Seventeen BSS made their sub-unit debut all the way back in early 2018 with a fun, goofy pop-rock track. At that point, Seventeen were still on the rise – coming off fantastic singles Don’t Wanna Cry and Clap and about to make their Japanese debut with the also-incredible Call Call Call. Five years later and the group has conquered the industry. By now, we’re all very accustomed to the Seventeen sound, making Fighting (파이팅 해야지) more of a victory lap than an evolution.
I’m always up for a good cheer song. K-pop could benefit from leaning further in this direction – less “I’m the best”-type comebacks and more “you can do it!”-style anthems. And during an utterly barren stretch of time for the industry, Fighting arrives as a welcome jolt of energy. It’s hard to dislike a track with its heart in the right place. But at the same time, Fighting is more pleasant than revelatory. It’s performed and produced well and borrows liberally from the funkier side of Seventeen’s oeuvre. Its energy is infectious. I just wish it hinged on melodies that felt equally as exciting.
Yep, it’s me complaining about melody again. Fighting’s chorus is catchy but a little flat. Ditto for the verses, which chug along without landing any sucker punches. They feel conversational in nature, drawing upon K-pop’s dreaded sing-talk too often. The trio’s natural charisma elevates the experience, but there aren’t enough moments to sing along to. Lee Youngji’s rap verse is well-placed during the bridge, even if this slower sequence lasts too long. As a whole, the track has a slightness that borders on novelty. Thankfully, its upbeat and cheerful nature goes a long way toward smoothing over those criticisms.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8.25 |
Grade: B
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
I LOVE it, it’s tons of fun. not really into the… lack of instrumental in the pre-chorus but it’s not that bad to ruin the track for me. album is really good too, the almost 5 year wait was worth it!
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Agree with your review as always! It’s pleasant to the ear, unlike the noise music we’ve been getting lately, but not I’m not starstruck either. By the way, this is kind of unrelated but you should try listening to Thai pop! I find that the music adopts a lot of r&b characteristics, here are some of my fav:
Fire Boy – PP Krit
ทักครับ – Lipta
ตั้งใจเรียน – Tattoo Colour
17 Mins – Milli
Same Page? – Tilly Birds
Mr. Lonely – ATLAS
พี่ๆ ตัดแว่นให้หน่อย – SERIOUS BACON
Silent Mode – Proxie
Just Being Friendly – Tilly Birds
Milli also collaborated with Stray Kid’s Changbin, and Serious Bacon helped NCT’s Ten’s fansite create a song for his birthday! I find the majority of T-pop similar to the likes of Dean, Crush, generating that kind of jazzy, chill vibe. Not sure if you’ll like it but you should give it a try!
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2023 is no longer boring
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Lee Young Ji is fricking amazing and I appreciate her Do Hanse like wandering into the studio. I highly suggest her Witch.
This is surprisingly decent for Seventeen doing rock like moves. Of course, true to brand, Lunch made it here.
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this is great!
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Thank you!
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The playlist is great!
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Thanks!
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It kind of just exists, theres really nothing here to make me want to listen to it again. Rating a bit high for me, would probably be somwhere between 7 and 8.
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verses, chorus and bridge are all great imo, their best title track since rock with you. the rating is too low.
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never too many “you can do it!” songs
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I love it. It’s such a fun song. 2023 is off to a great start
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Oh God, I love this one! Definitely a great song which can easily lift up my mood. Wanna hear more comebacks like this being released by idols in 2023. Maybe an 8.75 for me.
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Seventeen is one of those groups that I really want to like more than I do. I want bigger choruses that make me want to swing my arms all anthem-style. Having said that, three of my absolute favourite songs from 2022 were solos from Seventeen (Woozi’s Ruby, The 8’s Hai Cheng, and Vernon’s Black Eye). This unit song is fun, but it doesn’t compare to those solos for me.
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i really liked this! i couldn’t stop smiling throughout the whole video. on a side note, i found it pretty interesting that apparently hybe had little influence in this comeback though and it was mostly pledis’s work, which might be why i like it a lot more than some of their more recent comebacks lol
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This is like a better version of Left & Right for me (maybe Left & Right + Home;Run?). It’s the flip side of the sincerely emotional Seventeen song—the cheerfully uplifting Seventeen song. It feels like a breath of fresh air, which I think says more about the current Kpop landscape than the actual song. In any case, this is going to be one fun music show performance!
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I read that this song was made in Left & Right era so I can see how it would be similar since it would have been produced with the same mindset at the time.
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I was hearing HomeRun influences as well, especially in the cadence.
2 3 Fight – ing 2 3 Fight – ing 2 3
Home Run 3 4 Home Run 3 4
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I was absolutely reminded of Left & Right! Sidenote: I just adore Seventeen’s tendency to write lyrics that are uplifting without being shallow.
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This is GREAT fun. I’m definitely sure it’ll be a grower too, though the initial surprise of young ji’s verse kind of smoothens with further listens. (The first time, I genuinely forgot she was featured here and was wondering why the song had so much left to go when there was only the bridge and final verse remaining.)
Anyways, the chorus melody is a bit flat but that’s hardly a problem as the song is so cheerful and actual fun.
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I like it so much! It’s really fun and upbeat and the mv is very goofy, it just never fails to make me smile. It’s so fitting for BSS.
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The chorus didn’t sound like much at first, but I found myself chanting “fighting…(insert awkward dance move her)…fighting” throughout the day. It turns out I was hooked without realizing it.
Youngji’s rap was great!
The comeback skits and MV were fun and funny. Looking forward to some live performances.
PS: 7pm is it for me though
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I AM HERE.
Only BooSeokSoon can bring me back to kpop at this point and I am not even surprised that I missed this comeback at first.
Their personality shines again, their energy is infectious. That said, for a song called ‘Fighting’ I would’ve liked more punch. Louder, more tempo, really gripping melodies, a stunning bridge about how life sucks but they’re here to encourage you..
When it comes to BSS I will just always want more.
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Discount, you are back!
…. …. you haven’t missed much
and agree, “Fighting” needs more punch, literally and figuratively.
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Myma! It’s good to see you(r text on my screen) again!
I am back (for now). Apparently you can’t take kpop out of the girl, no matter how long life takes her away from it.
I have missed pretty much the entire year and literally got called back here by discovering this song on social media. It looks like you’re generally right, I haven’t missed much (that suits my taste).
I have missed a few Seventeen era’s that I’m now slowly catching up on. It’s interesting how they are that one group I come back to, no matter what.
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Did any of you watch their mockumentary about this song? Hoshi is hilarious. Actually, they all are, which is the charm of this trio. But when Woozi made an appearance, that was the comedy gold for me 🙂
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