Face the Sun

Face the Sun
Digital cover
Studio album by
Seventeen
ReleasedMay 27, 2022 (2022-05-27)
RecordedDecember 2021 – April 2022[1]
GenreK-pop
Length29:03
Language
  • Korean
  • English
Label
Seventeen chronology
Attacca
(2021) 		Face the Sun
(2022) 		Dream
(2022)
Singles from Face the Sun
  1. "Darl+ing"
    Released: April 15, 2022
  2. "Hot"
    Released: May 27, 2022
Sector 17 cover
Digital cover
Singles from Sector 17
  1. "Cheers (SVT Leaders)"
    Released: July 7, 2022
  2. "_World"
    Released: July 18, 2022

Face the Sun is the fourth studio album by South Korean boy band Seventeen. It was released on May 27, 2022, by Pledis Entertainment through YG Plus. The album contains nine tracks, with "Hot" serving as lead single. The first track, "Darl+ing", was pre-released on April 15, 2022.[2] The repackaged version of the album, titled Sector 17, released on July 18 alongside its lead single "World". The fourth track, "Cheers", was pre-released on July 7, 2022.[3]

Background

[edit]

In March, seven months after the release of the commercially successful EP Attacca, Pledis Entertainment announced that Seventeen would be releasing a studio album, their first since An Ode (2019), in May.[4] Following the release of the group's first-ever English single "Darling" on April 15, the label confirmed that Seventeen would return on May 27 with a fourth studio album titled Face the Sun.[5][6] Starting on April 26, the group released "Inner Shadows", a 13-part trailer on YouTube to tease the new album.[7] Described by band member Hoshi as marking the "shedding [of their] former image and becoming more mature", the album greatly contrasts with their earlier, more cheerful concepts.[7]

Release and promotion

[edit]
Seventeen on the set for a performance of "Hot", June 2022

Pre-orders for Face the Sun opened on April 22.[5] On May 23, a highlight medley was released, as a preview of the 9 tracks of the album.[6] The album will be supported by the Be The Sun World Tour, their first tour after the Ode to You Tour, which ended prematurely in early 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[8] The Be the Sun tour began in Seoul, followed by stops in North America and Asia.[9]

Seventeen released a trailer for the reissue of the album, titled Sector 17, at their concert in Seoul. Sector 17 was released on July 18, 2022.[10]

Commercial performance

[edit]

Face the Sun

[edit]

Face the Sun surpassed 1.74 million pre-orders in one week, exceeding Seventeen's previous career high of 1.41 million pre-orders for Attacca. On May 20, it was reported that the album had recorded two million pre-orders.[11] According to the Gaon Music Chart, the album sold 2,239,351 copies in the month of May.[12] Face the Sun debuted at number seven on the US Billboard 200, earning 44,000 album-equivalent units, including 42,000 pure album sales, in its first week. It is Seventeen's highest-charting and first top-ten album on the chart, having previously reached the top 20 twice in 2021 with their EPs Your Choice and Attacca.[13]

Sector 17

[edit]

According to Hanteo, Sector 17 sold 1,126,104 copies in its first week.[14] Later it was reported that the EP sold 2 million copies in its first week, making Seventeen the second K-pop group to sell over 2 million copies in the first week of release.[15]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings for Face the Sun
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[16]
Clash7/10[17]
NME[18]

Both Face the Sun and Sector 17 were met with generally positive reviews. In a positive review for Teen Vogue, Sara Delgado praised Face the Sun for its "sonic versatility."[19] For NME, Abby Webster gave Face the Sun four out of five stars, and wrote that the album's singles paled in comparison to the album's "familiar yet sublimely inventive B-sides."[18] Abbie Aitken for Clash wrote that "Face the Sun is a testament of Seventeen's influence as a key group within K-pop."[17] AllMusic's Neil Z. Yeung gave both Face the Sun and Sector 17 four out of five stars, praising Face the Sun's use of various genres, writing that the album was an "excellent mix of party-starting anthems".[16][20]

Sarina Bhutani of MTV named Face the Sun one of the albums of the year, saying that "with the release of this album, [Seventeen] created their most sonically settled, emotionally confident record yet".[21] Time Magazine named Sector 17 as one of the best K-pop albums of 2022, describing Face the Sun as an "artistic feat", though writing that the repackaged album, Sector 17 is "superior".[22]

