Neo Zone

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"I got inspiration from my own personal experiences and the overall atmosphere and subject of the song, and put those two together. And this time around, it was more of a team effort—rather than relying solely on my own creativity, I wrote my lyrics so they flowed well with Johnny and Mark's rhyming and flow. "

Taeyong on the process of writing for the group's second full-length Korean album. [21]

For the lead single "Kick It", the group recalled having to record the hook up to late at night. According to producer Deez, the song was "revised and multiplied" for about a hundred times from end of December 2019 to early February 2020. Co-produced with American producer Dem Jointz and SM songwriter-producer Yoo Young-jin (whom worked with the group during their recording session), the song was originally prepared to "gird the loins" for "Cherry Bomb 2.0", with the outcome being "stronger" than the 2017 single. With the song's beat loop created by Abernathy, Deez constructed and composed the bridge and the dance break section with the idea of "maintaining" the "harmonic vocal color" and "extensively energetic" chord work, thus giving an R&B arrangement to bring out a "trendy and old-school" color to the song. Member Taeyong and Mark were said to have recorded their rap parts in one-take to their preferences, and proceeded to arrange all the qualified cuts later with the album's producers. As the album wrapped up its recording process, Deez was requested by the label to create an additional instrumental prelude, which he produced by using excerpts of "Kick It" to create an "oriental" interlude shortly before the album release in March. In addition to his initial composition contribution, Deez also took part as the vocal director for "White Night", a collaboration between American producer Harvey Mason Jr. (former member of The Underdogs), The Wildcardz production team and SM songwriter Kenzie. He further revealed that the recording session for the track was "quite long" due to the traditional R&B elements compared to the group's previous R&B works. [22] In addition to the usual lyrical contribution by Taeyong and Mark, member Johnny also took part in writing for two songs in the album, namely "Pandora's Box" and "Love Song" with his aforementioned two group members. [21]

Composition

Neo Zone

American singer Bazzi co-wrote "Boom" for Neo Zone. Andrew Bazzi (Bazzi).png
American singer Bazzi co-wrote "Boom" for Neo Zone.

Described as a "diversified selection" of mainly hip-hop and "slinky" R&B cuts with strong 1990s influence, the 13-track album also includes elements from funk, trap, noise-pop, metal, dance-pop and EDM music. [23] [24] The album opens with "Elevator (127F)", a "feel-good" midtempo dance number with funk elements and 90's R&B influence which is "refreshing" and "perfect" for an album opener, according to the members. [25] [4] It was proceeded by the album's lead single "Kick It", a "powerful" hip-hop dance record with heavy metal guitar riff and R&B elements throughout the song. [26] Produced by American producer Dem Jointz, South Korean songwriter Deez, Ryan S. Jhun, Mayila Jones and Rodnae "Chikk" Bell, with Yoo Young-jin took part in the song's arrangement, the song tells how the members overcome their own traumas and fears to become the "heroes" they are, thus fitting the Korean title of the song. [27] The third track "Boom" is a "half-dreamy and half-beat-driven" song that contains a "unique" melody change as the melody hook of the song starts. It was co-written and performed in demo by American singer and songwriter Bazzi, whom member Mark is a huge fan of. The album continues with "Pandora's Box", a "jazzy, slow-burning" 90's-influenced R&B track produced by producer Erik Lidbom. With lyrics co-written by member Taeyong, Mark and Johnny (whom participated in writing lyrics for the first time), the boy group channels their "endearing cheesiness" as they compare their love interest to that of a Pandora's box. [28] The fifth track "Day Dream" is described as a "mysterious, dream-like" track by the members, with "memorable" lyrics based on Alice in Wonderland while showcasing the group's "ethereal" vocals.

