SEVENTEEN’s World Tour: An Ode to Fans and Artistry

All photos by Kelly Sipko This past week, SEVENTEEN embarked on the North American leg of their Ode to You World Tour. Spanning eight cities coast to coast in their most expansive stateside venture yet—and their first since 2017—SEVENTEEN’s Ode to You is a follow-up to the group’s record-breaking September full-length album, An Ode. Ever since becoming a Carat and watching the group soar to new heights throughout 2019, it has been my dream to see SEVENTEEN live. After months spent anxiously waiting for tour announcements, I was lucky enough to attend both the Newark and Chicago stops on the tour, making for two of the most unforgettable nights of my life and many others’. A Triumphant Return, Years in the Making Aside from annual performances at KCON, SEVENTEEN has not performed on U.S. soil since their 2017 Diamond Edge World Tour, so it’s safe to say anticipation for the group’s return was off the charts. Having grown immensely as artists since 2017, the new-and-improved 2020 version of SEVENTEEN opened the show with their explosive EDM track “Getting Closer.” The past year has seen SEVENTEEN move away from their token “freshteen” concept in favor of darker themes, and the opening to Ode to You highlighted this the best with the boys donning ominous headgear as they lined up around the stage. “Rock” and “CLAP” followed suit, with the group showcasing their incomparable energy and stage presence. Though only three songs in, SEVENTEEN made it clear they had not come to play. After some of the most hilarious opening introductions including performance team leader Hoshi instructing the crowd on how to correctly pronounce his nickname 10:10 in Korean—10시10분 or yeolsisipbun for inquiring minds—the group launched into some of their more sentimental classics, “THANKS” and “Don’t Wanna Cry.” Despite having already performed three of their most intense choreographies, the boys’ energy had not waned as they sang their hearts out to their fans (I’ll be the first to admit that “THANKS” instantly moved me to tears).

Woozi during “Rock”

Hoshi leading the crowd in a chorus of cheers.

The next segment of the concert featured each of the three units: hip hop team, performance team, and vocal team. The hip hop team started things off with a rock version of “Trauma” and their funky take on winter wonderland “Chilli.” Though the hip hop team and group leader S.Coups was dearly missed due to his ongoing hiatus, Mingyu, Vernon, and Wonwoo filled the arena with infinite swagger. Performance team was up next with a bone-chilling performance of their song “Lilili Yabbay,” followed by the fiery “Shhh,” both of which showed Hoshi, The8, Jun, and Dino’s dancing prowess. Vocal team rounded out the unit performances with touching renditions of “Hug” and “Don’t Listen in Secret” in which members Seungkwan, Woozi, Joshua, Jeonghan, and DK shined. The hip hop team then joined DK on stage for a performance of special unit song “Can’t See the End” before the remaining members returned to the stage for one of the group’s odes to fans, “Smile Flower.” As any Carat knows, “Smile Flower” is a particularly special song between SEVENTEEN and their fans, in which both promise to be the “spring to each others’ smiles.” Particularly touching was when the group paused to let the audience sing the chorus back to them—there are few things as heartwarming as an arena full of foreign fans singing in full Korean to their idols.

Performance team performing “Lilili Yabbay.”

For the mid-concert portion of the performance, SEVENTEEN sang some of their greatest high-energy hits against a theatrical backdrop wherein the members’ wacky personalities took centerstage. Starting off with their debut hit “Adore U,” the boys proved they hadn’t lost any of their youthful fervor. “Pretty U” was up next and particularly unforgettable in that the boys so obviously enjoyed performing it. Considering the song has been a constant on their setlists since 2016, one would expect the energy to have dulled over the years and yet the enthusiasm of each member was so genuine. Recent summer hit “Oh My!” continued the fun, including a particularly funny slow-mo version of the bridge. The segment closed with a full-group performance of Booseoksoon’s (the sub-unit consisting of DK, Hoshi, and Seungkwan) single “Just Do It.”

Joshua, Vernon, The8, Hoshi, and Woozi during “Pretty U.”