The Ultimate SEVENTEEN MV Ranking (Part 2)

Ranking SEVENTEEN’s music videos from 2015’s “Adore U” to 2025’s “THUNDER”!

Check out part one here!

#25: “MY I”

Although performance videos were ineligible for consideration for this ranking, this self-described “Special Video” needs to be an exception! While JUN wears black and THE 8 wears white, they perform an astounding dance with acrobatic flourishes. The performance is centered around a white ribbon that has meaning as fluid as the dance moves. The ribbon is sometimes a point of connection, physically drawing a line between the two. Other times, the ribbon becomes a tool for one to corral and control the other: THE 8 briefly turns it into JUN’s leash, and JUN uses it to pull back on THE 8’s outstretched arms, as if THE 8 is a bird about to take flight before JUN stops him. The back-and-forth dynamics remain until the last sequence, when they both drop and spin away from the cloth but voluntarily go back towards it. They once again decide to both hold the ribbon, keeping the member in black attached to the one wearing white, keeping the yin with the yang, keeping the ribbon’s positive connotations alongside the negative ones.

#24: “Left & Right”

“Left & Right” is a comedic reminder to dance through life! Whether dancing away the stress of something major, like S.COUPS dancing after a car crash, or just because it is preferable, like when the majority ignores a race’s starting gun to dance on the track instead, the time to move it is always! The video sends literal messages too, like via a billboard that says “Youth can change everything,” and via a brick wall that says “Do your best” in one scene but changes to say “But maybe not sometimes” later! They refuse to take themselves too seriously, the ideal demeanor for a good summer playlist pick like this one!

#23: “Rock with you”

In many understated ways, the scenes in “Rock with you” channel the feeling that something big is about to happen. Different members look focused on different things, and “focused” is the key word. JUN walks through a parking garage holding a balloon bouquet, JOSHUA thinks deeply about something while sitting on a traffic light, WOOZI and THE 8 separately stargaze, HOSHI is running somewhere, JEONGHAN is busy painting, S.COUPS is busy making music… there remains a palpable air of anticipation through it all. The members are in a “rising action” phase of life, an interesting departure from the album title’s implications (Attacca refers to attacking something at once, without hesitating). Additional ways they represent big things remaining on the horizon: dancing on a helipad despite not going anywhere, dancing under a disco ball despite no party guests, and appearing under fast-changing skies.

#22: “Ready to love”

“Ready to love” is one of SEVENTEEN’s most aesthetically pleasing videos. Pastel colors abound, as do setups suitable for asking someone to prom! The attention to detail is also symbolic; they sing about feeling more mature now while near a school bus and pieces that resemble playground equipment. They also represent how romantic gestures remain out of their comfort zone, with a phone booth labeled “LOVER” and one for just “calling” someone a “FRIEND”! A subtler detail worth appreciating: the traffic light changes, from red to green and back to yellow. SEVENTEEN’s lingering hesitation towards expressing their feelings is both on-brand and relatable.

#21: “24H”

“24H” mixes an easily-understandable concept with curious camerawork and surprising settings. The members form a clock on the ground, which “changes time” as different members disrupt the group formation. Other parts of the dance take place in a strange place filled with reflective material. The video stays stylistically enigmatic, not least because there are times members defy gravity and separate times they become monochrome blurs while walking past each other. Capping off the symbolism-heavy video is where S.COUPS both starts and ends: in an enclosed square. Whether meant to resemble a TV or a box, the point is he starts and ends in a confined space, somewhere as familiar and dependable as the number of hours in a day.

#20: “THUNDER”

Not only is “THUNDER” filled with specific nods to past videos, but it represents one of the group’s core values. If a viewer is asked to watch the video and recall as much from it as possible, that viewer might forget the presence of alien partygoers! People dressed like aliens are in the dense crowd, but attention is not individually drawn to them; those wearing the most out-there costumes have a normalized presence. Making what could have been a main point - the “come as you are” mindset - an almost subconscious one sneakily shows SEVENTEEN’s values in action. The “Everyone’s invited” message hits harder due to its understated execution; people regardless of appearance party together without it being treated as groundbreaking. “THUNDER” also strikes a powerful chord with its film-making choices, with immersive camerawork and rapid pacing. On top of all this, SEVENTEEN show off their dexterous dance skills, switching between looser and more calculated, constrained moves.