The next half of Neo Zone starts with "Interlude: Neo Zone", an instrumental interlude that makes listeners "imagine" a powerful and energetic performance according to member Jungwoo. Starting out with strings and piano instrument, the interlude slowly progresses with wind chime sound before turning into an EDM-trap groove, which suits the signature "NEO" sound of the group. It was followed by the Hitchhiker-assisted "Mad Dog", a "raucous" hip-hop banger performed by member Taeyong and Mark which contains metal riff and "brassy" trap breakdown with a key change at the second drop, accompanied with a "dreamy" bridge by member Taeil and Doyoung. "Sit Down" is described as a "thunderous", "rare strong song" and hailed as the most straight-up hip-hop moment of the album, with 90s R&B vibe included. Produced by high-profile producers such as Harvey Mason Jr. and Patrick "J. Que" Smith, its lyrics recite how the members refused to be "tied down" to any standard. The EDM-influenced "Love Me Now" is said to be a "concert banger" and a "great song" to perform at concert by member Yuta, while being compared to the group's previous tracks like "Replay (PM 01:27)" and "Switch". The tenth track "Love Song" is another R&B track which is "full of attitude and soul" by the members, as the chorus is performed together with ad-libs appeared throughout the entire song. Production for the track came from The Stereotypes and Deez, with the former being most known for their work with Bruno Mars while having previously worked with NCT 127 twice ("Back 2 U (AM 01:27)" and "City 127"). It was continued with "White Night", a "traditional" R&B ballad track which invokes "jazz piano-laden" soul influence which became a favorite of member Taeil. On "Not Alone", the members takes a "much more minimalistic" approach over a "tender, warm" trap-influenced synth-pop beat, where they embrace a hopeful message that "we are never alone." The final track "Dreams Come True" saw the group collaborate again with LDN Noise and Deez for a "classic, nostalgic" R&B throwback with jazzy piano melody that recalls both the visual and sonic aesthetics of '90s boy band R&B ballads. It was among the first songs the group recorded for their second album, and became a personal favorite of member Doyoung. [3]

Neo Zone: The Final Round

Following the repackage confirmation by the group's home label on April 7, 2020, the title of four new additional songs to the original 13-track release were revealed: "Punch", "Non Stop", "Make Your Day" and "序曲; Prelude". The urban soul, Hip hop "Punch" describes the "dynamic beat that rings in boxers' ears" when they enter the boxing ring with "intense and unique" synths. Written by SM songwriter Kenzie (whom member Doyoung confirmed her participation through the group's official Twitter account) and co-produced by Dem Jointz, the song shares how the members overcome their "lonely moments" whenever they feel like "fighting obstacles alone". [29] [30] It is the lead single from The Final Round, and subsequently the third single overall from Neo Zone. She also contributed both lyrics and composition to the second track "Non Stop", a strong future bass-influenced track with synth sound and drum beats expressing how one "won't stop running" to reach for their love interest despite the hardships. Production team LDN Noise also took part in the song's arrangement, having previously worked with the group on "Dreams Come True". [31] "Make Your Day" is described as a jazzy, "warm pop ballad" which sees the member harmonize chorus together with strings, rich harmony and their soft voice over a warm piano melody. The song features the vocal from five members: Taeil, Doyoung, Jaehyun, Jungwoo and Haechan. [32] The repackage album also sees the addition of "序曲; Prelude", an instrumental interlude precedes "Kick It" as the now-fourth track. According to producer Deez, the "oriental, ethnic" interlude is meant to "flow naturally" to "Kick It" as it goes along, sampling the main riff and the "na na na" harmonization during the dance break. The interlude was among the last additional work to be created before the initial release of Neo Zone, and was eventually performed live during the group's promotion cycle for "Kick It". [22]

Singles and promotion

Singles

Prior to the official release, the group revealed a '90s-influenced music video for "Dreams Come True" through their official YouTube channel on January 27, 2020 (which coincided with the group's 127 number). [33] The song eventually peaked at number one hundred ninety-six and number sixty on Gaon Digital Chart and Billboard K-Pop Hot 100, respectively. [34] [35] The music video for the second single "Kick It" was revealed two days prior to its digital release, which coincided with the album release). The song achieved an increasing digital performance comparing to the group's previous releases, peaking at number twenty-one on Gaon Digital Chart, number nine and three on the Billboard K-Pop Hot 100 and World Digital Songs, respectively. [36] [37] The song also became the group's second appearance on the New Zealand Hot 40 Singles chart, and third on the Japan Hot 100 chart; peaking at number thirty-eight and eighty-four respectively. [38]

Following the repackage confirmation by SM Entertainment on April 7, the group announced that "Punch" would be the lead single for the re-release edition. In continuation to the group's rising success, the single became their first top five entry on the Gaon Digital Chart, and their highest-charting release on the Japan Hot 100 since the release of their 2018 Japanese single "Chain." [39]

Tour and live performances

Promotion for the album started with the group's first performance for the then-unreleased "序曲; Prelude" and "Kick It" as NCT 127 The Stage through their official channel on March 5, 2020. [40] [41] A day later, NCT 127 had their first music show performance for the lead single on Music Bank , followed by their promotion on Show! Music Core and Inkigayo . [42] During the second promotion week on Music Bank and SBS Radio, the group performed the eleventh track "White Night". [43] [44] NCT 127 eventually earned their first Music Bank trophy for "Kick It" on March 27, 2020. [45] [46] NCT 127 then started promoting their third single "Punch" from May 22, 2020, with a live performance on Music Bank, with similar scheduled promotion on Show! Music Core and Inkigayo to that of "Kick It." [47] [48] They eventually won the first M Countdown trophy on May 28, 2020, despite not attending nor performing at the show. [49] The song has since achieved a total of four trophies, tying with "Regular" as their most winning title on such television music shows.

In continuation to their previous promotion activities in the United States, the group had their first gig on March 10 at Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo , becoming the very first K-pop act to perform at the show. [50] [51] It was reported that they would embark on their first U.S. arena tour; titled "Neo City - The Awards", to promote Neo Zone starting from June 6 at New York City's Madison Square Garden, which was later postponed due to the COVID-19 lockdown. [52] [53] [54] As announced earlier by their home label, NCT 127 had their scheduled live streaming Beyond LIVE concert on May 17, 2020, proceeding their fellow unit as the fourth headlining act. [55] The group also performed live "Punch" and the album track "Make Your Day" for the first time during their live streaming concert. [56]

Critical reception

Neo Zone
NCT 127 Neo Zone.jpg
Digital, kihno and T version cover
Studio album by
ReleasedMarch 6, 2020 (2020-03-06) [1] [2]
Recorded2017–2020
Studio SM (Seoul)
Genre
Length45:46
Language
  • Korean
  • English
Label
Producer
NCT 127 chronology
Neo City: Seoul – The Origin
(2019)
Neo Zone
(2020)
Loveholic
(2021)
NCT chronology
The Dream
(2020)
Neo Zone
(2020)
Reload
(2020)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Clash 8/10 [57]
Consequence of Sound B+ [23]
IZM Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [58]

Following its initial release, Neo Zone received positive reviews from music critics. Giving the album 3 stars out of 5, writer Im Sun-hwi of IZM noted that the diverse multi-genre release had a few hip-hop moments that "did not live up to expectations", but praised the lead single and the latter half of the album for its "refreshing" atmosphere and proved that the group's success with the album was "not a coincidence". [59] According to Alexis Hodoyan-Gastelum of Consequence of Sound , the album presents the group at their best, as it "checks off all the boxes when it comes to playing to their strengths, which include vocal versatility, a diversified selection of hip-hop and R&B jams, and giving fans a fun, good time". [23] Writing for Clash , writer Debbie Aderinkomi complimented the album as an "assurement" to please the group's fandom and new fans alike, while noting "its blend and influence" from different genres like pop, R&B and rap despite any "lack of certain cohesion" impression, giving the group eight points out of ten. [60] In a Rolling Stone article by Tim Chan, the writer praised the album's ability to "seamlessly slide in and out of genres" and "experimenting" for making the group become a stand-out. [28] Forbes writer Jeff Benjamin commented that Neo Zone "truly marks" the group's arrival as a K-pop leader, while noting their artistic identity expansion with the multi-genre nature presented throughout the release. [24] In addition, writer Vandana Pawa of Teen Vogue said that the group "feels more fully-evolved" and "more choosy" than ever, along with the confidence in their presentation through the release of Neo Zone, further indicated the boy band's broader vision for a "dynamic, passionate" presence. [25]

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number one on Gaon Album Chart for the week of March 7, 2020, becoming the group's fifth chart-topper and their second release to stay atop more than one week. [61] [62] Except for the album's interlude, the entire album tracks also charted on the Gaon Digital Chart, making Neo Zone the group's first release to do so. [63] It eventually became the top-selling album of March 2020 on Gaon Album Chart, with a cumulative sales of 748,000 copies from both the physical version and the Kihno version, which appeared independently at number eleven on the monthly chart. [64] Combined an additional sales of over 59,000 copies (counting both the standard and Kihno version) in April 2020, the album has since achieved a cumulative sales of over 807,000 copies, thus granting NCT 127 their first album to qualify for a multi-Platinum KMCA certification. [65] [66] Upon its re-release under the name The Final Round, the album spent a third week atop the chart, and was the second best-selling release of May 2020 on the monthly chart of Gaon Album Chart with 409,620 copies sold. It was also certified Platinum by KCMA, earning NCT 127 their fourth Platinum-certified release. With the repackage edition's sales combined, Neo Zone became the first million-seller album for NCT 127 in South Korea, having sold over 1,2 million copies as of May 2020. [67]

The album also attained international success. By debuting at number five on the US Billboard 200 with 87,000 album-equivalent units (including 83,000 pure album sales), Neo Zone surpassed the eleventh-peaked We Are Superhuman to become the group's first top five entry, earning them their best sales week to date, and subsequently their longest chart performance on the chart to date. Following the release of The Final Round, the album re-entered the chart at number fourteen on the week of June 27, 2020, before descending to number forty the following week. [68] [69] Additionally, Neo Zone was the eighth best-selling physical release in the States as of June 2020, having sold an estimated total of 196,000 copies. [70] It also became the group's third chart-topper on the Billboard World Albums chart following Limitless (2017) and We Are Superhuman (2019), and by far their longest topping reign on the chart with three weeks at number one position, upon its re-release. [71] It also appeared at number twenty-six and thirty-four on the Canadian Albums Chart and the Official UK Digital Album chart respectively, thus making it their highest peak position to date. [72] [73] The album also reached a peak of number three on the Japanese Oricon Albums Chart, having sold a total of 32,453 copies as of April 2020, while The Final Round reached number four upon its release in later May. [74] [75]

