Ever since old school funk and retro became one of the K-pop industries leading trends, I’ve been pulling for Seventeen to give us the kind of big, brash, pop stomper that characterised so much of their early years. Unfortunately, June’s Left & Right was not that, relying much more on catchphrase heavy hooks and the kind of monotone centrepiece that doesn’t vibe with me at all. Many loved it but I honestly thought it to be the weakest track off their last mini. So after that monumentus disappointment, I’m so happy to say that Home;Run is the kind of unabashed pop song that I’ve been craving from the boys for so long.
Home;Run lays out its intentions right from the start. After a mischievous brass led opening that’s reminiscent of ‘Pink Panther’ in more ways than one, we’re launched head first into that delightful first verse. By incorporating a healthy dose of handclaps and supporting percussion, Seventeen manage to craft a track that feels as though it’s been ripped right from the 60’s, but has enough modern touches to feel like a perfect addition to Seventeen’s discography. It’s just so much fun and is a great time from start to finish. I love how the arrangement incorporates a number of what I like to call “interludes” within the runtime. The piano led pre-chorus especially, helps ease the constant barrage of elements present throughout the tracks brilliant verses. At its best, it feels like the producers took TVXQ’s Somthing and turned every possible element upto 100. And boy does it work.
But while the production and verses are impeccable, it wouldn’t mean much if the chorus were to underwhelm as heavily as Left & Right. Thankfully, Home;Run‘s chorus is a thing of beauty. It perfectly incorporates the title into a chorus that’s repetitive but never cloying and combines it with a number of other equally infectious and boisterous hooks. It feels like a real centrepiece and elevates Home;Run into a similar tier to the groups early singles. The same could be said for the tracks wonderful climax, where the producers just throw everything they can into the mix and create a truly show stopping moment. The only real gripe I have with Home;Run is that it could be a little too busy for some. There are alot of elements here and for some, this might amount to sensory overload. But if that’s the only real qualm I have with a track, then you know I must really dig it.
With Home;Run, Seventeen have crafted one of the years most enjoyable singles and have returned with an absolute showstopper. It doesn’t get better than this folks.
Verses: 9
Chorus: 9
Production: 9
Performance: 9
Final Rating: 9 / 10
KBopped 
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