CARATS, rejoice! SEVENTEEN is back and better than ever. After an electrifying performance at Lollapalooza Berlin and currently on their world tour RIGHT HERE, SEVENTEEN has never failed to impress. Following the group’s release of MAESTRO in their compilation album ‘17 IS RIGHT HERE’ in April this year, ‘SPILL THE FEELS’ was officially announced in September 2024.
After the devastating news of members JEONGHAN and JUN halting their group activities for the time being, many CARATS needed cheering up, including me. Since both of these members are part of my bias line, I was especially distressed. However, the news that both are part of this comeback made me even more excited about it!
I remember when the fandom was sent into confusion after pictures and videos with ‘I FELT HELPLESS’ circulated online, later being revealed as an anagram for the album’s title. Now that all the songs have been released, it’s quite clear what the 13-member group was trying to tell us.
With this one anagram as well as the lyrics from the different tracks, the overall message of the album has become quite obvious. Not only encapsulating the hopelessness and frustration of being unable to articulate struggles and emotions, the album also encourages and pushes listeners to embrace their vulnerabilities and spill their feelings and affections openly, providing comfort to those who have the courage to.
With ‘SPILL THE FEELS’ being the group’s last OT13 album for a while, fans held their breath in greater anticipation than ever. Did the album live up to the fandom’s hefty expectations? Let’s find out!
Eyes on you
Opening the album is Eyes on you. Blending elements of EDM and dance-pop, this song sets the stage for the rest of the album. Even just listening to the first five seconds, the upbeat energy of the song is infectious, hooking listeners in immediately.
With a catchy and memorable melody and rhythmic bass lines, you can’t help but continue listening. Before looking up the lyrics of the song, the song exudes a vibe of confidence, the innocent attraction to a crush and the urge to want to know about this person. The shift in the instrumentals from the opening chorus to the first verse suggests looking back to an earlier stage of the relationship when the members first met the subject of the song.
The same BPM, our heart rates matching up
Our honesty might burst out
Turn your head around, face the highlight
Going with the overall theme of the album, the pre-chorus sets up the atmosphere for a confession. As HOSHI and MINGYU’s vocals take the forefront, you can hear the song gearing up for the climax – the chorus. The remainder of the song reminds me of the excitement of getting to know your partner; of paying attention to every single aspect of them: their experiences, their quirks and their scars – the very definition of Eyes on you.
Overall opinion: While this song isn’t my favourite from the album, I can see why this would be well-liked among fans. I would imagine that this would be a great motivator for studying or waking up for work. However, I did find the chorus a bit repetitive. Beyond just the vibes of the song, the track embodies a sense of youth and carefreeness when it comes to being attracted to somebody, compared to the usual wistfulness and longing that usually accompanies romance songs – a twist that I really like.
LOVE, MONEY, FAME (feat. DJ Khaled)
Moving on to the title track: LOVE, MONEY, FAME! While there were mixed opinions when this track was first announced, it’s safe to say that everyone enjoyed the chill vibes from this track. A mix of R&B and hip-hop, the groovy beat and rhythmic verses make it such an earworm. In fact, many CARATS were reminded of Fronting, a b-side track from SEVENTEEN’s earlier years.
What everyone wants (hey)
Love, Money, Fame (ho)
But only want you baby, baby, baby
I only want you baby, baby, baby
Reflecting the common pursuits of love, money and fame in society, SEVENTEEN showcases their ambition in expressing their love and affection as seen in their chorus as well as “the word ‘love’ I’m certain in”. Complementing this is their music video, with JEONGHAN’s storyline delivering the message the clearest.
The storyline properly kicks off when JEONGHAN posts an Instagram story asking what is love. This causes the other members to try their best to get to him despite facing major obstacles like S.COUPS getting into a plane crash and DINO getting stuck in traffic. However, we know they eventually get to him as we see the gifts they were holding scattered through the room JEONGHAN was in. This mini storyline effectively spells out how no matter what you face, you should do everything in your power to showcase your affection to the ones you love.
