Seventeen Get Dangerously Sexy in ‘Hot’

South Korean group Seventeen have returned with their fourth studio album Face The Sun and its explosive lead single, “Hot.” The record arrives two years and eight months after the band’s previous studio album, An Ode, which was released in 2019. 

At a press conference held earlier this morning, the group explained that Face The Sun marks the beginning of a brand new chapter for Seventeen and aims to show audiences a different side of the members. “Our fourth studio album Face The Sun is about our candid expressions, our ambitions and how we want to become unique and influential like the sun,” stated rapper Mingyu. “It’s also about hope, facing your fears and overcoming them.” 

The group had also dropped teasers to hint at these themes in the record prior to the release. “For our album promotions, we made a series of trailers about 13 different shadows, different fears each member has,” elaborated vocalist Dino. “And with our fourth studio album, we’ve overcome those fears and grown even stronger.”

Co-produced and co-written by vocalist Woozi, “Hot” is a hip-hop-based dance-pop track about Seventeen’s confidence in themselves and their strength to face their biggest fears. “I don’t want one more chance/ This moment I’m going right in/ Shadow cast with my back to the sun turns to light again/ Heart set on fire, no lie, we sure.” With “Hot,” the 13-member group aim to be ‘as impactful as the sun’ and represent who they truly are today. “When Woozi first gave us a listen to the track, we felt it really resembles Seventeen’s energy as it is right now, so we just knew right away it was going to be the focus song,” said vocalist Joshua. “We told Woozi that too and he was really happy to hear our feedback.”

The music video for “Hot” treats audiences to a bold, dangerous version of Seventeen who aren’t afraid to break the rules. The members wield guns, flames and ride monster SUVs, all while embracing blends of grunge, alternative and cowboy-inspired fashion, including piercings and vibrant hair colors. The choreography is as sizzling as the title and – in true Seventeen-style – as precise and complex as ever. The video culminates with fireworks and explosions as the group destroy their various sets, celebrating their ‘new’ selves. 

The goal of Face The Sun is to show the world that the group is more than just the cheerful, boy-next-door, happy image the media usually pushes. “Seventeen usually do a lot of bright music, but this time we are back with very sexy music,” said rapper Wonwoo. “The point is that we want to [express] our ambitions.” Vocalist Seungkwan added, “People just remember us as cheerful artists because we have upbeat songs, but Carat [the group’s fandom] knows what we’ve been through. With this studio album, instead of being comfortable and complacent with our image, we wanted to take on a challenge visual-wise and music wise.” 

Face The Sun features a total of nine tracks including “Hot” and the pop pre-release single, “Darl+ing.” Woozi shares writing and production credits on all the songs and Dino, leader S.Coups, rapper Vernon and vocalist Hoshi have also contributed to various numbers. The album also set an all-time-high pre-order sales record early on by surpassing the two million mark a week ahead of its release. 

Stream Seventeen’s ‘Face The Sun’ below: