Kpop experts in the U.S. speak with confidence.

"You cannot leave out Seventeen."

They start to vocalize their amazement with the group.

"Why have you guys just come now?"

However, Seventeen already had plans of their own.

"After we strengthened our skills"

Seventeen has arrived in the U.S. on the 20th at "The Forum" in Los Angeles. Their "Odd to you in LA" tour was their first after two years, their last being in 2015. This was their first time in the state.

Truth be told, the boys of Seventeen had no reason to rush. A Pledis Entertainment representative remarked, "They've consistently been getting calls from the U.S. but the boys wanted to move slowly, succeeding in Asia first."

Leader of the vocal team, "Woozi" explained, "We've gained a lot of experience through doing music at different places. We don't think we were late to the American market. We'll show a better version of ourselves."

We ponder on the fascination the American audience has on Seventeen. We make the bold assumption that it's the "unit" promotions. Seventeen is a well-rounded group composed of thirteen members, who all possess excellence in all fields including performance, vocals, and hip-hop. It's as if there are groups within a group.

Seventeen came prepared with unit performances for the North American tour. The performance team played a rendition of their hit songs such as "Dance of the 13th month", and "Shhh." The vocal team performed "Hug", and "Don't Listen in Secret." The hip-hop team performed "Trauma" and "Chilli."

The fascination with the group continues with their skills. Their hardcore choreography and the overall completion of their performances woos the crowd. A representative for Billboard remarked, "Seventeen sings their songs, live, while performing their top tier choreography."

For a total of 180 minutes, the group had performed twenty-three songs. Their renditions left the boys, unable to catch a second of breath. Their "Very Nice" performance especially brought about a wave of praise.

The group was able to learn and grow from their North American tour. Seventeen had started from Newark, to Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Mexico, and LA.

▶︎ Below are short answers from Seventeen in LA.

Q. It's your very first official promotions in the U.S. How do you guys feel?

Jun: : I had no idea that so many Carats would be in the U.S. too. They made me get a better understanding of what I should be doing. We'll continue to do even better.

Wonwoo : It doesn't matter where it is. As long as it's where our Carats are, I really want to go. I'm so glad to have met our American Carats. I want to see more of them in other parts of the world.

Dokyeom : I was extremely happy to hear that we would meet our American carats. It felt nice to experience this all together. We hope it'll be a tour where we can gain energy from each other.

Q. Billboard has ranked the group #1 for the "Best Kpop albums of 2019." How did you feel at the time?

Hoshi : It's a surreal feeling. We're not quite aware of our popularity in the U.S. I sincerely thank everyone who has shown love to our album. We're grateful to have received such a high compliment.

Mingyu : Thank you so much. We want to travel even further. I want to be an artist that our fans would be proud of. We'll continue to show performances and create good music.

Dino : It's simply unbelievable. It's an honor, and we're always looking to deliver our music with the utmost sincerity. The group is always doing everything to the best of their abilities for every comeback, so this is special. We promise to work even harder.

Q. Seventeen was on the popular American talk show, "Good Day New York." We imagine it to have been a wild experience.

Jeonghan : I was extremely happy to have had the chance to go on the show. It was even more surprising because the host continuously complimented us. I'm so thankful to the fans for coming out to see us.

Joshua : It's truly an amazing feeling. I used to watch "Good Morning New York" as a child, and being able to be there myself was a surreal experience. I hope we can go on again someday.

Mingyu: It was surreal and an experience that I'll never forget. There is one thing that was disappointing, and it's my English. I'm not as fluent in the language so I wasn't able to communicate and express as much I'd have liked to. I think I may need to study when I go back home to Korea.

Q. The group is late to the international market compared to other Kpop groups. That leads us to believe that you guys had prepared for this moment for even longer. How have you all prepared for this day?

Wonwoo : We're always focused on our music, that's our priority. This tour was the same way. We've prepared a lot for this tour as well. Wherever you are, you can always count on Seventeen to have a good time with good music.

