From their debut album 17 Carat selling 1400 copies in the first week of sales, SEVENTEEN has come a long way - selling 4.64 million albums in preorders, surpassing BTS’ Map of the Soul: 7 and setting a groundbreaking record in history of K-Pop.
Musically, FML showcases a mature and bold image of SEVENTEEN as they dive into new territory with their sound. There’s two ways to look at the acronym FML – Fuck My Life, the obvious one, and Fight for My Life, an alternative the band wants Carats (their fans) and the general audience to explore. The album is an unfiltered reflection of the numerous hurdles hidden behind a seemingly perfect world and the fight to live life on our own terms. The two title tracks Fuck My Life and Super could not have been more different from each other, but they perfectly articulate the message of the album.
1. Fuck My Life (Title)
Fuck My Life is not your traditional SEVENTEEN title track. It explores a melancholic sound with a slower tempo. S.Coups opens the song in a strong fashion with ‘This fucking world’, cursing out life for being so aimless and defeating, which you’d think the song is about. But as the chorus approaches it takes a turn and urges the listener to ‘Fight for my life’ – delivering a hopeful message amidst all the hardships of life.
2. 손오공 (Super) (Title)
Inspired heavily by every version of Son Goku in the world of manga, anime, movies and novels, Super adopts the grandest scale Seventeen has ever attempted. With 200 backup dancers and an entirely performance-based MV, the song brims with love and energy for the team – ‘I love my team, I love my crew’ being the chant of the year. And of course ‘DARUMDARIMDA’ has entranced Carats, especially the contrast between Mingyu’s and Joshua’s versions (I’m swooning).
3. Fire – Hip Hop Team
With Wonwoo, Vernon and Bumzu at the helm of production, the Hip Hop team have come into their own unique sound, refusing to shy away from a challenge. Fire is exciting on multiple levels and I cannot wait to see the energy they bring to it on stage. I do wish there was more from the rap verses, but that beat, the Wonwoo, the Mingyu? And S.Coups?! VERNON?! I’m a goner.
4. I Don’t Understand But I Luv U – Performance Team
Hoshi was inspired by a Carat’s comment that read ‘I don’t understand, but I luv u’, ultimately giving birth to this sultry, mature sound from the Performance Team. Hands down the best song the unit’s delivered. The song describes how love transcends any language barrier and God do I feel the ‘love’. From the first note of that electric guitar, you just know this is one of your favourites off the album, if not the favourite.
5. 먼지 (Dust) – Vocal Team
A classic Seventeen sound, as expected since the OG production team made this baby (shoutout to Park Kitae<3). Compared to the other tracks, I wouldn’t say the music is out of the ordinary for Seventeen, but the vocals take the spotlight making this track so beautiful. The clarity and softness of their voices lend heavily to the dependable nature of the track. And the lyrics? I’m depressed, but I’m vigorously vibing.
6. April Shower
Another classic Seventeen sound, and the most ‘K-pop’ sounding track. It’s very hopeful and upbeat which warms your heart. I love how the song alludes to April showers blooming May flowers. Apart from saying things get better after a rough period, there’s also the fact that SEVENTEEN debuted in May after all the trials of their trainee years. In fact, May 26th marks their 8th year as a team!
FML has made me feel hopeful, brave, happy, and comforted in many ways, which is why I cherish this album. Emotions aside, I believe that despite all the maturity it displays, the boldness of the album dials down through the tracks. The first four are very new sounds for the team, which begs the question – was there a need to play it safe?
As a certified, pre-debut Carat, I’d say yes. While SEVENTEEN is on the course of global music domination, they really value and hold the relationship they have with Carats so close to their hearts. They are people who never forget their rookie determination and ambition, so having tracks that pay homage to the sound they started off with is their way of appreciating their journey as artists and thanking the fans for supporting them along the way.
Ananya Anand is a current second-year student studying for a Bachelor of Advanced Science degree. She’s a huge Formula 1 fan and is still in denial that Sebastian Vettel actually retired. His retirement video scarred her. Deeply. She’s also the biggest Carat you’ll meet and prays every day for Seventeen to come to Sydney while she’s here (delusional right).