#19: “MAESTRO”

“MAESTRO” is a grand video with a great message. It gives one example after another of turning life into one’s personal orchestra: JOSHUA conducts skateboarders who ride on a keyboard-painted ramp; THE 8’s violin-playing emits lasers; WOOZI plays larger-than-life instruments without even touching them; the list goes on. A spotlight is put on other members via sub-plots, like MINGYU via a cryptic auditorium scene and WONWOO in a gritty fight scene. The video ends with everyone in front of a giant metronome, turning their noise-making into music-making. Besides the “Everyone has a unique role to play in the orchestra of life” message, the video has commentary about the role machines can play in that orchestra. With a “Join them if you can’t beat them” mentality, SEVENTEEN turn their potential robotic industry foes into their dance partners!

#18: “MANSAE”

“MANSAE” helped solidify the image of SEVENTEEN in viewers’ heads that started forming with “Adore U,” without being just a redo. “MANSAE” was and is actually more fun to watch! It turns the schoolboy charm up several notches, as the boys try shooting their shot with a crush and keep striking out! They are self-aware of their bungled attempts at flirting, and VERNON even admits - into a microphone, no less! - he acts “so stupid”! Besides amusing audiences with their tenacity, SEVENTEEN put on quite a show in terms of choreography. Lots of moves involve jumping over each other and otherwise demonstrating youthful energy and a lack of self-consciousness! Other moves look cooler than they could with fewer group members, like ones involving sliding left to right or vice versa while standing in a vertical line in the school hallway.

#17: “DREAM”

This music video is packed with hidden meaning, but even casual observers will enjoy it. First of all, the wardrobe is top-tier, with cozy sweaters in some scenes and sharp formalwear in others. Second of all, the architecture is a sight to behold, not least because some furniture takes on surreal proportionality! Third, there is stunning celestial imagery. Lastly, SEVENTEEN keep the video interactive, with sweeping camerawork that makes it feel like viewers are flying into and through the mansion. “DREAM” is attention-holding for not just the execution of the premise but the premise itself, as the members create their own no-holds-barred dream worlds.

#16: “BOOMBOOM”

“BOOMBOOM” is high on the list of SEVENTEEN’s most exceptional videos in the “Narrative” category. The high-stakes, twist-filled tale involves trying to be smooth and sophisticated spies and definitely failing! (It does not help that they rock matching “17” jackets before the “going incognito” plot begins!) Their attempts at avoiding unwanted attention are repeatedly foiled by their own fumbles! There is comedic chaos until the end, after they flee from explosions! The ship that starts out in a bottle ends bigger and sans bottle, indicating that although SEVENTEEN’s mission has not gone off without a hitch this time, there’s always tomorrow to “set sail” again! SEVENTEEN try their best and at least have fun while doing so!

#15: “Fear”

There are too many visually striking moments in “Fear” to list them all, but here are several of them that utilize layers: The opening image is like a framed photograph, with tendrils of smoke surrounding the frame within which the members get into formation; one widescreen scene is mainly white but includes a red cloth; flowers appear on the outer screen when the inner screen shows HOSHI’s colorful-tape-covered arms. When in full-screen mode, juxtapositions remain, like smoking flowers and party streamers lining a storm-attracting object. Things associated with a festive occasion maintain an ominous air, and there is similar significance during a dramatic pause, when JEONGHAN smears red lipstick on his pale face just as the countdown clock ends.

