BSS Proves Youth is Forever in Fashion with TELEPARTY

The kings of quirky K-Pop are back with their latest single album TELEPARTY along with their new anthem for the people “CBZ (Prime time).”

From their first release back in 2018 “Just do it,” it was clear that BOOSEOKSOON (BSS) would fill a much needed niche in K-Pop. Fast forward seven years and the gag trio of SEVENTEEN, Hoshi, DK, and Seungkwan, have solidified their position as the leaders of kitschy K-Pop. Following the wild success of 2023’s “Fighting (Feat. Lee Youngji),” which even won the group a daesang for “Performance of the Year” at the 2023 Asia Artist Awards, is their new song “CBZ (Prime time).” Like “Fighting,” “CBZ” is meant to inspire: it presents the idea that youth has nothing to do with age, but rather, is the concept of living life to the fullest. The Korean name for the track is “청바지” which literally means “jeans,” but also serves as an acronym for “youth is now” or “청춘은 바로 지금,” the meaning behind the song. It is this declaration that propels the release as the trio urges listeners to forget their troubles and find joy in the present—amidst plenty of tongue-in-cheek self-references like the long-running joke “행복은 부석순,” or “happiness is BSS.”

“CBZ” is funky in that quintessential BSS way, led by a fast-paced beat with punches of brass and piano. The boys don’t hold back on the vocal power either, delivering a spunky performance that showcases their lung capacity if anything else (they are known to be the louder members of SEVENTEEN, after all). The repetitions of “청춘은 바로 지금” in the bridge that start as whispers only to build into chanting culminates in what many find as the high-point of the song: Seungkwan’s cheeky “yeoboseyo” line that leads into the last chorus, made all the better with a flirty little wink in the music video.

The video for “CBZ” is of course just as fun as its musical inspiration. It opens with Uhm Junghwa welcoming BSS back to the stage in a fashion similar to when she announced SEVENTEEN as the winners for “Album of the Year” at the 2023 MAMA Awards (“Finally, it’s them!). The boys waste no time in kicking things into high gear with leader DK proudly announcing, “They call us BOOSEOKSOON.” From there, the scene shifts between an office full of overworked employees, a classroom of stressed out students, and a tense fight between a mother and daughter as the trio goes around spreading joy, and enthusiastically handing out pairs of jeans. As is usual with SEVENTEEN-related releases, the choreography is nothing to scoff at either: the three members bust plenty of high-energy moves under a disco ball and on a sports field.

TELEPARTY is only a single album and so along with “CBZ” it offers two B-sides: “Happy Alone” and “Love Song.” The B-sides both really lean into the overall ‘90s concept of the comeback (the release was preluded by some of the most cohesive concept photos the boys have had in their careers), both utilizing synths and electronic beats that will sound very familiar to anyone who lived through the 1990s music scene.

“Happy Alone” is a percussive track that sounds like a typical ‘90s boy band pop hit while “Love Song” pulls more from R&B. Much like SECOND WIND’s “7PM (Feat. Peder Elias),” the song ends the album on a softer note that lets the vocals shine. DK and Seungkwan are known for having some of the most impressive voices in modern K-Pop, but one of the biggest treats of a BSS release is getting to see Hoshi, who is predominantly recognized for his dance skills, receive the same treatment and more than hold his own against SEVENTEEN’s main vocalists. There’s no denying that these three together make up one of the most talented trios in K-Pop today; TELEPARTY—and even more fittingly “CBZ”—is simply another notch in their very decorated belts.

Edited by Lacey Diluvio