Track listing

Credits adapted from Naver

Neo Zone track listing [76]
No.TitleLyricsMusicArrangementLength
1."Elevator (127F)"
  • Cheon Song-yi (Joombas)
  • Sly
  • Wolfgang
  • Jacobs
3:29
2."Kick It" (영웅;英雄;Yeong-ung;lit. Hero)
  • Wutan
  • Rick Bridges
  • danke (lalala Studio)
  • Dem Jointz
  • Deez
  • Yoo Young-jin
3:53
3."Boom" (;Kkum;lit. Dream)
  • Rice N' Peas
3:29
4."Pandora's Box" (낮잠;Natjam;lit. Nap)
Lidbom4:09
5."Day Dream" (Hanja: 白日夢; RR: Baegilmong)
  • Hwang Yoo-bin
  • Ian Jeffrey Thomas (Nopromo Co)
  • Hannah Wilson
  • Ariowa Irosogie
  • Andrew Beckner (Nopromo Co)
  • Nopromo Co
3:25
6."Interlude: Neo Zone" Squar (Blur)Squar (Blur)1:39
7."Mad Dog" (;Ppul;lit. Horn) (sung by Taeil, Doyoung, Mark and Taeyong)
  • Hitchhiker
  • Charles "Chizzy" Stephens III
  • John Fulford III
  • Christopher Newland
Hitchhiker3:03
8."Sit Down!"
  • Hwang Yoo-bin
  • Tommy Strate
  • Mason Jr.
  • Kevin Randolph
3:20
9."Love Me Now" (메아리;Meari;lit. Echo)
  • Le'mon (Joombas)
  • Rick Bridges
  • Mike Daley
  • Mitchell Owens
  • Deez
  • Willbart "Vedo" McCoy III
  • Daley
  • Owens
4:08
10."Love Song" (우산;Usan;lit. Umbrella)
  • The Stereotypes
  • Deez
3:35
11."White Night" (백야;Baegya)
  • Kenzie
  • Mason Jr.
  • Randolph
  • Dewain Whitmore
  • Ester Na (The Wildcardz)
  • Sadie Currey (The Wildcardz)
  • Mason Jr.
  • Randolph
4:03
12."Not Alone"
  • Nicki Adamsson
  • Michael Matosic
  • Michelle Elaine Buzz
  • Adamsson
3:45
13."Dreams Come True"
  • LDN Noise
3:45
Total length:45:46
Neo Zone: The Final Round track listing [77]
No.TitleLyricsMusicArrangementLength
1."Punch"
  • Kenzie
3:24
2."Non Stop"
3:24
3."Prelude" (서곡;序曲;Seogok) 
1:45
4."Kick It" (영웅;英雄;Yeong-ung;lit. Hero)
  • Wutan
  • Rick Bridges
  • danke (lalala Studio)
3:53
5."Boom" (;Kkum;lit. Dream)
  • Rice N' Peas
3:29
6."Pandora's Box" (낮잠;Natjam;lit. Nap)
4:09
7."Day Dream" (Hanja: 白日夢; RR: Baegilmong)
  • Hwang Yoo-bin
  • Ian Jeffrey Thomas (NOPROMO Co)
  • Hannah Wilson
  • Ariowa Irosogie
  • Andrew Beckner (NOPROMO Co)
  • NOPROMO Co
3:25
8."Make Your Day" (너의 하루;Neoui Haru;lit. Your day) (sung by Taeil, Doyoung, Jaehyun, Jungwoo and Haechan)
  • ADC Music
3:35
9."Interlude: Neo Zone" SQUAR (Blur)SQUAR (Blur)1:39
10."Mad Dog" (;Bbul;lit. Horn) (sung by Taeil, Doyoung, Mark and Taeyong)
  • Hitchhiker
  • Charles "Chizzy" Stephens III
  • John Fulford III
  • Christopher Newland
3:03
11."Sit Down!"
  • Hwang Yoo-bin
  • Tommy $trate
3:20
12."Love Me Now" (메아리;Meari;lit. Echo)
  • Le'mon (Joombas)
  • Rick Bridges
  • Mike Daley
  • Mitchell Owens
  • Deez  [ ko ]
  • Willbart "Vedo" McCoy III
  • Mike Daley
  • Mitchell Owens
4:08
13."Love Song" (우산;Usan;lit. Umbrella)3:35
14."White Night" (백야;Baegya)
4:03
15."Not Alone"
  • Nicki Adamsson
  • Michael Matosic
  • Michelle Elaine Buzz
  • Nicki Adamsson
3:45
16."Dreams Come True"
3:45
17."Elevator (127F)"
  • Cheon Song-yi (Joombas)
  • Sivertsen
  • McElligott
  • Jacobs
  • Sivertsen
  • McElligott
  • Jacobs
3:29
Total length:57:55

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart performance for both Neo Zone and The Final Round
Chart (2020)Peak
position
Neo ZoneThe Final Round
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [78] 100
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [79] 141
Canadian Albums (Billboard) [80] 26
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ) [81] [82] 1515
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [74] [75] 34
Japan Hot Albums ( Billboard Japan ) [83] [84] 1421
Lithuanian Albums (AGATA) [85] 82
Polish Albums (ZPAV) [86] 10
Scottish Albums (OCC) [87] 47
South Korean Albums (Gaon) [88] [89] 11
UK Digital Albums (OCC) [90] 34
US Billboard 200 [91] 514
US Top Album Sales [92] 11
US Independent Albums [93] 22
US Tastemaker Albums [94] 11
US World Albums ( Billboard ) [95] 11

Monthly charts

Chart (2020)Peak
position
Neo ZoneThe Final Round
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [96] [97] 1312
South Korean Albums (Gaon) [64] [98] 12

Year-end charts

Chart (2020)Peak
position
Neo ZoneThe Final Round
Hungarian Albums - Rank (MAHASZ) [99] 74
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [100] 69
South Korean Albums (Gaon) [101] 814
US Billboard 200 [102] 200
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [103] 20

Certifications

Certifications for Neo Zone
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
South Korea (KMCA) [104] 3× Platinum750,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Certifications for Neo Zone: The Final Round
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
South Korea (KMCA) [105] 2× Platinum500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Accolades