#14: “Ima -Even if the world ends tomorrow-”

The members make the most of the last day on Earth, spending it spreading good vibes and smiles. If the end is inevitable, why waste what precious fleeting time remains worrying about it?! HOSHI shows he is of that mindset when he turns a flier with an image of the world on fire into a paper airplane! WOOZI is in the same camp; he calmly sits before a fireworks show by a billboard that says “The End.” Some members spend their time in a gymnasium with a sticky-note-covered space, and they add their own encouraging notes to the project. And JOSHUA shows how he is actually motivated by the impending doom: A piece of paper with his fortune on it changes to say “BAD LUCK TODAY, DO IT NOW” instead of “BAD LUCK TODAY, DO IT TOMORROW.”

An “end of the world” video concept is not novel, but SEVENTEEN imbue it with their trademark optimism, and they add signature details like S.COUPS’ “jumping into the group photo at the last second” habit! The close-ups also put this video in a higher tier than ones of the same genre, because they highlight how the littlest and quickest moments can carry the strongest meaning: hand-holding, a phone left dangling from a chord, a smiley face drawn on a foggy window…

Yet another way SEVENTEEN make the “approaching apocalypse” plot unique to them is through perspective shifts. For example, DINO appears to stand in a field of flowers, but walking away reveals it is just a flower field painting. In another scene, everything appears upside-down, and the camera tilts a third scene sideways to make it seem like the viewer has been holding the camera.

#13: “Shohikigen”

“Shohikigen” is a suitable and suspenseful sequel to “Ima -Even if the world ends tomorrow-.” The piece of paper in “Ima” that says “BAD LUCK TODAY, DO IT NOW” slides down a drain in “Shohikigen,” and then the camera pans to a wall reading “DREAMS LEFT BEHIND.” Like in “Ima,” members revisit sticky notes with words of encouragement as needed, but their need for that encouragement is no longer to cope as the world ends. It is now the opposite, a sustaining life force. The “END OF THE WORLD” countdown clock goes from “D+1000” to “D+10000;” the supportive comments add years to their lives! Like the note that slides down the drain, the notes’ substance matters less than their existence itself. After all, JEONGHAN’s favorite one appears blank, and some notes involve drawings instead of words. The effort of connecting is what makes life meaningful, more than the specifics of those connections. Knowing someone cares is what fuels them, a lesson S.COUPS shows he knows when he holds a framed group photo right after writing “Forever” in place of an expiration date.

“Shohikigen” is also praise-worthy for its out-of-the-box scene transitions, like when a source of light blends into the next scene’s birthday candle, and when pivots to widescreen correspond with images changing with the flashes of light. There is also an ambiguous sub-plot involving VERNON meeting his younger self, which has renewed relevance due to the multiple VERNONs present in newer videos like “THUNDER”!

#12: “Spell”

“Spell” is a narrative nesting doll that proves SEVENTEEN are still finding new storytelling formats to play with, even after being in business for years! In this instance, their new template is a deck of cards, of which lots of the action unfolds inside. They interact with each other when inside separate cards’ scenes, a twist on a split-screen scene. They also add a twist to a classic “day to night” or “season to season” TV show transition: Snow comes and goes while forming different shapes behind them, and the sky changes hues as they dance. Other eye-catching components of “Spell”: its wardrobe (from breezy, white outfits to metallic, silver pieces), its striking makeup, and settings that share an air of mystery (a fortune-telling tent, an underground cave…).

#11: “HOT”

Suspense-wise, “HOT” fires on all cylinders. It involves knives, motorcycles, and lots of pyrotechnics. The key word is made obvious after a sign that says “DARLING” changes to “DARING,” due to MINGYU’s bullet piercing the “L.” Other details are worth reading into more carefully, including JUN’s flag (white in this era’s highlight video, black in the “HOT” video), WONWOO’s glasses (he steps on a symbol of something he wears in his daily life - pre-rebirth), JEONGHAN’s wings (one of which drags on the ground), and the red substance S.COUPS spreads across his face (much like JEONGHAN does in “Fear”). Capping off an epic video are the ways “HOT” feels interactive, like when transitions take place right after certain gestures are made directly at the camera. There is also some plain goofiness, like when HOSHI dances with a skeleton!

