In SEVENTEEN: Run-Up the Leap, the documentary that explores the group’s performance at Lollapalooza Berlin 2024, HOSHI makes a clear, simple pledge: “We’ll show everyone what K-pop is about.” The SEVENTEEN members felt a certain amount of pressure “do” their “best” at the festival, as it was to be JEONGHAN’s last performance “for now” before having to enter the army—that, and the boys felt it was their destiny to put on a spectacular show that showed “what it means to be a team.” From opening songs “Super” and “DON QUIXOTE” right down to the endlessly repeating finale of “VERY NICE,” the one-and-a-half-hour concert was nonstop hit after high-octane hit, complete with new arrangements specially made for the festival with a backing band, and a “crazy” live performance where you could hear every note and breath. And rather than talk about all the effort they put into practicing and the challenges they faced, they just got out there in front of tens of thousands of their fans and proved that nobody does K-pop quite like SEVENTEEN does.
Now, the A&R, Sound Lab, choreography team, and performance directing team, all of who worked out the details of the concert from start to finish, share some behind-the-scenes stories about SEVENTEEN’s big show at Lollapalooza—the last summer days in Berlin where “Headliner” SEVENTEEN sang about how “this shining moment we have together / Gives me courage for all the days to come.”
[Exposition: Concert prep]
Settling on a set list for European fans
A&R Team: Sadly, there haven’t been many opportunities to go out and see fans in Europe, so our plan for the set list was to choose songs that would show off who SEVENTEEN is as a group, plus a different side of them than what was shown at Glastonbury earlier in the year. That’s why most of the songs on the set list for Lollapalooza Berlin 2024 were songs that play a major part in SEVENTEEN’s concerts. It opened with “Super,” their signature “mega crew” performance, followed by “DON QUIXOTE,” another song with a huge sense of scale. We also included everything from moving songs like “Ready to love” and “Rock with you” that are still filled with youthful SEVENTEEN energy, to sweeping, powerful songs like “CLAP” and “HOT,” along with performances by the group’s main units and their special subunits.
SEUNGKWAN’s the one who first came up with the idea for the special subunit performances. You don’t usually get to see subunits like BSS or SVT LEADERS in Europe, so there was a lot of determination there to give the fans at Lollapalooza these performances. HOSHI had to perform with BSS, SVT LEADERS, and the performance team, which was no doubt tiring, but he was fueled by his passion for putting on a great show.
Specially arranged versions tailored to the group
A&R Team: When arranging SEVENTEEN’s songs for a live band, the most important question is, Is there any dissonance between the sound and the existing performance? The structure and every dance move of a performance is tailored to the sound of the original, so even slight changes in the source song’s mood or timing can alter the feel of the performance. To match these subtle senses, the performance director joined the arrangement meetings and gave detailed feedback, and the A&R team followed the choreography rehearsals to feel out the direction to take the arrangements.
Also, one of SEVENTEEN’s strengths is all the uniquely alluring vocals that come from having so many members. Both of the main vocalists, DK and SEUNGKWAN, are exceptionally talented. DK’s vocals are refreshing and powerful, while SEUNGKWAN’s are husky and emotional. The other members of the group have distinctive vocal styles ranging from clean and clear to tough and high-energy, so we keep their parts in mind when making an arrangement. For instance, DK sings in the intro to “HOT” to give it a powerful feeling, and the instruments mostly drop out for SEUNGKWAN’s part in “Headliner” to really bring out the emotional climax.
Sound Lab: SEVENTEEN’s performances span a wide range of different genres, so we were very specific about maintaining the character and flow of the songs and their performances even when switching up a genre, including adjusting the drums and making sure their vocals sounded good and were balanced in the mix. Making sure SEVENTEEN’s voices came across as vividly and sharply as possible was crucial, so the focus was on finding a balance between getting their energy across to the audience and bringing out the liveliness of their vocals. SEVENTEEN sounds amazing when they sing live, so to make their vocals shine, the emphasis was placed on making something that sounded both natural and powerful.
Rehearsals focused on what makes SEVENTEEN, SEVENTEEN
Yoon Hye Lim, Performance Directing Team LP: Given how few concerts there’s been in Europe so far, work on the concert focused as much as possible on aiming to give European fans a quintessential SEVENTEEN performance. We focused on their essence to ensure that the group’s exciting performances, along with the fullness of the music provided by the band, would feel familiar to fans cheering from afar.
Even when we were talking the set list over with the group, we looked for songs that would help us make the roughly 1.5-hour show a feast for the eyes and ears that would leave their fans fully satisfied. We decided we needed to bring in the choreography team to be in talks with us over the decisions at the same time. There were songs that showed the group’s chemistry with backup dancers like “Super,” “DON QUIXOTE,” and “MAESTRO,” and energy-boosting songs like “Left & Right,” “God of Music,” and “HOT.” There were performances from the three subunits—the hip hop, performance, and vocal teams. There was the unexpected twist of including both BSS and SVT LEADERS. With all that on the set list, it ran the risk of being too much for them, but the boys were determined to give everything they’ve got, so they all practiced really hard, and I think the result was an amazing concert.
Lee Eunsol, Choreography Team: With that big a group, there’s a lot of different formations and dances to work with. What’s great about them is that each member can do it all. I mean, SEVENTEEN’s fantastic at dancing! They practiced really hard so they wouldn’t get in each other’s way when onstage.
On Seungu, Choreography Team: Everyone in SEVENTEEN is quite distinct, yet their in-sync group dances are something else, and I think that’s because every single one of them’s so good at dancing. And since the group’s basically perfect, the backup dancers did more than just practice together as a group—they even put a lot of time into practicing individually so they could put on a high-quality performance.
