NCT 127 has established themselves as a staple artist in the KPOP Industry and the movement of the Hallyu Wave. After proving their talents and potential with their most known song “Cherry Bomb,” many fans along with the general public were eagerly awaiting their first album and Regular Irregular was the perfect first full album to solidify NCT 127 into the top tier of KPOP groups. While Regular Irregular served as NCT 127’s satisfactory introduction which helped them discover their sound, their newest album, Neo Zone, showed their true growth and potential, further proving that NCT 127 can deliver equally well in many different aspects of musicality and performance.
NCT 127 debuted on July 7th in 2016 as the second sub-unit of NCT. The sub-unit currently consists of nine members: Taeil, Johnny, Taeyong, Doyoung, Yuta, Jaehyun, Jungwoo, Mark, and Haechan. NCT 127 was making significant progress as an artist with their first two title tracks, “Firetruck” and “Limitless.” However, it wasn’t until “Cherry Bomb” was released that NCT 127 started to gain not only national exposure in Korea but international attention as well, resulting in their fanbase growing significantly. Following that comeback, NCT 127 needed a solid first album to prove that they could maintain their sound and the level of production that “Cherry Bomb” had. In October 2018, their first full-length album was released and audiences were given the fan-favorite anthem, “Regular.” Due to its trendy pop beat with a Latin twist, “Regular” was well-received in the industry and catapulted NCT 127 into international fame with their respective versions in English and Korean. It brought in the fans, while songs like “City 127”, “My Van”, and “Fly Away with Me” kept the fans interested and listening. Although these songs were great and all helped build and shape Regular Irregular into a solid debut album, few songs made a big splash on their own and were no longer in many listeners’ playlists months later. In other words, the individual songs couldn’t stand the test of time like the title track itself could.
After promoting Regular Irregular with Neo City: The Origin World Tour, NCT 127 rode their momentum and announced they would be coming back with their second album, Neo Zone. What made Neo Zone stand out from Regular Irregular was its wide array of sounds and genres which they tackled and executed masterfully. Although people typically nod towards “Simon Says” and “Cherry Bomb” as their sound or style, it is widely known that NCT as a whole are able to perform many genres. As a form of album promotion, SM Entertainment dropped teasers for each song on the album. This way of advertisement made it evident of how truly versatile the upcoming album would be. Their energizing hip-hop influenced song “Sit Down” was a song from the album that really stood out. It had the production level of an NCT title track and quickly became one of the most talked-about songs on Twitter when the album was released. “Love Song” was also highly received due to its funky, light-hearted sound that showcased the members’ vocal colors. “White Night” was one of the stand-out slower songs on the album with its R&B slow jam feel that showed not only the members’ vocal abilities but once again proved their ability to try different sounds.
After an album filled with other songs like groovy “Elevator (127F)” and “Love Me Now,” as well as easy-on-the-ears “Day Dream” and “Not Alone,” the cherry on top that set this album apart from the others was their powerful, high-energy song “Kick It.” At last, it seemed like NCT was starting to be the type of group that would put out consistently crowd-pleasing songs. “Kick It” is the perfect embodiment of what NCT 127 is about: unique concepts, impressive raps, innovative and creative choreography, excellent vocals, and good energy. It is the great blend of NCT 127’s sound with their cool and boyish aesthetic. The members looked effortlessly comfortable with the concept, which overall made them stand out more as a unified group. The “Kick It” martial arts concept is refreshing and unique to not only NCT but KPOP as a whole.
Neo Zone definitely showed NCT 127’s improvements from Regular Irregular. NCT 127 as an artist has shown exponential growth in their craft in such a short amount of time. While Regular Irregular was a great debut album and helped gain a fanbase for NCT, Neo Zone accurately showed NCT 127’s true potential and helped establish them as a group that was capable of being versatile. After listening to this album listeners will be excited to see how they the group will outdo themselves again and how they will continue to grow and evolve in the future. Considering all this growth, variety of performance, and mastery of multiple genres, Neo Zone is one of the best KPOP releases so far this year.
This article was written by KPOP-TV Blog Team member Taryn Burress
