Review

Song Review: Seventeen – F*ck My Life

Seventeen - Fck My LifeI’ve listened to Seventeen’s newest mini album exactly one time through. Unfortunately, their music is drifting further from what I first fell in love with back in 2015. This is natural for any artist, and it’s amazing how they continue to (mostly) self-produce so many years after debut. Title track Super has been enjoyable in fits and starts, but several jarring elements keep me from fully embracing it. Meanwhile, F*ck My Life passes by without leaving much impact at all.

Despite bearing an provocative title, the song itself is mid-tempo and healing. Seventeen have mastered this style, but this isn’t one of the stronger examples of the template. A track like this needs killer melody to stand out. Instead, F*ck My Life drags by without hitting any memorable peaks or flourishes. It’s pretty one-note throughout, placing emphasis on vibe and sentiment.

There’s nothing offensive or awful about the song, but it wraps itself in a palette of dull grays. From vocal delivery to its trudging pace, F*ck My Life makes me feel slow and sleepy. The melodic structure and phrasing follow an even, repetitive format. Apart from a few twists, nearly all lines are of the same length and cadence. I can understand how this may be an asset given the nature of the track, but it’s not an approach I find interesting or evocative.

Hooks 7
 Production 7
 Longevity 8
 Bias 6
 RATING 7

Grade: C-

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17 thoughts on “Song Review: Seventeen – F*ck My Life

  1. I applaud the fact that they went ahead to make this an official title track alongside Super, but while it’s certainly different to their previous title tracks (barring Power of Love, because we don’t talk about that in this house) it’s interesting to me that the song feels so mellow because it’s lack of a standout melody line feels more like a b-side than a title, if that makes sense. But anyway, I actually like this so much more than Super, because at least it’s still a little melodic – that chorus drop in Super annoys me a lot, although as usual their performances have really been adding to the song.

    The second half of the album is so much stronger in general than the first half for me, though. I Don’t Understand But I Luv U -> Dust -> April Shower is a fine run IMO, even if it’s not an immediate standout in their discography.

    That said, I’m eager to leave this era behind, as deservedly successful as it’s been for them, and hope for something in the promised next comeback later this year that will be more to my tastes. I long for something bright but energetic from them again, rather than dark but energetic – their b-sides are still delivering, true, but I would really like to feel truly excited about another title track from them soon.

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  2. I still keep on thinking April Shower is more interesting than any other track in the ep, and MUCH more interesting than 90% tracks released in this 2023 so far. To me it’s a bop, even if it’s clearly not conceived to be that.

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  3. *sigh*
    Why does a group with some of the best vocals in their gen put out a sing song song like this? It does nothing to showcase their talent, just sort of plods along. Also sounds like a slow down version of Zico “Any song”.

    Liked by 2 people

    • At the risk of sounding very old and grumpy, I miss the times when Seventeen title tracks were perfectly crafted to highlight different members’ unique talents (vocal and otherwise), stuffed to the brim with unique little highlights and standout moments. Songs that were a full-course meal rather than a single-flavoured snack.

      Liked by 1 person

  4. I like this song enough. It kinda goes by without leaving too much of an impact though. I don’t think I’d remember to put it on myself but I wouldn’t begrudge anyone else for turning it on. There are some really great songs on this album. This one was one of the lesser ones for me. Its not bad, I just don’t think I’ll think of it much.

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  5. I’m ok with this one. On first/second listen I ranked it fairly high up but Super’s surprisingly climbed to the top. I want energy in my SVT songs LOL. That said I do appreciate the sentiment and lyrics in FML.

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  6. If you pick a title that is a powerful statement (I sure did a double take when I saw it lol) then MATCH. THAT. ENERGY.

    Make it an emo-rock-inspired sort of piece. Add some hard hitting raps. Some guttural belting. This track sounds more like they’ve already lost any f*cks to give.

    Liked by 1 person

  7. i find it hard to be unbiased when it comes to kpop. for the western music/artists i follow it’s easier to just say i like this song or not. but when it’s kpop there’s so many things i factor into how much i like and enjoy a promoted song. i never give a shit about the mv (cuz i watch it only once and forget it after). but stuff like live stages and dance practices effect how much i enjoy the song.

    in a vacuum, i can say that this song isn’t their strongest and isn’t what i expected, isn’t that catchy etc etc.

    but as a carat, tell me why i cried listening to this while driving home…

    overall FML isn’t as strong as an EP compared to last year’s release. (holy fucking shit the b-sides of Face the Sun/Sector 17 is a peak for me) but i find that i prefer this EP’s title tracks, Super/Fuck My Life over Hot/Darling.

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