Only a few months of 2018 have elapsed and many popular K-Pop groups are scheduled to make great comebacks. Among these is NCT (Neo Culture Technology), SM Entertainment’s most recent boy group. NCT is a group focused on “limitless expansion,” meaning that they can have limitless members and sub-units that can perform all over the world. The goal of NCT is to have different sub-units performing worldwide. NCT is currently divided into three sub-units: NCT U, NCT 127 and NCT Dream.
NCT U, the group’s first ever sub-unit, debuted in April 2016 and was introduced as SM’s first hip-hop oriented boy group. The group debuted with two title tracks “The 7th Sense” and “Without You.” With “The 7th Sense,” they presented a hip-hop and groovy R&B sound that is typically not heard from SM artists, while “Without You” was a huge, captivating rock ballad. The group debuted originally with seven members, but NCT U is a rotational group, which means that there is no fixed lineup for this group and every comeback could feature new members.
NCT 127 debuted in July 2016 and received great feedback from K-Pop fans with their debut track “Firetruck.” The group has made a reputation for themselves as an SM artist that could dominate hip-hop and trap styles of music. The group has already released three mini-albums and continued to show this tough concept with their title tracks “Limitless” and “Cherry Bomb.”
In contrast, NCT Dream is a bright, boyish group consisting of seven of the youngest NCT members who range from ages 16 to 19. The youngest member of the group, Jisung, is only 16 years old and has been an active idol for nearly two years! This sub-unit illuminates a different facet of the NCT brand; they provide a youthful, innocent, bubblegum pop sound. Their debut title track, “Chewing Gum”, further exemplifies their sweet side through its colorful video aesthetics and adorable dance moves. They even use hover boards in their choreography, making it known that they are up to date with the latest trends among young teens.
Now, NCT has embarked one of their biggest and greatest comebacks yet: NCT 2018. This project includes all the members of the three sub-units: Taeyong, Taeil, Johnny, Yuta, Doyoung, Ten, Jaehyun, Winwin, Mark, Renjun, Jeno, Haechan, Jaemin, Chenle, and Jisung. The group also revealed an additional three new members in this comeback: Kun, Jungwoo, and Lucas. Kun provided vocals for the Chinese version of NCT U’s “Without You” back in 2016, but was officially announced as a member of NCT with this comeback. This raises the total number of NCT members to 18.
Leading up to the release of the album, SM revealed that there would be a total of six music videos for this project, three of which have already been released.
NCT 2018 kicked off with its first song titled “Boss,” a hip-hop/R&B track performed by their first sub-unit, NCT U. Released on February 19, this song immediately became addicting with its groovy yet hard-hitting beat and powerful, synchronized choreography. The song also introduced two of the three new NCT members, the charismatic, low-toned rapper Lucas and charmingly melodic vocalist Jungwoo. The energetic chorus and easy-to-follow dance moves make “Boss” a song that a listener wants to dance to.
Released on February 26, NCT U kept the party going by releasing the first ever duo comeback single, “Baby Don’t Stop.” This comeback was driven heavily by dance and was performed by two of the group’s strongest dancers: Taeyong and Ten. The highlight of the track has to be its dance break, which shows just how synchronized and compatible these members are as performers. With this comeback, Ten finally re-entered NCT’s promotions after a long hiatus due to having knee surgery last year.
On March 4 came NCT Dream’s contribution to the NCT 2018 project: “Go”. Usually seen as a boyish pop group, this sub-unit completely caught fans by surprise with its darker concept and a single that featured a fusion of techno and trap sounds. With the loud shouts in the chorus and “rebellious teen” concept, “Go” showed that NCT Dream is not afraid to branch out into different styles and genres of music as a group.
Last but not least, on March 13, NCT 127’s contribution was released: “Touch.” This sub-unit, just like NCT Dream, released a title track that is completely different from their usual style of music. When thinking of NCT 127, it’s easy to think of them as the more charismatic and hardcore sub-unit in NCT that solely focuses on rap and hip-hop. However, the harmonic tones of the vocalists Doyoung, Taeil, Haechan and Jaehyun in “Touch” definitely stand out more than rap and the funky yet groovy instrumentals give off a romantic, softer vibe.
With “Touch,” NCT 127 took a new turn into a bright “flower boy” concept. Add a music video with pastel backgrounds and the boys in pink sweaters and bright smiles, and viewers will be automatically TOUCHED by their sweet charm.
All in all, NCT 2018 provided us with many great songs that are in a variety of music genres. From the spunky melodic “Touch” to the hardcore, powerful “Go”, all three sub-units have shown new sides to their music. In the lead up to the album’s released, NCT has been providing fans with constant fan service through live shows, V-lives, appearances on variety shows like Weekly Idol! NCT 2018 is a huge step forward in NCT’s musical career, and it is without doubt one of the biggest K-Pop comeback projects of the year.
This post was written by our guest blogger, Angela Hwang.
