans commonly nickname the infamous room ‘the green room’, and it is the only setting where pre-debut SEVENTEEN appears throughout the series. It is also the only time anyone will ever see the group with more than 13 members. There are 3 seasons under the name 17TV, with seasons 4 and 5 rebranded to ‘Like Seventeen.’
Going Seventeen
Like most idol groups, SEVENTEEN has their own variety show that airs consistently to give lighthearted, personal content to their fans. Titled Going Seventeen, its current variety show format is relatively new in comparison to its age. Despite being started in 2017, earlier seasons and episodes function more as behind-the-scenes clips of different things like music videos, trips to different locations for either leisure or work, or simple vlog check-ins. The formatting now, as a full-fledged variety television show offered for free didn’t start until 2019.
Fun Facts
- The fandom’s name is ‘Carat’, just like a diamond.
- There are three versions of the Seventeen official lightstick, or the CARATBONG, with the latest version released for purchase on March 3rd, 2023.
- The official fan colors are Rose Quartz and Serenity.
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Featured Image Credit: Courtesy of Pledis Entertainment