Overall opinion: Admittedly, on first listen, my instinctual reaction was that this was a pretty lukewarm track for the title. Completely different from the hard-hitting MAESTRO or the bright and quirky God of Music, LOVE, MONEY, FAME just didn’t have that wow factor. But now, after attentively listening to it again and delving into the lyrics and music video, it gives a sense of stability and reliability – after all, as HOSHI and WOOZI say, they’d never let us, fans down.
1 TO 13
I will put this out there: this song is and has been my favourite from the first listen. A tribute to the fans, this song reinforces how important CARATS are to SEVENTEEN as well as how important the members are to each other, as seen in their first verse where they reference their debut date in May and how everything has revolved around their fans and each other since then.
Reminiscent of a coming-of-age drama’s soundtrack, 1 TO 13 gives the vibes of 2000s pop – nostalgic and comforting. With soft synths and gentle percussion, the members’ vocals stand at the forefront, creating a relaxing and soothing ambience – akin to a warm hug. The overall song is retrospective in nature, looking back on the 13-member group’s journey with each other and the fans.
For the ten thousand hours, I’ve been with you
I used all 13 parts of my heart
Complementing the warm message of the song, the lyrics are playful yet fond. Likening the group’s 13 members to the 13 parts of a human heart, the pre-chorus is my favourite part of the song. Overall this song paints a picture of appreciation and joy for the loved ones that have stood by your side unwaveringly. Frankly, the only drawback of this song is its short runtime of 2 minutes and 37 seconds – the second shortest of the album.
Overall opinion: As I’ve mentioned, 1 TO 13 is undoubtedly my favourite song of the 6 – maybe even a favourite in their whole discography. Unlike usual fan tribute songs (which are often ballads or overall slower), this song keeps a bright tempo while weaving in sweet and meaningful lyrics. Much like their previous songs dedicated to the fans, this is a track I want to be queued up in my playlist after a long and tiring day.
사탕 (Candy)
Finally, it’s time to look at the unit songs! First up is the Vocal Team, consisting of members JEONGHAN, JOSHUA, WOOZI, DOKYEOM and SEUNGKWAN. Specialising in ballads, other tracks performed by this unit include Yawn in ‘SEVENTEENTH HEAVEN’ and Cheers to youth in ‘17 IS RIGHT HERE’.
Without even diving into the lyrics, JOSHUA opens the song so sweetly, it’ll give you a toothache. In Candy, the members’ honey-like vocals are accompanied by gentle piano, painting an airy and fairytale-esque vibe, with cotton candy clouds coming to mind. Undeniably the softest song (in terms of vibe) of the album, Candy is the epitome of a romance drama’s OST. With a dreamy melody and the members’ inviting tones, this song’s harmony is dripping with sweetness.
Is love perhaps
Something so bitter
I don’t like that, what do I do?
Love is just as hard
As becoming an adult
But still, still, still
Not sweet enough? Let’s turn to the lyrics. In this track, the Vocal Team yearns for a fantasy-like love as sweet as candy where a single word from their partner would make everything better. However, reality proves different as shown in verse 1 of the song, where DOKYEOM laments the bitterness of love. Despite love being “as hard as becoming an adult”, SEUNGKWAN still longs for it as seen in his repetition of “still”.
Despite the want for an innocent whole-hearted love that’s so warm and cosy you’ll melt away in it, WOOZI and JEONGHAN wonder if it’s too childish to ask for it, tingeing the song with a sense of bittersweetness. The song as a whole evokes a sense of wistfulness and longing, making listeners imagine a dream-like love.
Overall opinion: A simple and charming song, Candy successfully encapsulates the feeling of being so in love with your partner. Do not underestimate its minimalistic instrumentals for it exemplifies the Vocal Team’s prowess and emotions. Usually, I am not one for the ballads but Candy is easily one of my favourites of this album.
Rain
The next unit song features the Performance Team, consisting of members JUN, HOSHI, THE8 and DINO. Versatile in the style of their songs, the choreography is usually the star of their stages. With the charming Spell from ‘17 IS RIGHT HERE’ and the enchanting I Don’t Understand But I Luv U from ‘FML’, the Performance Team can turn any song into a breathtaking performance.
