SEVENTEEN return with one of their most daring tracks to date: “Bad Influence,” a hypnotic pop-rap collaboration with Pharrell Williams, taken from their 2025 album Happy Burstday. On the surface, it’s a summer-ready groove with a catchy hook and slick beats—but underneath, it’s a layered reflection on what it means to have “fun” in an overstimulated world.
Built on a cool midtempo rhythm, “Bad Influence” showcases SEVENTEEN’s genre-blending instincts and Pharrell’s unmistakable sonic fingerprint. Minimalistic yet emotionally charged, the track plays with duality—feeling both light-hearted and unsettling. Pharrell’s subtle production choices give it a surreal undertone that lingers long after the last chorus fades.
The accompanying video, directed by Beomjin, plunges deeper into that emotional ambiguity. Dreamlike imagery—robot dogs, headless mannequins, infinite mirrors, and Escher-inspired staircases—depicts the members navigating a bizarre reality. Often silent and motionless, SEVENTEEN only come alive through dance, blurring the line between joy and disconnection.
The band explains: “We’re thrilled to have worked with Pharrell Williams, someone we’ve admired for a long time. This collaboration allowed us to reveal a side of ourselves that feels both new and deeply personal.”
“Bad Influence” isn’t just a song—it’s a mood, a question, a reflection. In a world driven by curated fun and relentless expectations, SEVENTEEN and Pharrell challenge us to ask: Are we truly enjoying ourselves—or just following the script?
With Happy Burstday, SEVENTEEN prove once again they’re not afraid to push artistic boundaries—and Bad Influence is the strange, stylish anthem we didn’t know we needed in 2025.