[CELEB] SEVENTEEN is staying strong even seven years in

There's a saying that most K-pop idol groups disband or significantly lose popularity around the seven-year mark, but the curse does not seem to apply to boy band SEVENTEEN. In fact, the band is seeing its highest sales since debuting in 2015 ..

S.COUPS, member and leader of boy band SEVENTEEN [PLEDIS ENTERTAINMENT]

There's a saying that most K-pop idol groups disband or significantly lose popularity around the seven-year mark, but the curse does not seem to apply to boy band SEVENTEEN. In fact, the band is seeing its highest sales since debuting in 2015. Its upcoming fourth full-length album “Face the Sun” sold over 2 million copies in preorders alone as of May 20, setting a new record for the group.

While fans of other K-pop acts that debuted sometime in 2015 fret over potential disbanding, since most agency contracts are seven years long and due for renewal this year, SEVENTEEN fans do not have to worry about that either. Last year, all 13 members — S.COUPS, WONWOO, MINGYU, VERNON, WOOZI, JEONGHAN, JOSHUA, DK, SEUNGKWAN, HOSHI, JUN, THE8 and DINO — renewed their contracts with Pledis Entertainment in advance, a great relief for SEVENTEEN’s fandom, dubbed CARAT.

SEVENTEEN will release its fourth full-length album "Face the Sun" on May 27. [PLEDIS ENTERTAINMENT]

SEVENTEEN's "Face the Sun" includes the band’s first English-lyric song “Darl+ing,” which was released in advance as a single in April and topped the iTunes' music charts in 34 countries. [PLEDIS ENTERTAINMENT]

Featuring nine tracks including lead track “HOT,” “Face the Sun” will officially drop on Friday at 1 p.m. The album also features the band’s first English-lyric song “Darl+ing,” which was released in advance in April as a single and topped the iTunes’ music charts in 34 countries. SEVENTEEN has long been a globally popular act, and the love song was a much-awaited English-lyric track dedicated to its international fandom.

SEVENTEEN’s oldest member and leader S.COUPS has been successfully leading the team for the past seven years. His interesting alias is a combination of S, which stands both for his given name Seungcheol and for SEVENTEEN, and COUPS meaning a notable or successful act.

S.COUPS is also the leader of SEVENTEEN's hip-hop team. [PLEDIS ENTERTAINMENT]

SEVENTEEN's hip-hop team consists of members S.COUPS, WONWOO, MINGYU and VERNON. [PLEDIS ENTERTAINMENT]

S.COUPS is also the leader of the group’s hip-hop team. Members of SEVENTEEN each belong to one of the group’s three subunits: hip-hop, vocal and performance teams. This unit system is where the boy band’s often misunderstood name comes from — 13 members plus three units together under one team make seventeen.

Since debuting with their first EP “17 CARAT” and the lead track “Adore U” in 2015, SEVENTEEN members have been known to actively participate in writing their own music and lyrics, earning themselves the nickname “self-producing idols.” The band is best known for hits “Very Nice” (2016), "Don't Wanna Cry" (2017) and "Ready to Love" (2021). As the leader of the hip-hop team, S.COUPS is especially known for his powerful rapping style and lyric-writing talent, often in charge of a striking opening verse in SEVENTEEN’s songs. S.COUPS and members HOSHI and WOOZI, leaders of the performance team and vocal team respectively, also formed the subunit LEADERS in 2017.

The boy band will embark on its world tour “SEVENTEEN WORLD TOUR [BE THE SUN]”, starting with two Seoul concerts on June 25 and 26. [PLEDIS ENTERTAINMENT]

The boy band is to embark on its world tour “SEVENTEEN WORLD TOUR [BE THE SUN]”, starting with two Seoul concerts on June 25 and 26. It will tour 12 cities in the United States and Canada from August, followed by its Asia and Japan tour. This is SEVENTEEN’s first world tour since 2019, which saw later concerts canceled due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

S.COUPS [PLEDIS ENTERTAINMENT]

S.COUPS (Choi Seungcheol)

Date of birth: Aug. 8, 1995 Zodiac sign: Leo Birthplace: Daegu Debut: May 2015 as a member of boy band SEVENTEEN Agency: Pledis Entertainment

S.COUPS debuted as a member and the leader of SEVENTEEN in 2015 through the boy band’s first EP “17 CARAT.” The band, dubbed “self-producing idols” for their active participation in songwriting and lyric-writing, went on to release hits “Adore U” (2015), “Very Nice” (2016), "Don't Wanna Cry" and more. SEVENTEEN consists of hip-hop, vocal and performance subunits. S.COUPS leads the hip-hop team and is known for his powerful rapping style.

This information was confirmed by Pledis Entertainment on May 26, 2022.

BY HALEY YANG [yang.hyunjoo@joongang.co.kr]