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Posted by eric_r_wirsing Monday, May 16, 2016

[Album & MV Review] Seventeen - 'Love&Letter'

AKP STAFF
Seventeen



SEVENTEEN - LOVE&LETTER


Tracklist:

1. Thumbs Up
2. You're Pretty (title track)
3. This Popularity
4. Trendy Song
5. Say Yes
6. Swept Away
7. Adore U (vocal team version)
8. Mansae (hip hop team version)
9. Shining Diamond (performance team version)
10. Love Letter


Having made a splash with their debut, Seventeen has a message for you with their romantic spring album "Love & Letter."� For this comeback they portray teenage boys head over heels in love for the first time. This is their first full album.

This disk holds some gems for the Seventeen fan. There are unreleased songs previously heard only in concert, as well as reworked tracks "Mansae," "Adore U" and "Shining Diamond," all by different subunits.



The title track is "You're Pretty," a bright, energetic pop tune. The melody itself reminds me of� '80s throwback -- I can't put my finger on it, but it sounds very familiar to my ears. Regardless, it's a perfect spring tune. The LP encompasses various genres, from dance pop to syrupy ballads, and the boys even flirt with R&B on "This Popularity" and "Trendy Song." The first one is a slow burner, and the boys sound positively seductive on here. It's just the kind of song to kick back with a drink and chill to. "Trendy Song" starts off similar, but trespasses into full-bodied funk during the chorus, making you want to get out of your seat and move.

The reworked tracks are just what you'd expect -- "Adore U" jerks more tears out of you than the original, "Mansae" has those electronic effects I crave, but "Shining Diamond" loses something in the remix -- the original pops a lot more while this version falls flat.



Ultimately this is a very dynamic album. I think the producers have done a good job with this disc. They've given you enough to sink your teeth into, but still leave you wanting more. The genre hopping is nothing new, but deftly done. All of this creates a pretty solid LP. If you're a fan, get this. If not, then why not?

MV REVIEW

The MV has a tried and true concept -- boys out to have fun on a night on the town. They trip through various hotspots, even hitting a bowling alley in one case, and engaging in antics that would get anyone kicked out of the establishment. Like the song, the video has a light, airy feel good vibe, and some of it even made me wistful.

This is a nicely filmed MV. I like some the hybrid techniques, where it's staged but still has an element of cinema verite to it. Even lacking dancing or wardrobe switch-ups, it was a fun whirligig ride through a night out with friends.



Whether or not they actually like each other is beyond the scope of this article, but it didn't like they were faking it, leading to more drama opportunities? One can hope, right?

So what do I think of this MV?


Score


MV Relevance..........8
MV Production.........8
MV Concept.............9
Album Production...9
Album Concept........8
Tracklisting..............9


OVERALL...............8.5



  1. Seventeen
  2. LOVELETTER
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