Woozi: Seventeen has a lot of experience with performing in different places. We don't think we're late to the game. If anything, we're better versions of ourselves now.

Seungkwan : We're always trying to maintain the same energy from when we first open a concert till the end. This is why it was especially important for us to stay healthy and fit for the sake of the performances.

Q. Is there anything you kept in mind during the promotions?

Mingyu : We tried to communicate with the vibes of the people here. We're trying our hardest so that people can enjoy our music, wherever they are.

Seungkwan : We want to be as raw as possible. We'd like to approach our fans as friendly, comfortable and relatable as possible. Before we're set to perform, we always gather together and yell out "fighting!" ("Cheers" in Korean). Although I can't converse well in English, I hope I can communicate through our performances.

Jeonghan : We want to show everyone who we are. I'd like for people to see the traits and qualities of our group. We want to be the group that leaves people curious for more.

Q. What's Seventeen's secret weapon for their North American break-out?

Woozi :Energy and Synergy!

Vernon : Seventeen's friendship.

Dino : The synergy of all thirteen members. I believe that our chemistry is beyond anyone's imaginations.

Q. What are a few things you wish the American audience would take away from your music?

Joshua : I want to do music that's bursting with energy. I'd like to deliver music with good vibes and a meaningful message.

Woozi : We don't think of just one country or a place as a goal or an outlet for creativity. We'd like to approach the American audience with our music, just like we would elsewhere.

Vernon : I'd like to show a variety of possibilities, like the colors of a rainbow.

Q. Before the group made their official North American debut, is there anything the members said to each other?

The8 : Stay healthy! And let's show them everything we possibly can before coming back!

Dokyeom : We talked a lot about how it was important for us to enjoy the month while we're on tour. We also promised to rely and support one another.

Dino : Let's perform like it's our first and last time! We agreed on the idea that we should appeal to the public with our raw, true selves.

Q. Is there a specific performance that you remember from the tour?미

Jun : There's a little time in between where we're given the chance to communicate with our fans. We were able to converse and dance with them.

Hoshi :We were surprised to see the difference in the atmosphere and the number of fans since the last. It was great to see that the fans enjoyed themselves. We'll continue to do our best for our fans.

Wonwoo : Our Carats are always very energetic, regardless of where they are. I always carry the memory of receiving that energy before going back home. They dance and sing with us throughout the whole of the concert. Every part of the tour was meaningful.

Q. Was there a time that made you understand the length of your popularity?

The8: We've been to the U.S before for Kcon. It was just surprising that such a big stage was for us to perform, alone. We were even more thankful that our Carats had filled all the space for us too.

Dokyeom : Being able to go on American talk shows and filming content was a new experience.

Vernon : When we locked eyes with each of our fans at a busy concert hall. It made me emotional but it was such a happy moment in my life.

Q. What image do you wish the American public would have of "Seventeen?"

Jeonghan : Artists that makes you want to see more of them!

Woozi : I want to approach the people as friendly as possible with music to comfort people's souls.

Joshua : Artists with great energy, teamwork, and synergy. We hope we'd be remembered as artists with outstanding performances.

Q. The one thing you'll work on after the tour?

Jun : We'll try getting our name out there more. "Fighting!" (Let's go, cheers in Korean).

Hoshi : We'll continue doing what we do like we've always done it! You can expect many great things for the future.

Seungkwan : We want to emotionally connect with our fans in America. We'd like to be artists they're proud of.

Q. Lastly, is there anything you'd like to say to your fans in the U.S.?

Wonwoo : Thank you for your support. We promise to be the Seventeen that comforts you through music!

The8: Seventeen is always preparing to see you, Carats. We hope our fans have little to worry about and more to be happy about.

Dokyeom : Carats! thank you for the love and support, always. We'll always strive to be better versions of ourselves. And we'll continue to do our best so that your love may shine even brighter.

<Photos by=Yeongwoo Jung(Dispatch)>

<Translated by=Justina Kim(Dispatch)>