#10: “Lilili Yabbay”

Watching the “Lilili Yabbay” choreography never gets old! Whether watching the performance live or in the music video, the routine is SEVENTEEN’s performance subunit at their most enthralling. They move in a way that is hard to neatly summarize, but it embodies both separate links and one fluid structure; they somehow simultaneously resemble domino effects and singular actors. Each move appears precise yet second-nature. They leave a striking impression via color palette, too, wearing all-white outfits while dancing on a ground that is a saturated shade of blue.

#9: “Don’t Wanna Cry”

While SEVENTEEN eventually topped themselves, at the time “Don’t Wanna Cry” was released, its jaw-dropping choreography took the group’s allure to never-before-seen heights! All thirteen members never miss a beat, and it is a peerless performance for practical reasons too, because some of their formations simply would not be as impactful with fewer members! The group fully seizes the opportunity to use dance as a storytelling tool, from the widest imagery (like the “X” they form from an aerial view) to the tiniest details (like the ending pose involving shielding their eyes and facing different directions).

#8: “HIT”

“HIT” displays SEVENTEEN’s synergy in both familiar and new-to-them ways. The chorus’s choreography is as exciting in the first part, when they repeatedly jump high in sync, as it is in the second part, when a cluster of dancers makes room for another cluster to take to the forefront, kicking up smoke as they go. In addition to staying on the same wavelength as a full group and when in sub-groups, SEVENTEEN do so on a one-on-one basis. They switch places without drawing attention to doing so: DK suddenly appears where WONWOO was, MINGYU takes JEONGHAN’s place, WONWOO takes DINO’s place… The scene-swapping is a new-to-them way to interact as pairs. “HIT” speaks to SEVENTEEN’s effortless efficiency at engaging the audience.

#7: “Super”

[From 2023] The “Super” music video’s grand scale makes SEVENTEEN’s synchronization even more mind-blowing than usual! In addition to synchronizing with more background dancers than ever, the video wows with its attention to detail. They incorporate many subtle but powerful meanings into their moves, one being a “cloning” effect, an homage to a scene from Journey to the West. The collective moves as if in response to JUN’s arm movements. Other choices reinforce specific lyrics, like when WONWOO says, “I looked at the ground and kept going to the top” just after WOOZI is seen on a high perch. SEVENTEEN treat everything from camera angles to choreography as part of a package deal, making “Super” a testament to their thoughtful, peerless creative vision.

#6: “VERY NICE”

“VERY NICE” is one of the most essential entries in SEVENTEEN’s catalog. It mixes many classic SEVENTEEN ingredients: a clean-cut look, wardrobe details that make the choreography pop (in this case, they do a leg-focused dance move in black pants with white lines, and red suspenders add a pop of color to the identical ensembles), aesthetically pleasing surroundings (there are many pastel-painted walls), scenes that show a true bond (they are all smiles while running together), and self-deprecating humor (their crush repeatedly wins their unofficial prank war!).

#5: “Fallin’ Flower”

“Fallin’ Flower” has layers of meaning that are beautiful in both visual and figurative senses. The floral outfits are expected, but the finishing touches are not. Attention is given to broken pieces of a flower taped to JOSHUA’s face, paint that smears WOOZI’s arms, and little gold spikes that dot the hands of JUN and WONWOO, who smile as they reach towards each other despite those spikes. Those moments center the beauty in messiness, and as the song says, even the most wilted “petals” deserve to feel worthy of being picked! Other meaningful and visually rich moments: performing in front of a spotlight resembling a full moon, a busted wall with thin threads keeping its sides connected, pairings of members literally bound together and dancing in ways intended to sever those ties, and a glimmer of light from which red petals fall in an otherwise pitch-black environment.

