Seventeenth Heaven

Seventeenth Heaven is the eleventh extended play (EP) by South Korean boy band Seventeen, released on October 23, 2023, by Pledis Entertainment through YG Plus, five months following the release of FML (2023). Produced by Woozi and Bumzu, the eight-track EP is a primarily upbeat record, serving as a celebration of the band's career thus far. It is led by the single "God of Music", and includes a collaboration with the American producer Marshmello titled "SOS".

Commercially, the EP became the most pre-ordered release in South Korean history, with 5.20 million pre-orders.

Background
On April 24, 2023, Seventeen released their tenth EP, FML, which became the second most pre-ordered release in South Korean history prior to its release. Due to their busy schedules, the band began preparations for their next mini album, Seventeenth Heaven, while promoting FML.

Amid promotions for FML, member Seungkwan went on hiatus for medical reasons, though he pledged to resume activities in time for their next release. In support of the EP, the band embarked on the Follow Tour, starting at the Tokyo Dome on September 8.

Music and lyrics


Seventeenth Heaven comprises eight tracks and has a runtime of 26 minutes and 45 seconds. Woozi and Bumzu spearheaded the production of the EP, while members S.Coups, Mingyu, Vernon, Wonwoo and Hoshi participated in writing the tracks for the release. American DJ and producer Marshmello served as a producer to the opening track "SOS".

Contrasting with its predecessor FML, the EP expresses an unabashed, joyous celebration of the band's career. Several songs in the release have been described by Billboard as having an "upbeat production".

Songs
The EP opens with the English-language track "SOS", which exhibits "hints of rock" and Jersey club influences. The upbeat soul funk track, "God of Music", serves as the release's lead single, which has been described as being "colorful sounding". "Diamond Days" samples "Shining Diamond" from their debut EP 17 Carat (2015). As is with previous releases, the EP features three "unit" songs. "Back 2 Back" is an EDM track performed by the group's performance unit laced with a retro, video game theme. "Monster" is performed by the group's hip-hop unit. The piano-led ballad "Yawn" is performed by the group's vocal unit. The EP closes with the track "Headliner", which serves as a song of gratitude to the band's following.

Release and promotion
The group announced the release on their social media on September 18, 2023, and made it available for preorder two days later. An accompanying teaser clip shows a red festival wristband with the album title and release date. On October 16, Seventeen revealed the tracklist for the record. However, on October 19, Pledis Entertainment announced that leader S.Coups would refrain from participating in the promotions for the EP, focusing on his recovery following a knee injury; as a result, his appearance in the "God of Music" music video was filmed separately from the other members.

In the run-up to the EP's release, Seventeen organized pop-up street events throughout South Korea. For the events, the band collaborated with local restaurants and installed "art walls" with works inspired by the band. The group also released a series of trailers titled "SVT Right Here" featuring footage of Seoul, Tokyo, Paris, New York City, and Beijing shrouded in balloons resembling chamomile flowers, hinting the centers of promotion for the album. However, a teaser for the album depicting the Great Wall of China drew flak from Chinese audiences, citing cultural insensitivity, resulting in its removal and an apology from the agency.

Title and artwork
The EP's title is derived from the English term "seventh heaven," which is defined as "the state of extreme joy". The physical version of the EP was released in three different variants: the AM 5:26 version depicts the start of an imaginative festival at dawn; the PM 2:14 version sees the festival in full swing; and the PM 10:23 version presents the festival finale. Each version constitutes a unique design and includes posters, lyric books and picture cards.

Follow Tour
In promotion of the album, the group added shows to their Follow Tour, with shows to be staged in Japan, Thailand, the Philippines, and Macao, extending the tour's run to January 2024.

Critical reception
In a mixed review, NME critic Abby Webster noted that while the EP had the potential to match their previous works, the vocal processing set a "firm ceiling for the mini-album's greatness". However, Webster complimented the EP for continuing to "to flex their consistency and creativity as a collective". Maria Sherman from The Associated Press praised the album for involving Seventeen members in its composition and lyrics, describing it as "a release that feels remarkably true to them: a celebration of their success, and the motivation to push harder in the future".

Commercial performance
By October 12, Seventeenth Heaven had amassed 4.67 million stock pre-orders, surpassing the record of 4.64 million pre-orders with their previous album FML. It became the most pre-ordered release in history, with 5.20 million pre-orders, breaking the record of 5.13 million set in May 2023 by Stray Kids' 5-Star.

According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI)'s Global Music Report for 2023, Seventeenth Heaven was the fourth most-consumed album across all formats, and the eighth best-selling album worldwide, having sold 4.5 million units.