Seventeen are celebrating a huge ten year anniversary today. They were popular right out of the gate, but few could have predicted just how massive they’ve become. I remember staying up very late to watch the premiere of their first music video (the ebullient Adore U) ten years ago, but I’ve grown more distant from their music in recent years. New single Thunder fits strongly within my EDM-loving wheelhouse, but misses the chance to measure up to their best work.
I’m so happy to hear big club beats back in K-pop. This energy has been missed and if it takes a group as influential as Seventeen to fully re-popularize it, I’m thankful for their service. However, songs like Thunder and aespa’s 2024 hit Whiplash are missing a vital element: Where’s the melody? As someone who listens to a ton of dance music, I know just how easily this genre can become faceless and generic. That’s usually due to a lack of melodic heft. I’m a greedy listener. I want big dancefloor energy and an equally big chorus.
In this regard, Thunder sputters. It doesn’t feel like much of a song at all. Instead, a series of spoken catchphrases populate the thumping instrumental. For a track with such consistently high energy, everything is unusually flat. This is most obvious during the hook, which opts to retreat into a minimalist, spelled-out repetition of the title accented by a whistled loop and followed by a haphazard melodic coda that mostly spins its wheels. For such a big club track, the production is oddly muzzled as well. The EQ of the mix feels very hesitant, as if there’s a full terabyte of data forced to stuff itself into a tiny 32gb flash drive. Where’s the scope and ambition? And without a song structure that allows for build and climax, Thunder ends without ceremony. It’s weird. On paper, I should be losing my mind over this song. In reality, it barely leaves an impression.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 7 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 7.5 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
It’s something really new for svt but I loved this song. Might take some time to fully grow though, the chorus is the best part
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The song has so much potential, but the lack of melodies, the short duration of the song which prevents a good buildup and lack of oomph in the production prevents it from reaching said potential. For a dance track, it’s oddly subdued.
7.75 (7, 8, 8, 8) for me.
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Listen i like this song, but am i the only one thinking how rough their voices sound during the pre-chorus? It’s like there was absolutely no post-processing going on and they just stick out like a sore thumb…
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I thought it was just me, that part sounded sooo off. my friend and I waited to see if the studio version will be better than the performance last night and I’m disappointed.
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The whole song sounds like an unfinished demo to me, honestly.
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The problem with this song is that it needed a stronger melody for the pre-chorus and a more hard hitting refrain for the chorus. Here the pre-chorus melody feels particularly flat and the repetition of “alo alo T-H-U-N-D-E-R” for the chorus just doesn’t hit for me. Since there is no actual melody for the chorus, that’s fine but you do need something particularly interesting and catchy (and fun) to make up for it. See “wow, fantastic baby” or “bultaoreune”. Also another problem with this song is that the “fun” element is lacking somehow, despite it being a club track. The song takes itself too seriously, which is one of the reasons why the “alo alo” part doesn’t hit that hard, contrary to the above examples of refrains that are just more fun and whimsical, imo. But that’s not Seventeen’s fault, it’s the general “oh so serious” trend. I would still rate it higher because it’s Seventeen and I like them a lot and the energy is still fire.
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what I love: the club beat, and the fact that it’s not something sappy (nothing wrong with that) for a 10 year anniversary
as a CARAT of 10 years: it’s so unremarkable. this could be sung by any boy group today. everything that made SVT special during their early years is nowhere to be found here. 13 members and they get 2 lines maximum (and most of them will probably get 1 when they perform it as a complete group), there’s no bridge, not a single adlib or high note from two of the best vocalists of their generation, nothing. I don’t know what the purpose of this song was. I don’t see it becoming a top 5 title track of their career, let alone top 10 when I look back in a few years. it’s just… there. as much as I hate to say it, this was so lazy. they could’ve done so much more for a well-deserved successful milestone, but I guess they don’t have that same hunger anymore and just want to get it over with quick.
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It kills me that this anniversary has been made such a big deal of, clearly they feel so passionately about it (as they should!) and as a longtime carat I’m also so proud and excited about the milestone in every way except for this actual song. Even if what they wanted was to push the envelope into a new direction for them, this song feels so half-baked. I felt that way about Love Money Fame too but looking back, at least that had some semblance (though not much) of a bridge!
They don’t have to be doing a carbon copy of Adore U ten years later, and I’m happy that they’re still putting out the music they want to make (Woozi’s post after LMF was very moving) but none of that changes the fact that this just isn’t resonating with me. I would have taken generic boy group EDM track because they usually elevate things with their unique vocals and performance but the lack of a bridge and explosive final chorus makes this so underwhelming sadly. Still, the anniversary vibes overall have been immaculate so that’s nice!
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I guess I’m one of the few LMF enjoyers since release 😭 I still think it’s one of their better releases under HYBE. though I only listened to the version I edited without the feature.
I agree with you. the song itself just doesn’t feel celebratory despite them pushing it as one. it’s like if “here damn” was a k-pop comeback…
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I’m happy that I’m not the only one who noticed it too.The vocals sound like they haven’t gone through any processing,which makes them sound pretty weak compared to this beat.
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I like the instrumental, but for a song called Thunder I expected a lot more energy. And I think for a song that celebrates their 10th anniversary this doesn’t showcase their talent. Svt have explosive songs like Getting Closer, Hit and Super on their discography so this feels a little bit subdued
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Personally, I think the song is better than the DJ Khaled collab from last year.
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Not a particularly high bar, unfortunately 😕
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What’s your ranking of the solos??
