Seventeen Kicks Off World Tour: ‘Every Moment with Carats is Youth’

Seventeen Kicks Off World Tour: ‘Every Moment with Carats is Youth’: K-POP / 연합뉴스 / 2024-10-14 09:20:03

▲ This image, provided by Pledis Entertainment, shows K-pop boy group SEVENTEEN at its first stadium concert of its new world tour "RIGHT HERE" held in Goyang, northwest of Seoul, on Oct. 13, 2024. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Oct. 14 (Yonhap) -- "We feel a different kind of energy when we perform before a comeback and receive so much love and support." (Seungkwan)

On October 13, boy group Seventeen launched their new world tour "Right Here" at the Goyang Sports Complex Stadium. During the concert, they unveiled their new title track "Love, Money, Fame," set to release the following day. The members expressed their excitement, saying, "We're glad to share it first with Carat (Seventeen's fandom)."

"Love, Money, Fame" is a collaboration with world-renowned producer DJ Khaled, featuring a rhythmic, hip-hop R&B melody that lingers in listeners' ears. The lyrics, "Everyone desires love, money, fame... but your love alone is enough," convey a heartfelt message about the certainty and sincerity of love.

The two-day concert attracted approximately 58,000 fans. Seventeen previously drew in 380,000 attendees during their stadium concerts across four major venues in South Korea and Japan earlier this year, once again demonstrating their popularity and ability to draw large crowds.

The stage featured an expansive, straight-shaped platform and a large protruding stage designed to resemble Seventeen's logo. The concert began with a striking performance of "Fear" as Seventeen emerged in stylish black suits against a pyramid-shaped LED screen backdrop. The group then transitioned into "Fearless" and "MAESTRO," delivering a narrative of overcoming fear and asserting their presence with determined expressions.

The concert included diverse unit performances, with members split into three teams: Hip-Hop (S.Coups, Wonwoo, Mingyu, Vernon), Performance (Hoshi, The8, Dino), and Vocal (Joshua, Woozi, DK, Seungkwan). Each unit showcased new tracks from their latest release, including "Water," "Rain," and "Candy." The Hip-Hop unit delivered rapid-fire raps, the Performance team exuded charisma with their smooth moves, and the Vocal unit offered both a poignant ballad "Candy" and a refreshing anthem "Youth Ode," providing comfort to the packed stadium.

As the song "Youth Ode" came to an end, Woozi's shout, "Every moment with Carats is youth!" resonated with sincerity, and fans responded with a roar of cheers.

Woozi described their new song "Candy" as a reflection on love's complexity, noting, "Living life, we realize that love can be quite intricate, yet the heart itself remains simple. This time, I wanted to explore the love stories of grown adults."

As the night fell over the stadium, the lights from the stage and fans' light sticks shone more brightly. During the performance of "Our Dawn is Hotter than Day," a sea of fans sang along to the "Oh oh oh" chorus, creating a breathtaking scene. The concert also featured dynamic elements like fireworks during "Sonogong" and a drone show that displayed Seventeen and Carat logos in the night sky. The group wrapped up the concert with an extended encore of "Very Nice," making the night feel like it could last forever.

Before the concert ended, Seungkwan made a heartfelt pledge to the audience: "I promise to become a good singer, a good friend, and a good family member for all of you."

This world tour, "Right Here," includes 11 members, as Chinese member Jun is pursuing acting activities and Jeonghan is currently serving his military duty. Though absent from the stage, Jeonghan watched the concert from the audience, cheering on his fellow members.

Mingyu reassured fans, saying, "Although Jeonghan and Jun aren’t with us, please don’t be too upset. They’re bound to return, so don’t treat them like they’re gone for good—just miss them a little, okay?" he joked, lightening the mood.

Seventeen will continue their world tour with ten performances across five U.S. cities, with nine of the shows selling out within a day. The tour will then move on to Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, and more.

"Even though Jeonghan and Jun aren’t with us now, we firmly believe that we will reunite as 13 to perform again. To become the ideal team I dream of, I dare to say that I want to be together for life. I want to live as Seventeen forever!" (S.Coups)