Kang Seongchan, Choreography Team: When you’re preparing for a performance with SEVENTEEN, it’s always passion, passion, passion! (laughs) Watching the group dance during practice really spurs me on as a dancer. The choreography and whole structure of their performances are incredibly detailed and there’s meaning behind each and every part. There’s nothing remotely simple about it and yet SEVENTEEN does these intense routines to perfection.
[Rising action: Backstage jitters and excitement]
Loosening up
Lee Eunsol, Choreography Team: Before the group goes onstage, they always give everyone words of encouragement, which goes a long way in helping calm the nerves. That let us turn our pre-show jitters into a fighting spirit for this concert and put on a great performance.
On Seungu, Choreography Team: We could see how big the crowd was before the show got started. Even us on the choreography team tensed up seeing that many people in the audience. Everyone tried to find their own way to shake out the jitters—doing some exercise or double-checking the choreo. It was a surprising reminder of how influential SEVENTEEN is, seeing a whole sea of fans cheering and singing along, even in Korean. I feel like that reward made all the physical demands worth it, even for us.
Kang Seongchan, Choreography Team: I was so nervous before going onstage that I couldn’t muster up an ounce of strength in my body, so I tried to find the strength by exercising and bringing up the mood and energy there. But then they showed us a picture of the audience from the stage and I was so happy and grateful just to be able to perform in a place like that. SEVENTEEN rocks! (laughs) And the feeling stayed with me for a really long time even after the performance was over. I was physically tired and exhausted, but in my heart I was so excited and pumped up that it was all I could talk about the whole way back to the green room.
Unleash the Spirit Bomb
A&R Team: Getting ready for Lollapalooza was the same as with other performances. They practiced tons to make sure they’d be in sync with the band and backup dancers, and they sang their parts while dancing a lot to make sure their vocals would be lively. This group commits fully to every single one of their performances and every one of them does their very best at all times. You could see how excited they were at the festival right from the opening song. It was like they were saying, We’ve been building up a Spirit Bomb—now here it comes! I heard from them after the show that they could feel how intense the energy in that place was as soon as they started, too. Their performance was explosive and their fans responded in kind with tons of energy. I think it must’ve been a really memorable concert for the singers and the fans alike.
[Turning point: Bringing the heat]
Balancing vocals and drums
Sound Lab: The vocals and drums were vital to the energy of the concert and we were careful to make sure the performance would be intense and dynamic by making those two sounds resonate deeply with the audience. The balanced vocal–drum combo was a guiding force as the concert moved through songs of different genres, keeping up the energy and emotion all throughout.
A performance worthy of a “Headliner”
Kang Sangjun, Choreography Team: What makes SEVENTEEN’s performances so striking is how talented and expressive all the members of the group are and how well they move in perfect unison among themselves and with their backup dancers. All the sweat and hard work that everyone, including the SEVENTEEN members, the choreography team, and the performance directors, put in came together beautifully to create an amazing and perfectly coordinated performance. We went up onstage wanting to give their European fans the very best show possible because they were already cheering so loudly. Every single second of the concert was electrifying.
Lee Eunsol, Choreography Team: I said to myself, When will I ever get the chance to come to Lollapalooza again? So I made sure to take in the whole thing with my own eyes. My favorite memory from the whole thing was when they were singing “Headliner” and a huge cloud of confetti came raining down. It was a beautiful, perfect display of SEVENTEEN and the epitome of youth. They did such a fantastic job as the headliners.
[Resolution: After the curtain]
Post-show thoughts
A&R Team: We were actually a bit worried right up until the day of the concert that the daytime heat would drive people away or that they wouldn’t be as engaged because it’s a festival, but thankfully it was filled with fans from all over Europe and they cheered and sang along with such passion that it turned out we were worrying for nothing. We were really grateful for that. Seeing these people there from different cultures who speak different languages so in love with SEVENTEEN’s performances and their content made us that much more determined to work hard to give them good content so we can repay them for their interest and support. It was an honor to be on the team working on this concert alongside this group of world-renowned headliners.
Sound Lab: From working on their performances to getting up onstage, SEVENTEEN is constantly growing, at every moment. They’re always trying to craft a new story that goes beyond mere song and dance and brings out each member’s individuality and skill. They bring that determination to do their best onto the stage and shine brighter for it. Assuming responsibility for SEVENTEEN’s sound at a major festival in front of countless audience members was an absolute honor. Calibrating and fine-tuning the audio in a short span of time to make sure the artists could fully express themselves on stage was a mission-critical job, but we’re proud to say that everything ultimately went smoothly. And when you’re at a festival of that size, there’s a lot of moving parts, which makes things a little tense, but we could pull it off without a hitch thanks to working alongside the STAR SOUND audio directors and the A&R staff. We’ll keep striving to deliver the best sound possible. Thank you.
On Seungu, Choreography Team: During the concert, the SEVENTEEN members were kind enough to watch the backup dancers from the sidelines when they weren’t performing. We felt like they were cheering us on and that motivated us to go even harder. And whenever the backup dancers had a little downtime during the show, they’d gather in front of the monitor to watch the group, and even on that monitor, it felt like we were watching TV because SEVENTEEN’s so good at singing and dancing, plus talking and everything else there is to performing.
Kang Seongchan, Choreography Team: There are no words to describe SEVENTEEN onstage. They practice everything to perfection, so once they’re up there, they’re totally in the moment and enjoying themselves. They’re amazing.
Kang Sangjun, Choreography Team: The SEVENTEEN members are goofy and just regular people when they’re offstage, but once they get up there, they’re absolute professionals and a completely different side of them comes out. When I look at them, I see a group that’s already at their peak and yet keeps getting better.