Alongside their full-group comeback Maestro, Seventeen’s specialized units are also releasing music videos for their new songs. We’ve already heard from the Hip-Hop and Performance Teams, and now it’s time for the Vocal Team to bring this series to a finale.
Sub-unit Seventeen BSS found tremendous success with a cheering song last year, and Cheers To Youth (청춘찬가) feels similar in intent if not energy. Despite its buoyant, brassy instrumental, bounding bass and surging percussion, its melodies are more in line with Korean OSTs. It’s hard to put my finger on exactly why this is, but there’s a certain style of sentimental songwriting unique to this sub-genre. Seventeen’s vocal team makes a great conduit for this approach, but its mushiness dulls Cheers To Youth‘s effect.
Even so, this is probably my favorite unit release of the three. It feels the most musically robust, offering a fleshed out arrangement that doesn’t rely on repetition. The song is at its best when we hear individual elements breathe, especially during the intro where the vocal solo is followed quickly by compelling bass and a ceremonial swell of brass. These highlights become progressively buried as Cheers To Youth goes on, swallowed by the song’s sheer effusiveness. A more inventive melody could have poked through to act as an anchor, but much of Cheers plays things safe and comfortable.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 7.75 |
Grade: C+
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
This comeback, their songs kind of feel, underwhelming? You know, we always get a few nice songs in their albums but this time I think the highest rated song was 7.75/8. I agree with your opinion on this song. It didn’t meet my expectations. This song gets me when it starts but as it goes, it feels more and more boring which makes me listen to it max 5 times and then I get bored of it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Same, when the album came out I was looking for at least something for me but nothing was there, while last year I liked something from all of the releases, loved listening to FML and when they got the aoty I said it was deserved. What is this now Seventeen?
LikeLiked by 1 person
As compared to their other unit releases and Maesteo, this one had more meaning to it. So it doesnt feel repeatitive. But melody wise, I find it okay but nothing particularly alluring or sth that makes me go back to it. If intended as a comfort song, it sure is.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My soft spot for seventeen and its vocal team is acting up and I can’t help but give into it. Definitely, they can and have done better in the past, while this one lacks something to really elevate it and not make it sound like an average Korean OST as you rightly mentioned. But for this time, I’ll just happily take it and listen to it until I can’t no more.
LikeLike
there is such a similarity between this song and the nostalgic 2000s kpop that i used to (and still!) love so much that i leaned heavy into the adoration for this song – specifically with the song “event horizon” by younha. perhaps it’s my bias towards seventeen’s healing/comfort songs, but i felt like this was surprisingly a much-needed sad-lyrics-happy-melody song for myself :’)
LikeLike