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No ranking because that would require more listens than I’d like to give these songs, but I can say the only ones I’d be eager to listen to again are Shining Star, Damage and Shake It Off (and maaaybe Skyfall and Gemini if I’m in the mood). Overall… disappointing. Then again, I rarely like solo songs when they’re part of a group album.
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I’m 100% for a song like this. I really enjoy and replayed the heck out of similar tracks, though it’s mostly girl groups doing this type of song (XG’s TGIF, LE SSERAFIM’s Crazy, aespa’s Whiplash). I just think the song is missing good production choices to elevate it.
If the song is gonna be mostly sing-talk and catchphrases, then the track needs a big production and polished to back it up. That’s exactly what Thunder is missing. I feel like the chorus works, it’s kind of bratty and fun but paired with production choices that sound like they came from a 2010-2011 Far East Movement, LMFAO or Pitbull song. And that’s really not the way to go.
This is kind of sad because they have similar songs in this style (Fire, Super, Hot) and they’re bangers. This one just missed the mark. On the flipside, it could’ve been a corny ballad (they also love to do that, especially the vocalists.
Excited to check out the album, especially the Timbaland-produced track sung by Hoshi.
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Their music gets worse and worse.
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I’m so conflicted. SVT are my ult group and I’m so proud and happy that they’ve reached this significant milestone, but this is in no way the song that would have celebrated it IMO. Part of it is just that I perhaps don’t vibe to this concept, but generally I’m disappointed that it feels so… rough and unfinished? YouTube audio processing is terrible as always but even the Spotify version feels like the sound and processing is messed up. The vocals sound rough, and not in a stylistic way. The teaser had better audio for Woozi and DK’s post-chorus, what happened to that?! And of course the lack of a good bridge and a climactic and explosive last chorus really hurts, especially since they could have gone so much harder. Where’s the explosive finale energy that they had with Hit, for example?
I’m just glad they already performed this live because their performance enhances this song, but I was really hoping for a return to form especially after their last title track. Still, props to them for continuing to explore and try something new. I’m happy they’re still around and thriving, and hopefully the results of this experimentation stick with me more in the future!
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The rough mixing? The HYBE incomplete song syndrome? The absolutely horrible spelling bee chorus? God, this is just disappointing, and I’ve been feeling like this since Maestro
They’re probably at this point where they just want to enjoy being an idol, since commercial success is already guaranteed, but I just wish they didn’t forget to make good music like the old days
6 (5,6,6,7)
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If they were going to do a dance track for their 10th anniversary I would have preferred something more upbeat and feel good like Eyes on You. That said, I liked many of the solos (especially Gemini, Raindrops, Shining Star, and Fortunate Change), and felt weirdly emotional about them…SVT has always felt like more than the sum of its parts to me but here the individual members really get to shine.
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yeah remember back in the early 2010s when rappers were getting the cuntiest house beats and rapping over them (i.e., example, azealia banks, nicki minaj, even doja cat did that), why cant kpop groups be good at that these days
c’mon, we got kaarija in finland serving cunt over a massive beat
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Boss bitch is sooooo good I had forgotten about it I was obsessed with this song for a while
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I can’t get over the vocals. Production is a 5 at best. How does this even happen at this level?
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Well, I actually kind of like the song. It has a persistent beat, and a hook, and is memorable. If this was an ordinary song release, it would be fine. But if its the 10th anniversary, a couple things.
1) It doesn’t sound like Seventeen, the characteristic voices and turns of phrase that make SVT SVT. (I don’t have earbuds in, just the phone speaker, so I can’t here the quality problem others have mentioned.)
2) Dance does some things, but could do more. I had to find the fan stage to even see the dance. This coming from a group whose break out song was the studio dance video with millions of views plus the mirrored version plus all the bootlegs of the same. Many of their dances found a way to arrange in space and time all those boys in new and inventive ways with signature movements. Something beyond the kpop wedge. This dance here, meh.
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I’m enjoying this! I like the post-chorus of this a lot. And if I think carefully, I’ve warmed up to this chorus much faster than I did for Maestro, Super, and Hot. I’ve also grown to love those aforementioned songs, so Thunder is likely to go down the same route for me.
I agree that some variety in the instrumental could’ve made a big difference, give it a little more oomph. Something in the lower register for support would’ve been nice. And another fun novelty layer in addition to the whistling, perhaps? I sometimes wish there was a magic knob I could turn to amp up the basslines in SVT’s songs, especially in a song like this. But I also know they like to adjust/boost instrumentals for live performances, especially on tour (like they did with a live band for Follow & Follow Again) and/or for year-end award shows, so I will hold out hope for that.
I am thrilled with the solos in this album – and of course, insanely proud of the members for reaching this important milestone! SVT partying it up for their tenth anniversary feels like a fitting theme. Choreo is fun, and I’m looking forward to seeing what more is in store for promotions.
Might I ask what some of your favorite songs from the dance/EDM genre are? And any favorite kpop songs from this genre? From SVT I think mainly of HIT and Eyes on You, and then from Monsta X I really like Rodeo, Fallin’, and Oh My – I would love to get some recs! It was never a genre I paid specific attention to, but I’m enjoying it more and more these days.
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the pre chorus is unfinished but other than that I enjoy it
8.5 (7, 9, 9, 8)/10 for ne
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i think this electric guitar cover saved the song for me and i will only be listening to this version lmao
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The perks of being massively popular Kpop group. They can release trash songs but still got so popular and well received. (Wish, BND,Riize and others too).
While the less popular are obligated to release good songs but still criticized over technicality. Even if there’s not much wrong with the songs it will still always got sidelined.
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