SEVENTEEN 9th Mini Album 'Attacca'

If rock is dead, no one told SEVENTEEN. (Not that they would listen, anyway; the 13-member K-pop group is known for innovation.) That is, of course, referencing the big drum fills and huge guitar riffs of the synthy Attacca openers, “To you” and “Rock with you.” This is the group’s ninth mini album, and it is unlike anything in their discography: “Crush” offers ’90s R&B boy-band stacked harmonies; “Imperfect love” is a hard-rocking ballad; “PANG!” flirts with trap but inevitably succumbs to pop melody. The star of the show, however, might be the bonus track. “2 MINUS 1” is SEVENTEEN’s first fully English-language song, and it plays out like an alternate-universe Olivia Rodrigo’s “good 4 u” or a Machine Gun Kelly album cut—an irresistible pop-punk banger, complete with palm-muted chords and a nasally vocal performance. Attacca delivers charms for CARATs (SEVENTEEN’s fan army) and casual listeners alike.