Many groups have turned to virtual concerts in the past year as the only outlet to showcase their music from 2020. After an incredible slew of releases, including million sellers Heng:garae and Semicolon, SEVENTEEN is the latest group to hop on the online concert trend.

It seems like every facet of life has adapted to today’s new normal, but K-Pop has done its best to charge on, with artists still releasing content left and right. One glaring difference, however, is the absence of concerts and in-person events. The fan-idol relationship is arguably at the heart of the K-Pop experience, and while fans frequently long to see their idols, it’s not often that idols express the same sentiment so intensely—because few have had to miss fans to this extent before. SEVENTEEN is no exception, the group having gone almost a year without an in-person performance, and the members have shared the toll it has taken on them. This has led to an emotionally-charged online concert experience in the form of the aptly named IN-COMPLETE.

In a bold artistic move, the group traded in hard-hitting concert regulars like “CLAP” and “Don’t Wanna Cry” for a more sentimental setlist, consisting almost entirely of B-sides. And while the theatrics were still there—it was a SEVENTEEN concert, after all—the show felt less like a spectacle and more like a very personal reminder that absence makes the heart grow fonder.

A Different Approach

The concert opened on a grandiose scale, with the group’s three unit leaders S.Coups, Hoshi, and Woozi emerging onto the stage in a new rendition of “Intro. 新世界" (New World)” off the group’s TEEN,AGE album. Hoshi and Woozi then stayed onstage for an explosive performance of their duet “BRING IT,” followed by the entrance of Jun and The8 in their stunning duet “MY I.” Jeonghan, Seungkwan, and Wonwoo made their entrance next, with an alluring version of the unit song “Flower,” accompanied by a fierce dance solo by Dino and powerful rap courtesy of S.Coups. The group finally coalesced with the appearances of Joshua, DK, Mingyu, and Vernon in a performance of “Fear” which flowed seamlessly into a full-scale production of Heng:garae’s “Fearless.”

Continuing the trend of newer songs, the group then performed the recently revealed Korean version of their Japanese single “Fallin’ Flower,” before ending the opening segment of the concert with a performance of 2018’s ode to fans “THANKS.” Interestingly enough, “THANKS” was the only older title track performed in full—something perhaps quite telling about the nature of the concert’s heartfelt intentions. After a not-so-brief introduction (the group does consist of 13 members, after all), the sentimentality continued with the debut of “Lie Again” and a moving performance of the group’s ballad “Kidult.”

The Units

As is tradition for SEVENTEEN concerts, the group then broke into unit stages, with the hip-hop team leading off in an in-your-face, first-time performance of “Back It Up.” As the unit songs from 2019’s An Ode had never been performed on tour, it was expected that the vocal team would’ve followed up with “Second Life,” however, in a surprising turn of events, they sang a piano-version of their 2017 ballad “Habit.” The performance unit changed things up even further with an electrifying remix of “Moonwalker,” featuring new choreography.

Perhaps the most anticipated part of the concert was the likelihood of new unit stages featuring the age-line songs from Semicolon, and IN-COMPLETE did not disappoint. First up was the 95-line, consisting of S.Coups, Jeonghan, and Joshua, with their soft-pop track “AH! LOVE,” set against a swanky, jazz club-inspired set. The 96-line then cranked up the heat with an understated, sensual performance of “Light a Flame,” in which members Hoshi, Jun, Wonwoo, and Woozi let their provocative choreography speak for itself. Whereas female dancers had featured in previous stages of the concert, the sultry “Light a Flame” surprisingly had an all-male crew of backup dancers, a choice which set it apart from the rest of the stages.

In stark contrast to the muted set of “Light a Flame,” 97-line’s infectious, friendship anthem “HEY BUDDY” brought back SEVENTEEN’s token theatrics, with a musical-worthy set including personal touches from DK, Mingyu, and The8. The maknae line closed out the unit performances with “Do Re Mi,” which adorably paired Seungkwan, Vernon, and Dino with young children that represented their younger selves.

All 13 members joined forces for a serotonin-tastic stage of “Snap Shoot” where they shopped for party goods in a supermarket-themed set. Things only got more theatrical as the group moved into a traffic-themed performance of “Left & Right,” a stage that gave a whole new meaning to “swerving” biases. A dazzling performance of their latest title track “HOME;RUN” concluded this portion of the show, followed by a sentimental stage of one of the group’s first tracks, “Shining Diamonds.” While “Adore U” was the group’s debut song, “Shining Diamonds” was the first song SEVENTEEN performed as a full group back in 2015; it’s a song teeming with nostalgia, and to see the now very established group perform it in present day was particularly heartwarming.

Us, Again

Encores usually open with energetic crowd-pleasers, but for this concert, SEVENTEEN took a more emotional approach and started off with Semicolon’s closing track “All My Love.” During promotions, the group admitted the song was a late addition to the tracklist, added on only after it was decided the album felt like it was missing something. That something turned out to be SEVENTEEN’s sincere feelings for their fans, Carats—a motif that frequently shows up in their releases, and one that was ever-present in IN-COMPLETE’s encore. The love was proved mutual, however, with the next surprise performance: a fan-sung version of SEVENTEEN’s unreleased song “Us, Again.” Posted only on YouTube following the conclusion of the group’s Hit The Road series, “Us, Again” is a song that sings of being destined to meet again, a message that is all the more poignant in the present time. Despite their upbeat natures for the majority of the concert, SEVENTEEN was not immune to the somber mood brought on by the voices of their fans, with several members even shedding tears. As they delivered their ending comments against the instrumentals of “Smile Flower,” members honestly shared their feelings on the harsh reality that the day when fans and idols meet again might still be far in the future. It was an unexpectedly raw moment that made the virtual concert feel all the more authentic.

Not one to linger on sad emotions, SEVENTEEN picked things back up with a buoyant and laidback performance of this past summer’s “My My,” before smoothly transitioning into “Campfire,” a special, feel-good song written about the members’ affections for each other. After a seemingly final goodbye, the boys re-emerged not with their usual endless “VERY NICE” encore, but with their song “Healing,” another that is held very dearly in the hearts of fans. Though the lack of “VERY NICE” was surprising at first, closing with “Healing” felt all the more appropriate given the circumstances. SEVENTEEN wanted to leave fans with happy memories and the promise that they will meet again one day soon, a sentiment that a beaming Woozi mirrored when he unpromptedly shouted, “Carats, I miss you!”

For more than one reason, IN-COMPLETE was vastly different from the usual SEVENTEEN concert. Gone were popular title tracks, instead replaced by almost every fan song the group has ever released. This was a concert not aimed at the public, but instead a very personal one for fans. And for this reason, despite all the differences and the online nature, it felt just as genuine as any in-person performance. Though they admitted feeling awkward in an empty venue, SEVENTEEN’s personalities showed through the screen, creating as intimate of an experience as any other. Personally speaking, IN-COMPLETE felt just as real as those times that I’ve been lucky enough to share with SEVENTEEN in person, which is something that speaks volumes to the authenticity of the group. Although virtual, this concert is a memory I and many Carats, and surely SEVENTEEN, will hold close, at least until we meet again.