Composed by Kyōhei Tsutsumi with lyrics by Mieko Arima, the single was released by CBS Sony on June 1, 1971.

Arima, who was 40 years old at the time, surprised her close friends when she was able to express the feelings of a 17-year-old girl in the song's lyrics.

[1][2] The jacket cover features Minami wearing a shirt that has a drawing of a crab, which symbolizes Cancer as her zodiac sign.

This version is known for its Eurobeat arrangement and Moritaka's catchy dance choreography on live performances, which often features colorful costumes with flashy miniskirts.

[16] During her "Premium Nights @ Cotton Club" show on December 11, 2015, she introduced a smooth R&B arrangement of the song called "17-sai (Slow Version)" (17才（スローヴァージョン）, Jūnana-sai (Surō Vājon)).

Japanese punk rock band Ging Nang Boyz covered "17-sai" and released it as their third single through UK Project on November 19, 2008.

[19] The B-side is an alternate recording of the song titled "17-sai (Byōshitsu ni Iru ano Ko e)" (17才 - 病室にいるあの娘へ, "17 Years Old - To That Girl in the Hospital Room").

[21] All lyrics are written by Mieko Arima; all music is composed by Kyōhei Tsutsumi; all tracks are arranged by Ging Nang Boyz.