17 Talk

Substack Articles

NEW: The Timelessness of SEVENTEEN

View an essay compilation here!

SEVENTEEN, Autism, and Me

How SEVENTEEN’s new album exemplifies why I connected with their music in the first place.

SEVENTEEN and The Truman Show

“The Truman Show prompts the audience to ponder the very nature of reality and autonomy, and these questions are provoked through SEVENTEEN’s musical storytelling too.”

FML Album Review

“This new era mixes the dependable with the surprising, highlighting their vulnerable yet self-assured stance in new ways. In FML, the broad brushstrokes of SEVENTEEN’s artistry remain the same; what changes and expands is the full picture.”

Gearing Up for SEVENTEEN's Comeback!

Understand SEVENTEEN’s music unlike ever before with this essay compilation!

Dissecting 17's Song and Album Titles

“One of SEVENTEEN’s album titles is Teen, Age, rather than Teenage, and choosing to separate parts of the word ‘teenage’ represents their desire to not treat them as one and the same. They seek to treat being a ‘teen’ as not requiring a certain ‘age.’ This interpretation is additionally supported by their decision to title the album’s outro ‘Incompletion,’ as well as their continuation of this theme in ‘Kidult’ years later…”

Be the Sun World Tour Review

"SEVENTEEN’s tour stop in Chicago was a beautiful escape in more ways than one."

The Artistry of SEVENTEEN

"A proper Your Choice album review requires an explanation of the ways SEVENTEEN's new album fits into their larger narrative..."

A Lyrical Exploration...

"As I touched on in a previous essay, language can feel incredibly limiting. Trying to articulate the true breadth and depth of any human emotion is a monumental task, and language on its own often feels insufficient. SEVENTEEN understand this, constantly..."

What SEVENTEEN's Music is Saying

How Face the Sun teaser videos factor into SEVENTEEN’s larger, discography-wide story about the joys and constraints of language.

A SEVENTEEN Camerawork Analysis

A few of the many ways SEVENTEEN use lighting, camera angles, and other elements of filmmaking to bring their stories to life in consistently unique ways.

A SEVENTEEN Prop/Setting Guide

A few examples of times SEVENTEEN have taken abstract, complex emotions and turned them into tangible content.

A SEVENTEEN Choreography Guide

Some of the many examples of times SEVENTEEN’s choreography has crystallized the messages in their music.

Face the Sun Album Review

"Visually and auditorily, Face the Sun makes for a creative comeback that defies expectations."

Attacca Album Review

"The highlight medley for Attacca reinforces both the messages of its songs and the messages SEVENTEEN have been sending throughout their discography..."

SEVENTEEN Movie Review

"While imperfect, SEVENTEEN’s new film is a delight and well worth watching."

Podcast Episodes

NEW: Vol. 16 (17 IS RIGHT HERE)!

**Vol. 15 (SEVENTEENTH HEAVEN)**

A track-by-track guide to SEVENTEENTH HEAVEN, a rundown of all the Easter eggs in the “God of Music” video, and a summary of how SEVENTEEN’s new album is an excellent tribute to their past, present, and future!

**Vol. 14 (ALWAYS YOURS)**

How do SEVENTEEN manage to incorporate nods to ALL of their previous musical eras into one new music video?! How does “Ima” both continue their music video story and offer hints about its future? And how do their characters live like crosses between Don Quixote and Truman Burbank?! Hope answers these questions by breaking down the lyrics of SEVENTEEN’s new songs and symbolic moments throughout the “Ima” music video! But before assessing the fictional narrative, Hope spends a few minutes reflecting on the story’s very real components and what about SEVENTEEN’s musical storytelling resonates so deeply for her, specifically as an autistic person.

**Vol. 13 (FML)**

A close reading of each song on SEVENTEEN’s new mini-album, all the hidden details in the “Life in a minute” video, and seventeen key parallels SEVENTEEN’s new era has to their previous ones!

The Making of "Ready to love"

An interview with singer, songwriter, and producer H. Kenneth!

Vol. 12 (DREAM)

After a recap of all the biggest SEVENTEEN moments of 2022, Hope shares her theories about the hidden details in the "DREAM" music video (starting around the 7:28 mark), plus the ways the video perfectly concludes the "Be the Sun" era!

Vol. 11 (Concert Review)

Seventeen things about SEVENTEEN’s Be the Sun Chicago tour stop worth discussing, from the setlist to the VCRs! After that recap, Hope compares and contrasts the Be the Sun and Ode to You tours to decide which show was better!

**Vol. 10 (More on Face the Sun)**

This episode describes seventeen things worth appreciating about SEVENTEEN's comeback! From hidden details in the "HOT" music video to the meaning of "DON QUIXOTE," this is a guide to all things Face the Sun!

**Vol. 9 (Face the Sun Theories)**

A close reading of all the Face the Sun Era teaser content, from Easter eggs in the teaser videos to the messages each SEVENTEEN member posted to their Instagram Stories on their solo teaser release days!

Vol. 8 ("Darl+ing")

Hope decodes the “Darl+ing” lyrics, points out some hidden details in the “NEW RINGS CEREMONY” comeback trailer, reacts to POWER OF LOVE : THE MOVIE, and more!

Vol. 7

Choreography, spotlights, camera angle changes, makeup, clothes, color schemes, props, backgrounds, settings... these are just some of the many variables SEVENTEEN utilize to engage in effective “storyshowing,” as they put it. This episode takes a close look at some examples of "storyshowing" in their music videos, instances where every detail added to the delivery and impact of a message. From the perfect timing of a lipstick change to the text seen on the newspapers in one video, SEVENTEEN always manage to send messages through their music videos in new and intriguing ways.

**Vol. 6 (Attacca)**

This episode points out the many ways SEVENTEEN reference past albums and music videos in their new album, Attacca, and their new music video, "Rock with you." In addition to an initial reaction and review of this comeback, this episode also connects their new music to their previous musical eras. With a focus on lyrical storytelling, this episode covers the themes in SEVENTEEN's songs from 17 Carat to Attacca, highlighting the most profound lyrics and bringing attention to underrated B-sides along the way!

**Vol. 5 (Your Choice)**

This episode serves as a complement to “The Artistry of SEVENTEEN." Hope explains how SEVENTEEN’s new mini-album tells unique, layered stories and how it builds on the storytelling they began in their previous musical eras.

Vol. 4

An analysis of the lyrics in Jun’s new album, an overview of Joshua’s docuseries episode, and a roundup of the latest SEVENTEEN headlines.

Vol. 3

A review of SEVENTEEN’s online concert (and a theory about a hidden detail in it!), a recap of the fourth episode in SEVENTEEN’s docuseries, and an overview of the latest SEVENTEEN-related headlines!

Vol. 2

A recap of what happened in episodes 2 and 3 of SEVENTEEN’s docuseries and the big takeaways from the show so far!

Vol. 1

In the first installment in a new series of episodes, Hope breaks down key quotes and moments from the first episode in SEVENTEEN’s docuseries and recaps some of the latest headlines about SEVENTEEN!

Into the (Baseball) Diamond Life

This latest SEVENTEEN-dedicated episode of the show includes a track-by-track recap of SEVENTEEN’s newest album, theories about how their new songs and music video are connected to their previous releases, a list of seventeen things to keep an eye out for in both the current and future SEVENTEEN comebacks, and much more!

House of KARDs

Theorizing about the symbolism, literature and philosophy references, and overall messages in the music video universes created by BTS, NCT, SUPERM, and SEVENTEEN!