RESPECT. Review: SEVENTEEN Shouts "Very Nice" in Comeback MV

SEVENTEEN, a popular thirteen member Korean pop boy band returns with “아주 NICE” or “VERY NICE” in English, after two months from their previous single “예쁘다 (Pretty U).” “VERY NICE” is the title track for the repackaged version of their first full album Love & Letter that was originally released in late April. Their first full album was very successful, selling almost two hundred thousand copies. Like their past songs, “Adore U,” “Mansae,” and “Pretty U,” this single continues the theme of innocent teenage love.

Like many K-pop music videos, SEVENTEEN’s “VERY NICE” is full of different colors as seen through the pastel backgrounds and the multi-colored outfits of the members. Like their previous singles, the theme of this song and video is youth and more specifically, the teenage feelings of romance and dating. The video is reminiscent of “Mansae” where the setting was within a school, inside the gymnasium and classroom. Here, two of the members play basketball and boxing (like they do in “Adore U” and “Mansae“), sit on the swings outside and are playing on the rooftop of what seems to be a school. These settings and activities reiterate the school romance of one’s youth. However, the members try to exude a more mature feeling as they wear casual suits with suspenders. In their past songs, their outfits were either casual street-wear or school uniforms. As they pursue a more sophisticated look, they adorn formal and classy attire.

This video iterates the reasons I enjoy listening to K-pop. All of the members are adorable and suit the concept well, even though some of them are twenty-one years old. Nevertheless, they accurately adapt to the teenage romance concept. I also like how the camerawork constantly shifts, matching well with the upbeat and fast-paced chorus. It switches back and forth between the choreography and the moments of the members with the female lead. From the snippets of the choreography seen, it is chic and classy as they effectively use the suspenders in their formal attire. I’m not very sure what the plot of the music video is supposed to be though. And I’m not a fan of the harem theme where all the guys chase after the same girl. This happened in their previous music video “Mansae” as well and is a rather recurring motif in many K-pop songs that are about love.

Other parts of the music video that I liked was when confetti and pink flower petals exploded from the hearts of the members. It was strange, but comical as it seems to be a literal expression of the metaphor “heart bursting.” The burst of the petals and confetti may also be referring to the lines is “My whole body feels ticklish and fluttering” that it literally blows up with happiness and nervousness. Ironically, throughout the song, there is a strong percussion melody that emphasizes the heartbeat of someone who is in love, but also nervous. However, the ending was confusing as it ended with one of the members being exploded into a cloud of smoke. I’m not sure what the meaning of that was either, but it was a memorable scene.

My favorite lines from the song were, “Then the starting can be the end/ So that it starts with you and ends with me/ Like the circle in our hands that are held together/ there is no end to us.” These lines may seem cheesy but it is very romantic. Another line I appreciated was, “The path going to you becomes a flower path.” These lines capture the ideal aspects of love one might feel in their youth when there is constant anxiety but also joy during the beginning of a new relationship and more specifically before they go on a date with their first love. This feeling is hard to describe, but in this song, it is captured into “[a] VERY NICE [feeling]” that the members all sing together during the chorus.

I recommend this song for anyone who wants to reminiscence their loves and relationships in their teenage years or anyone who wants to appreciate the light-hearted but nerve-wrecking moments of a new relationship. Overall, this song is “VERY NICE.”

SEVENTEEN is currently signed to Pledis Entertainment. The music video has almost two million views on their official channel and is currently ranked number thirty on the Melon Music Chart, which is constantly updated in real-time. Since its release, it has maintained its position in the top fifty of the Melon Chart. For international fans, this single is also available for download on iTunes.