The complete opposite of the outpouring of emotions in Candy, Rain is centred around hopelessness and resignation. While the previous few songs have talked about speaking freely and expressing your emotions and affections, this track explores the other side of the album and deals with the frustration and inability to emotionally connect with people.
Despite the vibrant synth and upbeat sound, the lyrics deliver a completely different vibe. I would imagine the song to be an outcome of a break-up, where the narrator is long past the stage of sadness and only feels numb to everything as established in the intro “I can’t explain that my heart has frozen”.
Standing alone amongst a forest of people, there’s me
Am I searching for someone who can understand my heart?
It’s a night where I want to make a call, but have nowhere to call
I draw the curtains closed, and sit in an empty room
As THE8 sings in verse 2, the core of this song is effectively presented, encapsulating the pure isolation and hopelessness. The image painted is a lonely one, of someone desperately wanting a shoulder to lean on. Follow-up lyrics in the pre-chorus only destroy listeners further as HOSHI illustrates a scene of apathy through “I look at the mirror and even if I try to talk to it, I look at a robot that says the same thing every day.” showcasing the development from anguish to shutting away feelings completely.
Overall opinion: This song hurts. And yet, it provides solace in a roundabout way. It’s impossible to avoid difficult periods in life and Rain would be relatable to listeners who’ve been through dark times where they felt alone. Personally, I’ve always been a sucker for songs that sound lively and uplifting but in reality, the lyrics depict a heartbreaking scenario. And Rain accomplishes that to a tee.
Water
Wrapping up the album is the Hiphop Team, consisting of members S.COUPS, WONWOO, MINGYU and VERNON. Made up of the rappers of the group, Hiphop Team’s songs are usually tracks that are drenched with confidence and borderline cockiness (in a good way). Past songs include my top favourites of their discography: Monster from ‘SEVENTEENTH HEAVEN’ and LALALI from ‘17 IS RIGHT HERE’.
To me, Water is the song that will have fans jumping in the standing pens as the track blasts over the concert speakers. Composed with elements of electronic music and synth-wave, the track has an underlying foundation of dance-pop – in short, it’s a song to hype up the crowd.
The reality of this long night
The sun rises, a while after that
Here comes the sun, let it beam on my skin
Contrary to the other unit songs that carry a deeper meaning, the message of Water is simple: SEVENTEEN will keep rising no matter what and all the group has to do is pull through to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Straightforward and in your face, the song has the perfect runtime of 2 minutes 31 seconds – the shortest in the album yet succinctly saying what needs to be said.
Overall opinion: Once again, Hiphop Team delivers the headbanging vibes that come with many of their tracks. I’ll admit, I am a Hiphop Unit stan and this comeback has changed nothing. Water is absolutely a song that I will blast when I need that extra boost of confidence and scream at the top of my lungs at a SEVENTEEN concert.
SPILL THE FEELS
And that was the final song! Did SEVENTEEN get you to spill your feels? It’s truly insane how despite having performed together and producing songs for nearly 10 years, they have zero skips. While there was some discourse online when they announced their title track, true SEVENTEEN fans have stayed by the group and trusted that they would never put music out there as a joke.
I definitely had some standout favourites in this album, but there honestly isn’t any song I would skip. Although some songs would not be an everyday listen for me, ‘SPILL THE FEELS’ lived up to its name, with all the songs overflowing with emotion, regardless if they were positive or not.
Despite how many comebacks they have had since they debuted, the ability to come up with a fresh new concept demonstrates SEVENTEEN’s love and passion for music and their fans. SEVENTEEN once again showcases their prowess not just as singers but also as performers as they take their brand new songs on stage in their upcoming concerts.
Can’t get enough of SEVENTEEN? Catch them live in Singapore next year as they make a stop for their RIGHT HERE tour. In the meantime, check out ‘SPILL THE FEELS’ for yourself on Spotify and Apple Music. Get to know the band on their Instagram, TikTok, and X accounts and keep up with them on Weverse!
Visuals courtesy of SEVENTEEN. Lyric translations courtesy of @svtranslation on X (formally Twitter).
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