[Review] LALALI – SEVENTEEN’s Hip Hop Team

As part of SEVENTEEN’s compilation album, 17 is RIGHT HERE, which dropped in April of this year. The album consisted of the title track MAESTRO, 3 unit tracks (which I will finally start reviewing today) per the group’s hip-hop, performance, and vocal units, Korean versions of all their Japanese singles, and all their title tracks since their debut. The first unit track I will focus on is the Hip-Hop Team’s LALALI.

I will say it now – the Hip-Hop Team’s track is the best of the 3 unit tracks featured on 17 is RIGHT HERE. Maybe I am finally warming up to hip-hop tracks, as there have been some outstanding releases this year. But that might be a discussion for another day. Back to LALALI. I can’t remember if there has been a track from the Hip-Hop Team where each member exuded so much confidence, and their respective deliveries were packed with so much energy. Each member was super engaging in LALALI, and I find myself trying very hard to resist joining the team in a little impromptu concert wherever I am listening to LALALI. If I had to pick a particular unit member who really surprised me, it has to be WONWOO, who went super hard in the second verse. In addition to the members themselves, LALALI wouldn’t be as successful if it hadn’t been for the instrumentation. It was definitely super energetic and loud, but in a fun and dynamic way. The chorus was also super catchy and addictive. I found the more simmering-like sound to be an interesting centrepiece in LALALI. It was suspenseful and created some tension in its own way, but it also made the members stand out when they amped it right back by shouting the song’s title. Honestly, LALALI is a very smashing and memorable track in my books.

LALALI expresses the message that you can do anything you want. They depict this in the music video through the Hip-Hop Team being rebellious and carefree. The quartet breaks the rules and social norms and gets wild throughout the video. I loved how VERNON had the old senior ladies vibing with him, while WONWOO won an arm wrestling contest against a digger. MINGYU was butting into the game that the old men were playing (but earning praise for making the right move), while S.COUPS was busy not sweltering in the sauna with the other men. They are energetic and hyper when they are together, reflecting the energy of the song’s choruses super well.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9/10