[Review] THUNDER – SEVENTEEN

It has been 10 years to the day since SEVENTEEN kicked off their careers with Adore U. Since then, the group has embarked on a very fruitful career, with multiple album releases (some of which in recent years have been million-album sellers), world tours, and performances on world stages (like Lollapalooza Berlin Glastonbury Festival in 2024). To coincide with their 10th anniversary, the group has released their 5th studio album, HAPPY BURSTDAY, and the title track, THUNDER, today. It is their first release as a group since LOVE, MONEY & FAME (ft. DJ Khaled), the return of BSS with CBZ (Prime Time), the debut of their new subunit HxW (HOSHI x WOOZI) with 96ers, and WONWOO’s military enlistment last month. However, WONWOO and JEONGHAN (who enlisted last year) are also featured in this comeback.

THUNDER is an EDM-based club dance track. From the first second, THUNDER aims to deliver with its bold and dynamic instrumentation. And I can say, they were successful at doing just that. Without a doubt, THUNDER is one of the tracks that will hype up the crowd and maintain that energy to the song’s end. While I am pretty satisfied with how the song turned out, I can’t help but think about what THUNDER could have been like had it been longer. The song officially clocks in at 2:44 minutes, which isn’t bad. But because of its high energy, you can feel the shortness of the song more vividly. As for the members, I was impressed with their vocals and rapping for most of THUNDER. The pre-choruses were well done, while the rapping gave the song an extra kick. The first part of the chorus was catchy and quickly became addictive, thanks to S.COUPS, VERNON, HOSHI and JUN’s delivery of the hook. But I am just not convinced by ending with DK’s softer vocals. Faltering at the end didn’t feel right for such an energy-packed, robust song like THUNDER. I wish they had gone out with a bang (of some kind) instead.

I am not entirely sure what the video’s concept is, but I am glad they are partying throughout the music video. This matches up with the song quite well. There is also a psychedelic theme going on. The underground concept they went with for this comeback looks very urban and cool. Also, every member looked amazing throughout the video. I guess the ending with DK on the gurney shows how explosive SEVENTEEN can be, with the heart monitor showing the line blowing up.

Even after 10 years, SEVENTEEN’s synchronisation has never let up, and their performances have consistently impressed. In THUNDER‘s routine, they do it again by showcasing their impeccable synchronisation and impressing me with their dynamic and energetic flair. I like that the routine has a little wild side, which makes the choreography refreshing. The opening to the chorus (the ‘ALO, ALO‘) part was super cool and is definitely my pick for the highlight of the entire dance.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 10/10
Overall Rating – 8.7/10