Semicolon (EP)

Seventeen's special EP was much anticipated after the band earned the moniker of "million seller" with their previous album Heng:garæ, released in June 2020, which became their first album to sell one million copies in South Korea.[3][4][5][6] Pledis Entertainment posted a 40-second trailer video on October 5, 2020, which revealed that Seventeen would be releasing a new EP Semicolon the same month.[7] Recorded as a "special album", Semicolon speaks out to the young people who are enduring the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.[8] Described by band member Mingyu as a "youth diary", Semicolon thematically follows its predecessor Heng:garæ, though the band began working on the album prior to the latter.[9]

; [Semicolon] is an album that spreads a message of support for youth who run endlessly. Like the very punctuation, ; [Semicolon] represents a brief pause and moment to take a breath, exchanging laughter with one another even amidst the hardships of the generation. We hope to give our peers living today warmth, comfort, and support.

— Dino on the title and message behind ; [Semicolon], Elle.[8]

; [Semicolon] consists of six songs which urge the listeners to "take some time off in their busy lives."[2] The album touches upon themes of youth, encouragement, and comfort.[10] The opening track, "Home;Run" is an uptempo '20s and '30s swing and dance-pop song, with a retro-indebted sound.[1][11] The song incorporates strong brass sound, "chipper" finger-snaps, cheerful beats and jazz-inflected piano harmony in its production and Asian instruments in its bridge.[4][9][10] The lyrics emphasize the passion of youth and deliver comfort to the listener through baseball metaphors.[9][12] Elaborating on the sound and the lyrics, Woozi explained, "We expressed the feeling of hitting a home run with a rhythmical and hard-hitting sound."[12] The following track, "Do Re Mi" (Korean: 도레미) is an anthemic slow burn number featuring a trap bassline.[4][10] "Hey Buddy" is a funk and pop song featuring '80s instrumentation and brass sound.[13][10] The third track, "Light A Flame" (Korean: 마음에 불을 지펴) incorporates Latin-inflected bossa nova jazzy rap with an orchestral pitch.[10][13] "Ah! Love" is an acoustic synth number with jazz, hip hop and R&B influences. Performed by the vocal unit, the track is features vocal harmonies and guitar instrumentation.[4][13] The album concludes with the midtempo mellow acid jazz and synth ballad, "All My Love" (Korean: 겨우), featuring '90s nostalgic hooks.[4][10][13]

The album's title and release date were announced on October 5.[14] The album tracklist was released on October 12.[15] The following day, a preview of the tracks featured on the album was released in the form of a highlight medley.[16] Two music video teasers for the lead single "Home;Run" were released on October 15 and 16.[17][18] The album was released on October 19, 2020, in CD and digital formats.[19][20][13] The music video for the lead single "Home;Run" was released in conjunction with the release of the album.[21] The '20s themed visual is a cross-over between Murder on the Orient Express and Beyoncé's 2006 movie The Pink Panther, and features the band members sporting retro-suits in underground poker clubs and smoky pool bars.[9]

A few hours prior to the album release, the band held a press conference, which was broadcast online through YouTube.[20] Seventeen began promoting the album with televised live performances on several South Korean weekly music programs, starting with Mnet's M! Countdown on October 22, where they performed "Home;Run".[22] The group appeared on KBS' Music Bank and SBS' Inkigayo on October 23 and 25, respectively, to perform the song.[23][24] On October 27, the band appeared as guests on the reality show Knowing Bros.[25] In the second week of promotion, "Home;Run" won first place on MBC M's Show Champion on October 28.[26]

On October 16, Pledis reported that album preorders had surpassed 1.1 million copies in 16 days, breaking their previous record of 1.06 million stock pre-orders with Heng:garæ.[27] Following its release, Semicolon debuted at number one on South Korea's Gaon Album Chart on the chart issue dated October 24, 2020.[28] "Home;Run" debuted at number 16 on the Gaon Digital Chart and number one on the component Download Chart.[29][30] The album also reached number two on the Japanese Oricon Albums Chart on the issue date of November 2, 2020.[31]

Notes:

• "Home;Run", "Hey Buddy", and "Ah! Love" are stylized in all caps.