Accolades

[edit]
Awards and nominations
Year Organization Category Nominated Work Result Ref.
2022 Genie Music Awards Album of the Year Face the Sun Nominated [23]
MAMA Awards Album of the Year Nominated [24]
Circle Chart Music Awards Album of the Year - 2nd Quarter Won [25]
Album of the Year - 3rd Quarter Sector 17 Nominated [26]
2023 Golden Disc Awards Album Bonsang Face the Sun Won [27]
Japan Gold Disc Award Best 3 Albums (Asia) Won [28]

Track listing

[edit]
Face the Sun track listing
No.TitleLyricsMusicArrangementLength
1."Darl+ing"
  • Woozi
  • Bumzu
  • Hwang Hyun (MonoTree)
  • Bumzu
  • Hwang
2:56
2."Hot"
  • Woozi
  • Bumzu
  • Tim Tan
  • Rigo
  • Praison
  • Softserveboy (153/Joombas)
  • Alex Keem (153/Joombas)
 3:17
3."Don Quixote"
  • Woozi
  • Bumzu
  • Tommy Brown
  • Steven Franks
  • Fontana
  • Schulz
 2:52
4."March"
  • Woozi
  • Bumzu
  • Park Gi-tae (Prismfilter)
  • Woozi
  • Bumzu
  • Park Gi-tae
  • Bumzu
  • Park Gi-tae
3:16
5."Domino"
  • Woozi
  • Bumzu
  • Mingyu
  • Sara Davis
  • Cameron Walker
  • Jordan Witzigreuter
  • Woozi
  • Bumzu
  • Davis
  • Walker
  • Witzigreuter
 3:34
6."Shadow"
  • Woozi
  • Bumzu
  • Dino
  • Arcades
  • Johan Fransson
  • Ryan Lawrie
  • Matt Thomson
  • Max Lynedoch Graham
  • Gabriel Brandes
  • Woozi
  • Bumzu
  • Dino
  • Arcades
  • Fransson
  • Lawrie
  • Thomson
  • Graham
  • Brandes
 3:33
7."'Bout You" (노래해)
  • Woozi
  • Bumzu
  • Park Gi-tae
  • Woozi
  • Bumzu
  • Park Gi-tae
  • Bumzu
  • Park Gi-tae
2:42
8."If You Leave Me"
  • Woozi
  • Bumzu
  • Nmore
  • Bumzu
  • Nmore
3:32
9."Ash"
  • Woozi
  • Bumzu
  • Vernon
  • Roy
  • Nick Lee
  • Kyan Palmer
 3:21
Total length:29:03
Apple Music bonus track
No.TitleLength
10."A Message from Seventeen" (spoken by Vernon)1:02
Total length:30:05
Apple Music extended version bonus track
No.TitleLength
10."Darl+ing Music Video Behind the Scenes" (Apple Music Exclusive)10:57
Total length:40:00
Sector 17 bonus tracks
No.TitleLyricsMusicArrangementLength
1."Circles" (돌고 돌아)
  • Woozi
  • Bumzu
  • Woozi
  • Bumzu
  • Nmore
  • Bumzu
  • Nmore
3:59
2."_World"
  • Woozi
  • Bumzu
  • Vernon
  • S.Coups
  • Melanie Joy Fontana
  • Michel "Lindgren" Schulz
  • Woozi
  • Bumzu
  • Tommy Brown
  • Steven Franks
  • Fontana
  • Schulz
 2:58
3."Fallin' Flower" (Korean version)
  • Woozi
  • Bumzu
  • Dino
  • Park Gitae
  • Woozi
  • Bumzu
  • Park Gitae
  • Bumzu
  • Park Gitae
3:30
4."Cheers" (performed by Seventeen leaders)
  • Woozi
  • Bumzu
  • S.Coups
  • Hoshi
  • Vernon
  • Woozi
  • Bumzu
  • Vernon
  • Ohway!
  • Bumzu
  • Ohway!
3:01
Total length:42:31

Notes

  • "'Bout You" is stylized as "'bout you"
  • "_World" is stylized as "_WORLD"
  • "Cheers" is stylized in all caps

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Sales certifications for Face the Sun
Region Certification Certified units/sales
South Korea (KMCA)[67]
Physical album 		4× Million 4,000,000^
South Korea (KMCA)[68]
Weverse album 		Platinum 250,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.