Music program awards
SongProgramDateRef.
"Punch" M Countdown (Mnet)May 28, 2020 [49]
June 4, 2020 [106]
Music Bank (KBS)May 29, 2020 [107]
Show! Music Core (MBC)May 30, 2020 [108]
Year-end lists
Critic/PublicationListWorkRankRef.
MTV News The Best K-Pop B-Sides of 2020"Love Me Now"17 [109]
Billboard The 10 Best K-Pop Albums of 2020: Critics' PicksNeo Zone5 [110]
Young Post The Top 15 K-pop Albums of 2020Neo Zone: The Final Round11 [111]
South China Morning Post [112]

Release history

Release history and formats for Neo Zone
AlbumRegionDatelabelFormat(s)CatalogRef.
Neo ZoneVariousMarch 6, 2020 SM [113]
United States CD (N & C Version)SMCD227/8 [114]
South KoreaSMK1130 [115]
March 20, 2020CD (T Version)SMK1132 [116]
March 27, 2020KihnoSMKH045 [16]
United StatesApril 17, 2020
  • SM
  • Caroline
CD (T Version)SMCD229 [117]
Neo Zone: The Final RoundVariousMay 19, 2020SM
  • Digital download
  • streaming
[118]
South Korea
  • SM
  • Dreamus
CD (1st & 2nd player Version)SMK1149 [119]
United StatesJune 12, 2020
  • SM
  • Caroline
SMCD230/1 [120]
South KoreaJune 15, 2020
  • SM
  • Dreamus
KihnoSMKH049 [121]

See also

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<i>Chain</i> (NCT 127 EP) 2018 EP by NCT 127

Chain is the debut Japanese extended play by South Korean boy band NCT 127, the multi-national and second sub-unit of NCT. The five-track extended play was released on May 23, 2018 by their Japanese record label Avex Trax. With SM Entertainment's founder Lee Soo-man serving as the executive producer, the record featured composition from production team Caesar & Loui, Kanata Okajima, 250, Albin Nordqvist, Kenzie, Mike Daley, MZMC, Harvey Mason Jr., J Que, Kevin Randolph, Mitchell Owens, Deez, Tay Jasper, Andrew Choi, MEG.ME and others. It was preceded by the Japanese version of "Limitless" as the first single on November 4, 2017, followed by the eponymous second single on May 8, 2018. To further promote the release, the group had their first showcase tour prior to its release.

<i>We Go Up</i> 2018 EP by NCT Dream

We Go Up is the second extended play by South Korean–Chinese boy band NCT Dream, the third and teen-aged sub-unit of the South Korean boy band NCT. Released by SM Entertainment on September 3, 2018 and distributed by iriver, the album contains five new Korean songs and a Mandarin version of the album's eponymous single, marking it their latest release to contain a Mandarin record. The extended play was the unit's first major release to feature member Jaemin since their debut single "Chewing Gum" in August 2016; following his medical hiatus since early 2017. SM founder Lee Soo-man served as the EP's executive producer, with songwriters and producers such as Kenzie, MZMC, Bazzi, Mike Woods, Kevin White, August Rigo, The Stereotypes, Deez, Erik Lidbom, Cazzi Opeia, Anton Ewald, Simon Johansson, Sebastian Thott, and others participating in making the album. It was also their last release with the original seven-member line up, marking the graduation of member Mark in December 2018 as he reached the age of adulthood in South Korea.

<i>Regular-Irregular</i> 2018 studio album by NCT 127

Regular-Irregular is the first studio album by South Korean boy band NCT 127, the second sub-unit of the South Korean boy band NCT. Described as a multi-genre concept album with a total of eleven tracks, the album was released by SM Entertainment on October 12, 2018, and distributed by IRIVER. This marks NCT 127's first Korean major release in a year and four months since their previous EP, Cherry Bomb, which was released in June 2017. It is also their first release as a ten-member group since the addition of Jungwoo in September 2018. It is also the group's last release to date to feature member Winwin, as he would focus his promotions on WayV following the album's release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NCT 127 discography</span>

South Korean boy band NCT 127 have released five studio albums, four reissues, three live albums, seven extended plays, and nineteen singles. The group debuted in 2016 with their eponymous extended play and its lead single "Fire Truck" as a sub-unit of NCT. It was followed by two extended plays, Limitless and Cherry Bomb, released in 2017. Each spawned one single: "Limitless" and "Cherry Bomb". The following year, the group recorded a single, "Touch", for NCT's first studio album as a complete group, titled NCT 2018 Empathy. In May 2018, they debuted their first Japanese-language extended play, Chain. Its lead single of the name was their first song to chart on the Billboard Japan Hot 100. In October 2018, they released their first studio album, Regular-Irregular, and its lead single of the same name. The album was their first release to appear on the Billboard 200, charting at number 86. Regular-Irregular was followed shortly afterwards by the album's reissue, Regulate, and its lead single "Simon Says". That same year, they released a digital-exclusive Up Next extended play for Apple Music.

