15 September 2025
Seventeen is down to nine but turn its up to 11 with 'NEW_' world tour
Korea JoongAng Daily - Daily News from Korea
About
This article is by Shin Ha-nee and read by an artificial voice.
Boy band Seventeen's famously large lineup has slimmed from 13 to nine, with four members - Jeonghan, Hoshi, Woozi and Wonwoo - now serving in the military.
That left the remaining nine with something to prove, a challenge they met head-on during the launch of their latest world tour, "NEW_," with two shows on Saturday and Sunday at the massive Incheon Asiad Main Stadium in Incheon.
And prove it they did. Attracting some 54,000 concertgoers over a two-day run, the group delivered beyond expectations, the members' renewed energy and determination apparent in a setlist packed with highlights and rearranged choreography tailored to the leaner lineup. Solo performances and the continued presence of two main vocalists - DK and Seungkwan - helped preserve the distinctive high-energy "Seventeen-ness" of the show, though it also left the question of what the group will look like two years from now.
The title of the tour reflects a new chapter for the group, which just celebrated its 10th anniversary in May.
"The 'NEW_' concert will be nothing like previous Seventeen concerts," said member DK on Sunday, the second and final night of the show's two-day run.
"The underscore in the title carries the meaning of infinite possibility - it can mean anything," DK added.
The most notable innovation of the show was the solo performance, which would have been far more difficult logistically with all 13 members present. It also showcased each member's individual growth, something that can be easily overlooked in a group of Seventeen's size.
Dino, the youngest of the band, opened the solo sequence with "Trigger." His sultry performance transitioned seamlessly into Jun's, another performance-centric "Gemini." Members who opted for more vocal-centric stages included Vernon, who played guitar himself for "Shining Star," Joshua with tender "Fortunate Change," and, expectedly DK and Seungkwan, who respectively performed "Happy Virus" and "Raindrops."
The setup continued to The8's "Skyfall," who delivered a high-octane set to his electronic dance pop track, Mingyu's runway-inspired "Shake If Off" and lastly S.Coups' dynamic hip-hop track "Jungle."
The highlight of the night came right after the solo performances, with a string of high-energy hits from "HOT" (2022), to "Highlight" (2016), "Rock" (2015) and "Hit" (2019), featuring intense dance breaks that The8 described as "a triathlon of performance."
Although the four members currently serving in the military were missing from the stage, they all attended the show in the audience, which briefly caused a major stir among the crowd right before the beginning of the concert.
The remaining members constantly made shout-outs to them, with Dino declaring, "Though it's just nine of us on stage, all 13 of us are present in this moment," prompting excited cheers from fans.
While solo performances and high-quality stage executions - coupled with a truly generous amount of stage effects including fireworks - certainly helped make the absence of the four members less pronounced, the group admitted that preparing for the show hadn't been easy at all.
"It felt somewhat weird and complicated while preparing for this concert with nine of us," shared Mingyu. "To be really honest, I also began to worry about when we should hold our [next] Seventeen concert."
His remarks highlight the uncertainties the group faces as younger members will begin their military service next year and the year after as well, including the two vocal powerhouses DK and Seungkwan, who play an integral part in live performances. Still, the members remain optimistic about this new chapter, confident in the individual identities they've built over a decade.
"While preparing our solo performances, I realized just how different we all are, and it was really cool that these very different 13 people could come together to come this far," Mingyu said. "We'll continue to grow, and plea...
Boy band Seventeen's famously large lineup has slimmed from 13 to nine, with four members - Jeonghan, Hoshi, Woozi and Wonwoo - now serving in the military.
That left the remaining nine with something to prove, a challenge they met head-on during the launch of their latest world tour, "NEW_," with two shows on Saturday and Sunday at the massive Incheon Asiad Main Stadium in Incheon.
And prove it they did. Attracting some 54,000 concertgoers over a two-day run, the group delivered beyond expectations, the members' renewed energy and determination apparent in a setlist packed with highlights and rearranged choreography tailored to the leaner lineup. Solo performances and the continued presence of two main vocalists - DK and Seungkwan - helped preserve the distinctive high-energy "Seventeen-ness" of the show, though it also left the question of what the group will look like two years from now.
The title of the tour reflects a new chapter for the group, which just celebrated its 10th anniversary in May.
"The 'NEW_' concert will be nothing like previous Seventeen concerts," said member DK on Sunday, the second and final night of the show's two-day run.
"The underscore in the title carries the meaning of infinite possibility - it can mean anything," DK added.
The most notable innovation of the show was the solo performance, which would have been far more difficult logistically with all 13 members present. It also showcased each member's individual growth, something that can be easily overlooked in a group of Seventeen's size.
Dino, the youngest of the band, opened the solo sequence with "Trigger." His sultry performance transitioned seamlessly into Jun's, another performance-centric "Gemini." Members who opted for more vocal-centric stages included Vernon, who played guitar himself for "Shining Star," Joshua with tender "Fortunate Change," and, expectedly DK and Seungkwan, who respectively performed "Happy Virus" and "Raindrops."
The setup continued to The8's "Skyfall," who delivered a high-octane set to his electronic dance pop track, Mingyu's runway-inspired "Shake If Off" and lastly S.Coups' dynamic hip-hop track "Jungle."
The highlight of the night came right after the solo performances, with a string of high-energy hits from "HOT" (2022), to "Highlight" (2016), "Rock" (2015) and "Hit" (2019), featuring intense dance breaks that The8 described as "a triathlon of performance."
Although the four members currently serving in the military were missing from the stage, they all attended the show in the audience, which briefly caused a major stir among the crowd right before the beginning of the concert.
The remaining members constantly made shout-outs to them, with Dino declaring, "Though it's just nine of us on stage, all 13 of us are present in this moment," prompting excited cheers from fans.
While solo performances and high-quality stage executions - coupled with a truly generous amount of stage effects including fireworks - certainly helped make the absence of the four members less pronounced, the group admitted that preparing for the show hadn't been easy at all.
"It felt somewhat weird and complicated while preparing for this concert with nine of us," shared Mingyu. "To be really honest, I also began to worry about when we should hold our [next] Seventeen concert."
His remarks highlight the uncertainties the group faces as younger members will begin their military service next year and the year after as well, including the two vocal powerhouses DK and Seungkwan, who play an integral part in live performances. Still, the members remain optimistic about this new chapter, confident in the individual identities they've built over a decade.
"While preparing our solo performances, I realized just how different we all are, and it was really cool that these very different 13 people could come together to come this far," Mingyu said. "We'll continue to grow, and plea...