Sales certifications for Sector 17
Region Certification Certified units/sales
South Korea (KMCA)[69]
Physical album 		Million 1,000,000^
South Korea (KMCA)[70]
Weverse album 		Platinum 250,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "IU's Palette - Ep.12 with SEVENTEEN (9:58 - 10:13)". YouTube. May 30, 2022.
  2. ^ Glasby, Taylor (May 27, 2022). "Seventeen On 'Face The Sun' & The Start Of Their New Era". Nylon. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  3. ^ Yeo, Gladys (June 27, 2022). "SEVENTEEN to return with repackaged album 'Sector 17' next month". NME. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  4. ^ Bowenbank, Starr (March 18, 2022). "Here's When SEVENTEEN's Fourth Studio Album Will Arrive". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
  5. ^ a b Bowenbank, Starr (April 21, 2022). "SEVENTEEN Announces New Album 'Face the Sun': Here's When It Arrives". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
  6. ^ a b "Listen to a preview of SEVENTEEN's upcoming album 'Face The Sun'". NME. May 23, 2022. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  7. ^ a b Schmidt, Mackenzie (May 27, 2022). "Seventeen Talks Embracing Ambition, Ditching Their Sweet Image — and the Searing New Single 'Hot'". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  8. ^ Brandle, Lars (May 27, 2022). "SEVENTEEN's Comeback Album 'Face the Sun' Is Here: Stream It Now". Billboard. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  9. ^ "K-Pop's SEVENTEEN Is Going On Tour — Here's What We Know About Their Be the Sun World Tour". Seventeen. May 20, 2022. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  10. ^ Kim, Jin-seok (June 28, 2022). 세븐틴, 정규 4집 인기 이어 받아 리패키지로 컴백 [Seventeen, following the popularity of the 4th regular album, makes a comeback with a repackage]. JTBC (in Korean). Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  11. ^ Hwang, Mi-hyeon (May 20, 2022). 세븐틴, 정규 4집 선주문량 200만장 돌파…자체 최고 기록 [SEVENTEEN, 4th regular album pre-orders exceed 2 million copies... own best record]. News1 (in Korean). Retrieved May 20, 2022.
  12. ^ "Circle Chart" 2022년 05월 Album Chart [May 2022 Album Chart] (in Korean). Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  13. ^ Caulfield, Keith (June 12, 2022). "Bad Bunny's 'Un Verano Sin Ti' Bounces Back to No. 1 on Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
  14. ^ Seon, Min-kyung (July 25, 2022). 세븐틴, 'SECTOR 17' 초동 112만 장…리패키지 최초 밀리언셀러 달성 [Seventeen, 'Sector 17' 1.12 million copies in the first week... First Repackage Million Seller]. Osen (in Korean). Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  15. ^ Cruz, Jashley Ann (June 28, 2022). "Seventeen to release repackaged album 'Sector 17' this July". GMA Network. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  16. ^ a b Yeung, Neil Z. "Seventeen - Face the Sun Album Review". AllMusic. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  17. ^ a b Aitken, Abbie (May 27, 2022). "Seventeen – Face The Sun". Clash. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  18. ^ a b Webster, Abby (May 31, 2022). "SEVENTEEN – 'Face the Sun' review: seven years in, the K-pop stars are determined not to flame out". NME. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  19. ^ "SEVENTEEN Light a New Path With 4th Studio Album "Face the Sun"". Teen Vogue. June 1, 2022. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  20. ^ Yeung, Neil Z. "Seventeen 4th Album Repackage 'SECTOR 17' Review". AllMusic. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  21. ^ Bhutani, Sarina (December 6, 2022). "Albums Of The Year: Seventeen Find Their Light On 'Face The Sun'". MTV. Archived from the original on December 6, 2022. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  22. ^ Moo n, Kat (December 13, 2022). "The Best K-Pop Songs and Albums of 2022". Time. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  23. ^ "2022 GMA – Album of the Year Nominees". Genie Music (in Korean). Retrieved October 6, 2022.
  24. ^ Bowenbank, Starr (October 23, 2022). "BTS, J-Hope, Blackpink & More Nominated for 2022 MAMA Awards". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 24, 2022. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
  25. ^ An, Tae-hyun (February 18, 2023). "'써클차트뮤직어워즈' BTS 5관왕…(여자)아이들, 앨범 제작상(종합)" ['Circle Chart Music Awards' BTS wins 5 crowns... (G)I-DLE, Album Production Award (Overall)]. News1 (in Korean). Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  26. ^ "올해의 가수상 앨범부분 Nominees" [Nominees for Album of the Year]. Circle Chart Music Awards. December 17, 2022. Archived from the original on December 17, 2022. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  27. ^ Yoon, Jun-ho (January 8, 2023). "세븐틴, '제37회 골든디스크'서 3관왕…태국 수놓은 역대급 퍼포먼스" [SEVENTEEN wins 3 awards at the '37th Golden Disc Awards'... All-time performance embroidered in Thailand]. 10 Asia (in Korean). Retrieved August 12, 2023 – via Naver News.
  28. ^ "ベスト3アルバム（アジア部門）｜第37回日本ゴールドディスク大賞". 日本ゴールドディスク大賞 (in Japanese). Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  29. ^ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 6 June 2022". The ARIA Report. No. 1683. Australian Recording Industry Association. June 6, 2022. p. 10.