#4: “Cheers to youth”

As detailed here, “Cheers to youth” gives concrete and clever examples of the lessons SEVENTEEN are always teaching and living: Dream limitlessly, hence turning inanimate objects into “live” pets, like a fish made from a cell phone screen and a rock with googly eyes; validate peoples’ struggles regardless of those struggles’ sizes, hence the “TISSUE CLUB” meeting that promises to help people with their “Tiny Issues;” be emotionally present for people in whichever forms one is capable of in the moment, hence no one caring that WOOZI sends a virtual alter ego to a club meeting when he feels mentally unable to join them but still wants to show he cares; and celebrate everyone’s individuality, hence the reaction to JOSHUA turning into a meerkat being one of “You do you!” rather than mockery! “Cheers to youth” embodies so many SEVENTEEN values in so many scenes within just a few minutes, making the video both feel-good and impressive from a logistical standpoint.

#3: “HOME;RUN”

“HOME;RUN” comes full-circle, both with specific Easter eggs and with the way it naturally picks up where SEVENTEEN left off. Earlier in 2020, SEVENTEEN went on the “Ode to You” tour, and video interludes during that show featured a plot involving passing secret letters to each other. In “HOME;RUN,” SEVENTEEN are once again cryptic communicators, appearing to be competing to solve a diamond theft - or to just covet the diamond for themselves! - until they suddenly all team up, in a wholesome twist! Reiterating their team spirit even more are references to their debut year, 2015. That appears on the movie theater marquee, and the newspaper on which the diamond heist is the front-page story costs 15 cents per issue!

#2: “God of Music”

As described previously, “God of Music” is a moving ode to music’s power. The video attests to the fact that music is the universal language and that everyone and even everything should feel inspired to speak it. To SEVENTEEN, “everything” encompasses the ground level (even the tiniest insect gets a mini-microphone!) up through outer space (as seen by the light stick that blasts out of Earth’s orbit). It encompasses every dimension, hence 2D and 3D details in the otherwise-4D video. “Everyone” covers those in open fields (like HOSHI, DJing despite no crowd outside of a donkey!) and busier places alike (like the schoolyard where the group performs flash-mob-style).

Once everyone and everything does feel empowered to join the musical of life, music is found everywhere! Headphones dance of their own accord, plants form music note shapes, and the clouds form cassette tapes! There is a positive ripple effect to publicly and unconditionally expressing one’s individuality; it makes the world more melodic for everyone! “God of Music” shows how much more joyous life feels when autonomy and a strong collective identity are not considered mutually exclusive.

#1: “CLAP”

If one could only use a single SEVENTEEN video to describe their music video universe, in both its stylistic and narrative contexts, it would have to be “CLAP”! The meta spectacle starts and ends with classic SEVENTEEN-isms, starting with the “SEVENTEEN right here!” catch phrase and ending with S.COUPs’ “jumping into the camera at the last second” schtick. But it also starts with a reminder that the following scenes are not portraying the “real SEVENTEEN;” they are what happens in the movie the SEVENTEEN members make and watch. After they all clamor into a ticket booth that is struck by lightning, the group is inspired and springs into action, making their own film. So music video viewers watch SEVENTEEN go to a theater to see the movie that they made; the music video is a mini-movie about the actors in a mini-movie watching the results of their movie-making process! The final “This is all just an act” reminder comes from the music video ending’s on-screen message: “Thank you for watching.”

“CLAP” is a must-watch for more than the multiverse concept (though it is impressive how well it is pulled off; not every artist can tell such a layered story while keeping it easy to follow). The video grabs and holds rapt attention from start to finish, with comedy and lots of bright colors. From painting sets while painting each other to taking a work break to dance or spend time in the ball pit, they make each step in the movie-making process look like a blast!

Stay tuned for two more SEVENTEEN-themed articles in this series celebrating the group’s ten-year anniversary!

Videos excluded from consideration: Solo and subunit videos; vlog/selfie-camera-focused videos; videos focused on concert/fan-meeting footage; videos that are essentially just performance videos, like “Anyone” and “Our dawn is hotter than day;” and unofficial releases (for songs not featured on any album or mini-album, like “Check-In”).