Say The Name, Seventeen! AKA How I Became A Fan of Seventeen

During my last recap, I mentioned how I got into Seventeen, but that was just a sneak peek! I wanted to dedicate a whole blog post recounting how it happened because they really had a huge impact on my life, and I’m dead serious about this despite how dramatic and sappy it sounds. 

“Slip into the diamond life” is a lyric that came from Seventeen’s pre-debut song, Shining Diamond, which became a catchphrase for joining the fandom. In my case, I’d say I slipped head-first and there was no turning back.

But how exactly did it happen?

A Quick Backstory

So if you’ve been following me here or on my social media accounts, you’d probably know aside from my love for K-dramas, I also enjoy watching Korean variety shows, particularly those by Na Youngseok PD (Na PD). He was the mind behind popular shows like Three Meals A Day, Youth Over Flowers, and was part of the original production of 2 Days & 1 Night. 

One of his current projects is Game Caterers on Youtube, which is a game show where guests play games and win (or lose) prizes. I clearly remember the first episode of the show because the guests were the cast of Hospital Playlist, which is one of my all-time favorite dramas. 

I’ve only been watching the episodes where the guests were actors that I know, then the HYBE-Game Caterers episode happened last year so I tried to watch that. I ended up not finishing them because I really don’t know anyone aside from Seungkwan and Mingyu. They were the only members I knew back then because of their Running Man guesting. It was also a bit overwhelming because there were so many artists! 

Then fast forward to May 2023, Seventeen had their own Game Caterers episode as part of comeback promotions. I tried to watch it, and well… their humor and vibe clicked with me. I’ve always found Seungkwan to be funny but what I didn’t realize back then was him with the whole group is another level of craziness. I was also impressed by their dance performance!

It was Wonwoo who caught my attention first because of his laidback visuals and well… I have a thing for eyeglasses. I also found DK and Jeonghan funny too! I generally just found them funny and interesting to watch so I got excited when they won a chance to be on Youth Over Flowers because that’s one of my favorite shows.

The Road to Caratland

It wasn’t really until July that I finally found myself actively listening to their songs. My younger sisters are K-pop fans and my youngest sister is actually a Carat (Seventeen’s fandom name), I can even remember how I helped them queue for tickets during Be The Sun, so I’m familiar with some of their songs. 

Darl+ing, in particular, has made its way to my Spotify mix, thanks to the algorithm. And speaking of algorithms, I suddenly found myself scrolling through clips of the band from their Game Caterers episodes. To be fair, I really enjoyed them so I didn’t mind rewatching those clips.

But then in July, a certain clip during Caratland 2023 caught my attention. It was a clip of Wonwoo, Woozi, and the other members crying during their Circles performance. When I found out the reason behind it, I couldn’t help but tear up as well. It was roughly 5 months after I lost my mom and I really found the clip comforting and cathartic. 

It came to a point where it felt like the universe was giving me signs. It sounds cheesy but I’m not even joking because I kept seeing people with SVT merch when I was walking around the mall one day. I even found out that Wonwoo shares the same birthdate as my mom. That same month, Spotify kept doing its magic. One of their songs, Imperfect Love, played randomly one day and I fell in love with it. 

I remember telling my sister, “Oh no, I’m in trouble.” because I didn’t ever see myself becoming a K-pop fan. My friends even told me this! Well, it’s true, change is the only thing that’s constant in this world. HAHAHA!

Not even a week since I listened to Seventeen and I’m already obsessed???

— inah 🌸 (@inahreads) July 21, 2023

I quickly pulled up their discography and listened to the whole thing for a day, and the rest is history. I remembered how much I loved GO! from the Twenty-One, Twenty-Five OST and I didn’t even know it was DK who sang it! I also remember some vocal team members sang for Hospital Playlist S2 OST and I had actual photocards of them from the album I bought years ago.

The timing was perfect that time because it was around the start of their Follow Tour so there were tons of content online from their concerts! From there, I started watching Seventeen Project, Going Seventeen, and more of their content.

A quick shoutout to Ego, my favorite Going Seventeen episode!

Did I mention who my bias is yet? 

I previously said it was Wonwoo who sort of got me into the group, but it was Jeonghan who stole the thunder. His visuals are amazing, sure, but it was his personality that I really admire. He just kept surprising me with his wits and cheating shenanigans in GoSe, but it was also his adoration for his fellow members that made me love him so much! But then again, when you have a group of talented people like Seventeen, it’s hard to pick a bias, so I always say I have one ultimate bias and twelve bias-wreckers! HAHAHA!

First Comeback and Follow Tour

I had my first comeback as a Carat last month, with Seventeenth Heaven and God of Music! I was so excited because I loved their concept photos and the highlight medley sounded awesome. Well, I was not disappointed! The music video’s visuals were amazing, as well as the album tracks!

My wallet did take a beating because:

• I bought all versions of the album
• I bought 2 light sticks (CB2 and CB3)
• I overspent my budget for concert tickets

But it was fine because:

• I am satisfied with my photocard pulls (I got 2:14 PM Jeonghan Flower Crown!!!)
• We have light sticks to use for the concert
• I AM SEEING SEVENTEEN ON JANUARY!!!!

I have to say the ticketing experience was stressful, but I am truly excited to see them live and get to hear them! Of course, there were certain times when it felt like it was a shame that I discovered them too late. I loved a lot of their old songs and I probably won’t be able to hear them live because of the limited setlist.

But apparently, there’s a saying going around the fandom that goes, “You didn’t stan SVT too late, you just found them at the time you needed them.”

And it was true. And they really helped me navigate through grief and loss. Songs like Circles, Hug, and Yawn became my comfort, and their Going Seventeen content became my happy pill. I remembered my friend who also shared how a certain K-pop group helped them during their lowest moments years ago. I found it a bit silly at the time, but my experience with Seventeen made me realize it was possible.

It sounds sentimental but I am forever grateful for that. I’m writing this on Woozi’s birthday, whom I’m really thankful for writing songs that help.

I’m ending this with my favorite part from Circles, a song that reminds me of my mom, and something I hold the closest to my heart.

Let’s sing together
To cover the sadness with the powerful song
It’s gonna be okay, like the hands on the clock
They’ll go in circles back to their places

circles by seventeen