  30. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Seventeen – Face the Sun - 4th Album" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  31. ^ "Ultratop.be – Seventeen – Face the Sun - 4th Album" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 31, 2022.
  32. ^ "Ultratop.be – Seventeen – Face the Sun - 4th Album" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 31, 2022.
  33. ^ Peak position in Croatian International Albums:
  34. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Seventeen – Face the Sun - 4th Album" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  35. ^ "Seventeen: Seventeen 4th Album Face the Sun" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  36. ^ "Lescharts.com – Seventeen – Face the Sun - 4th Album". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
  37. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Seventeen – Face the Sun - 4th Album" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  38. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Seventeen – Sector 17" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  39. ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2022. 36. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  40. ^ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2022-06-20" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  41. ^ 週間 CDアルバムランキング 2022年08月08日付 [Weekly CD Album Ranking for August 8, 2022] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
  42. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Albums: 2022/06/15 公開". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  43. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Albums: 2022/08/03 公開". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved August 3, 2022.
  44. ^ "Album 2024 uke 04". VG-lista. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  45. ^ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  46. ^ "Gaon Album Chart – Week 22, 2022". Gaon Music Chart (in Korean). Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  47. ^ Woo-bin (July 28, 2022). 트와이스 나연 'POP!', 3주 연속 써클차트 글로벌 K팝 부문 1위 [TWICE's Nayeon's 'POP!' tops the global K-pop category on the Circle Chart for 3 weeks in a row]. Ten Asia (in Korean). Retrieved July 28, 2022.
  48. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Seventeen – Face the Sun - 4th Album". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  49. ^ "Top 100 Albums Weekly". Promusicae. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  50. ^ Peak position in Swedish Physical Albums:
  51. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Seventeen – Face the Sun - 4th Album". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 31, 2022.
  52. ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 4, 2022.
  53. ^ "Seventeen Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
  54. ^ Caulfield, Keith (July 31, 2022). "Bad Bunny's 'Un Verano Sin Ti' Hits Seventh Week at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard. Retrieved July 31, 2022.
  55. ^ "Seventeen Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  56. ^ "Seventeen Chart History (World Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  57. ^ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2022-06". Oricon. Archived from the original on July 13, 2022. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  58. ^ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2022-07". Oricon. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
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  60. ^ "Circle Album Chart – July 2022". Circle Chart. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
  61. ^ "2022: La production musicale française toujours au top" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. January 6, 2023. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  62. ^ 2022 Oricon year-end chart entries:
  63. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Albums Year-End 2022". Billboard Japan. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  64. ^ a b "Album Chart 2022". Circle Chart. Archived from the original on January 13, 2023. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  65. ^ 年間 アルバムランキング 2023年度 [Annual Album Ranking 2023] (in Japanese). Oricon. p. 9. Archived from the original on December 19, 2023. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  66. ^ "Album Chart 2023". Circle Chart. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  67. ^ "South Korean album certifications – Seventeen – Face the Sun" (in Korean). Korea Music Content Association (KMCA). Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  68. ^ "South Korean album certifications – Seventeen – Face the Sun (Weverse)" (in Korean). Korea Music Content Association (KMCA). Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  69. ^ "South Korean album certifications – Seventeen – Sector 17" (in Korean). Korea Music Content Association (KMCA). Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  70. ^ "South Korean album certifications – Seventeen – Sector 17 (Weverse)" (in Korean). Korea Music Content Association (KMCA). Retrieved August 12, 2023.
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