Since their debut in 2015, 13-member K-pop group SEVENTEEN has taken the world by storm. They have consistently shattered records, and last year, their EP “FML” became the best-selling album of 2023, tallying over 6.4 million sales by the end of the year and beating out acts like Taylor Swift and Jungkook of BTS. The group has over 13.6 million followers on YouTube.

On Oct. 14, the group released the six-track album, “SPILL THE FEELS.” This album includes two music videos for “LOVE, MONEY, FAME,” and “Eyes on you.” This project holds special significance to their fans, known as “CARATS,” as it may be the group’s last album before some of the members begin their military service required by the South Korean government. The oldest member, Yoon Jeonghan, has already been enlisted as a social worker.

Eyes on you:

“Eyes on you” is a bright song with a dreamy and soothing feel — a staple in the electric pop genre. While it doesn’t necessarily stand out among SEVENTEEN’s discography, it’s a fun song.

The chorus, “Eyes on you, eyes on me / When I hold your hand so tight,” despite being a bit cheesy, will easily get stuck in your head.

The music video for “Eyes on you,” released a few days after the full album, follows different pairs of members as they each spend a night a different way. 

Some of them are depicted having fun clubbing or DJing, while others are just having a rough time, going through a breakup, or in the case of lead rapper Kim Mingyu, getting hit by a car. When some members are at their lowest points, others try to comfort them, ultimately conveying that SEVENTEEN’s members care deeply about one another, which seems to be the message of the video.

Personally, I didn’t find the song very interesting. I feel like the members weren’t singing with a lot of emotion, and it was hard to get into.

LOVE, MONEY, FAME (feat. DJ Khaled):

“LOVE, MONEY, FAME,” featuring the highly-acclaimed American producer DJ Khaled has a very similar feel to “Eyes on you.” It’s fun, it’s bright, and it’s cheerful, however, the chorus is quite jarring. The lyrics are essentially about how SEVENTEEN doesn’t care about money and fame, only about finding love.

The video follows the members as they do a variety of things, all of them holding roses while doing so, representing their search for love rather than money or fame.

The lyrics make it another very stereotypical boy band song: “I don’t need money or fame / To me that doesn’t mean a thing / I just need your love, that’s more than enough.” This isn’t a bad thing, but it does feel unnecessary right after “Eyes on you.”

“LOVE, MONEY, FAME” received a lot of promotion from SEVENTEEN’s label as the lead single of “SPILL THE FEELS,” and it didn’t live up to what I was expecting. The production by DJ Khaled was almost minimalistic. Normally I would be okay with that because it puts a spotlight on the vocals, but those definitely weren’t incredible. They stayed at the same pitch for almost all of the song, and part of the chorus, “But I only want you baby, baby, baby,” was such a stark contrast that it was startling and did not sound good.

1 TO 13:

This song is about all the good moments SEVENTEEN has had since their debut almost ten years ago, full of appreciation for their fans and for each other and littered with references to their past. 

In the chorus, they sing, “You make my day / You made my dawn,” direct references to two albums they released in 2018 and 2019 with the same names.

The soft, upbeat melody for “1 TO 13” sounds very similar to “Eyes on you” to the point where I’m not sure I would notice if they were combined into one song. Because it feels so repetitive, this song is probably my least favorite on “SPILL THE FEELS.”

Candy:

Because SEVENTEEN has so many members, they are split into three subunits: the vocal subunit, the hip-hop subunit, and the performance subunit. “Candy” is a song made entirely by the vocal subunit. The vocal subunit — and most notably, members Boo Seungkwan and Lee Seokmin —  are widely considered to be some of the most talented and accomplished singers in the K-pop industry, according to a poll done in 2023.

The song, a sad, slow ballad, is very different from the first half of the album, and it beautifully showcases the members’ talents as vocalists. Its production relies mostly on piano, which plays softly and solemnly throughout the song.

“Candy” is about the difficulty that comes with a romantic relationship. “Love is so difficult when it’s the first time / I don’t like it, what should I do?” It is one of the more personal songs on the album, which I really appreciate. I think the change was definitely needed, and the contrast helps make things more interesting.

I really enjoyed “Candy.” The vocal team definitely did not disappoint.

Rain:

“Rain,” the performance team’s song, is the most solemn song on the album. The lyrics portray the members’ loneliness, showing they’re not in a good place emotionally. Some of the more vulnerable lyrics are, “Standing alone in the forest of people / Am I looking for someone who will understand my heart? / Even if I want to make a call, there’s no one to call tonight.” 

Technique-wise, the performance team is not as talented as the vocal team when it comes to singing, as they’re mainly in charge of the choreography, but their voices are still beautiful and full of emotion in “Rain.” 

Like “Candy,” it’s a slower song; however, it has more of a pop sound than the preceding track, as it relies less on piano, and more on heavier digital production. It feels breezy, and dreamy, and the falsetto in the chorus sounds amazing. “Rain” is my favorite song on the album.

Water:

The hip-hop subunit song “Water” is stylistically the most different out of any other song on the album. The hip-hop team, bursting with confidence, says “I stand on oceans / Walking on water while you’re still struggling / I’m taking over / Yet I’m still thirsty.” They rap about their ambitions and boldness.

The song is very energetic, well-executed, and is a huge confidence booster. It’s a powerful way to end the album, especially after the beautiful but mildly depressing “Rain.” This is probably my second-favorite song, just because of the raw energy and emotion throughout.

SEVENTEEN clearly worked hard on “SPILL THE FEELS,” and it shows in every aspect of the album, from the vocals to the production. While I loved the last three songs, I was not a fan of the first half of the album, as I found it incredibly uninteresting. The first three songs sounded very similar. It’s definitely not an outstanding project, but it’s a fun listen, and I would recommend it to anyone.