Seventeen members. Image: X/@pledis_17
Seventeen—consisting of S.coups, Jeonghan, Joshua, Jun, Hoshi, Wonwoo, Woozi, DK, Mingyu, The8, Seungkwan, Vernon and Dino—has rolled out a trot song on Tuesday, Dec. 26, to the surprise of fans, also known as Carats.
Titled “God of Light Music,” the single was originally made as a promotional content for the band’s 11th EP “Seventeen’s Heaven.” It was created for the 13-member act’s documentary, part of its YouTube show “Going Seventeen,” and many of the fans requested the music to be officially released, according to agency Pledis Entertainment.
A Korean trot version of “God of Music,” which is the focus track from the 11th EP “Seventeenth Heaven,” was also released alongside.
The mini album from October sold over 5 million copies in the first week, a first in K-pop history, after logging 3 million on the day of release. It hit Billboard 200 at No. 2 and stayed on the main albums chart for five weeks in a row.
In the aforementioned episode of “Going Seventeen” uploaded on their official YouTube channel on Oct. 25, members of the group were seen holding back their laughter while bringing the song to life—where they acted as if they met each other for the first time.
Trot is a form of music genre that is popular in South Korea, commonly heard among older generations which is easily distinguished with its vocal inflections and lively rhythm. According to Billboard, it is defined as some “sort of like Korean country music” which is influenced by traditional folk songs, Japanese enka and other Western genres.
The year 2023 has been a whirlwind for Seventeen, as they conquered global audiences with their music and performances, released a series of chart-topping hits, and bagged several awards including “Album of the Year” at the Asia Artist Awards and MAMA Awards.