As of May 26, Carats have spent six wonderful years with SEVENTEEN. As a treat to both the group and their fans, this week’s Throwback Thursday takes a look back at some of SEVENTEEN’s best performances since their debut.

“Adore U (Acoustic Version)”

In 2015, just months after their debut, the vocal team of SEVENTEEN released a special acoustic version of their debut track “Adore U.” Though they were young, the performance is a testament to their talent: in addition to stunning vocals and beautiful harmonies, Joshua even arranged the song, impressively turning a song created for 13 members into one performed by only five—far from an easy feat, let alone for a rookie.  

“VERY NICE” at the 2016 MelOn Music Awards

At the 2016 MelOn Music Awards, SEVENTEEN opened the show with a bang, clad in black and white as they showed off their skills with possibly their most famous song “VERY NICE.” The performance starts off with the members dancing in pairs before coming together in a jazz version of the song which bursts into the original arrangement at the chorus. Though they didn’t win the award that night, this was the start of an award season where the group would win numerous rookie awards that were well-deserved if this performance was anything to judge by. 

2017 KBS Song Festival

By 2017, SEVENTEEN had truly started gaining momentum thanks to their hit song “Don’t Wanna Cry,” and the success paid off with a 20-minute feature at that year’s KBS Song Festival. Opening with a piano solo from Jun and a solo dance by Hoshi, the performance starts with an orchestral version of “Don’t Wanna Cry” which then breaks the group into their respective units to showcase their charms. First up is the vocal team with a heart-wrenching performance of “Habit,” then the hip-hop team with their mixtape track “Check-In,” before the performance team (minus The8 due to his health) rounds out the unit portion with the physical-album-only song “Who.” The talent doesn’t stop there though, as vocal team leader Woozi comes back on stage to deliver a jaw-dropping drum solo that transitions into a rock version of “BOOM BOOM.” The performance ends with a guitar solo from Mingyu before the group coalesces once again with their song “CLAP.”

“Short Hair” on Immortal Songs

2018 was a momentous year for SEVENTEEN when it came to live performances, particularly on Immortal Songs with their performance of Cho Youngpil’s “Short Hair.” The cover is a perfect fit for SEVENTEEN’s boisterous charisma, allowing almost all of the members to showcase their vocal skills in one of the group’s most fun stages. DK’s enthusiasm is particularly unmatched and Seungkwan’s opening notes are breathtaking. Personally speaking, as a Hoshi stan, I’ve lost count how many times my heart has stopped at his part in the pre-chorus.

“HIT” at the 2019 MBC Gayo Daejejeon

SEVENTEEN quite literally brought the heat with their closing performance of “HIT” at 2019’s MBC Gayo Daejejeon. Armed with a flamethrower (yes, you read that right), Mingyu entered the stage, setting the tone for a fire performance. Regrettably, both S.Coups and Jeonghan were absent due to their health, but the rest of the group stepped up their game to fill the void, especially in an added dance break to their already ridiculously difficult choreography. 

2020 The Fact Music Awards

With not one, but two million-seller albums, 2020 was a hallmark year in SEVENTEEN’s career; in fact, they were so confident in their releases that during the year-end shows, they let their B-sides do the talking. At The Fact Music Awards, the group showcased a versatile performance that started off with their heartfelt track “Kidult,” wherein all 13 members impressed with live vocals. The performance then transitioned into the Korean version of their Japanese single “Fallin’ Flower,” then ended with an explosive stage of Heng:garae’s “Fearless.” It’s one thing to flex your biggest hits at award shows, but it’s another thing entirely to be so talented that you flex your B-sides. 

“HOME;RUN” on The Late Late Show with James Corden

Thus far, 2021 has seen SEVENTEEN stake their claim on U.S. television, starting with a dazzling performance of “HOME;RUN” on The Late Late Show with James Corden. While American stages tend to feel too small for the large scale productions usually seen in K-Pop, the behind-the-scenes concept of SEVENTEEN’s performance on Corden did their charisma justice. In just a little over three minutes of Broadway-worthy dancing and singing, the personalities of all 13 members were able to shine like the diamonds they are. 

Honorable Mention: 2018 Gaon Chart Awards

With the intention to keep this to one performance per year and at the lack of an official video, I sadly had to cut this performance from my list. That being said, this nearly 15-minute long award show performance which boasts “MY I,” “Crazy in Love,” “Don’t Wanna Cry,” and an especially gut-wrenching stage of then-new song “THANKS” shows SEVENTEEN at their most passionate, giving many fans goosebumps to this day.