<i>We Are Superhuman</i> 2019 EP by NCT 127

We Are Superhuman is the fourth Korean extended play by South Korean boy band NCT 127. Originally confirmed concurrently during the release of their first Japanese studio album Awaken earlier in April 2019, it was released on May 24, 2019 by SM Entertainment and Capitol Music Group. Adrian McKinnon, Tak, 1 Take, Social House, Vedo, Léon Paul Palmen, Jihad Rahmouni, Roel Donk, Sean Machum, Gaelen Whittemore, Michael Foster, Rykeyz, and others contributed both lyrics and production. Described as an electro-pop record with R&B influence, the extended play saw a "stylistic" shift from the unit's usual "experimental hip hop" direction to a "futuristic, funkier" approach.

Superhuman is a song recorded by South Korean boy band NCT 127, the Seoul-based sub-unit of SM Entertainment's unlimited boy band NCT. It was released on May 24, 2019, by SM Entertainment as the lead single from the group's fourth extended play, We Are Superhuman. The song's music video was one of the group's most viewed online video within 24 hours of release at the time, with 3.1 million views.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee Tae-yong</span> South Korean rapper (born 1995)

Lee Tae-yong, known mononymously as Taeyong, is a South Korean rapper, singer, songwriter, and dancer. He is a member and leader of South Korean boy band NCT under SM Entertainment, having debuted in the group's first sub-unit, NCT U, in 2016 and becoming the leader of its second sub-unit, NCT 127, later that year. In 2019, he debuted as a member of the South Korean supergroup SuperM, a joint project under SM Entertainment and Capitol Records. As a songwriter, Taeyong has participated in writing over 40 songs in four languages, released mostly by NCT's various units and himself as a soloist. He made his official solo debut in June 2023 with his EP Shalala, making him the first soloist from NCT.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kick It (NCT 127 song)</span> 2020 single by NCT 127

"Kick It" is a song recorded by South Korean boy band NCT 127. The song was written by Wutan, Rick Bridges and Danke of Lalala Studio, while the music was composed by Dem Jointz, Deez, Mayila Jones, Rodnae "Chikk" Bell and Ryan S. Jhun, with the arrangement was handled by Jointz, Deez and Yoo Young-jin. Described as a "high-energy" song with "inspirational lyrics" that portrays the group's musical identity, it was released as the lead single from their second studio album Neo Zone on March 6, 2020 by SM Entertainment. An accompanying martial arts-themed music video premiered two days prior.

"Cherry Bomb" is a song recorded by South Korean boy band NCT 127, the Seoul-based unit of boy group NCT, for their third eponymous extended play (2017) under SM Entertainment. The song was written by Jennifer Decilveo, Deepflow, Lim Jung-hyo, Oh Min-joo, Taeyong and Mark, whilst music composition was handled by numerous producers, including Dem Jointz, Deez, Michael Woods, Kevin White, Andrew Bazzi and MZMC. It has been described as a hardcore hip-hop track that contains a "colorful" composition, utilizing "complex synth and bass-infused" instrumentations. The accompanying music video premiered alongside the release of the single.

<i>NCT 2020 Resonance</i> 2020 studio album by NCT

NCT 2020 Resonance is the second studio album by South Korean boy band NCT, an unlimited group project under the management of SM Entertainment. Similar to their previous release NCT 2018 Empathy, NCT 2020 Resonance is part of the "NCT 2020" project; which saw all current NCT members from several units collaborating on a full-length release. This time, the album features all 23 members from three current units of NCT; NCT 127, NCT Dream, and WayV, while introducing two new NCT members, namely Shotaro and Sungchan. It would also be the final NCT album to feature Lucas due to his hiatus and eventual departure in 2023. The first part was released on October 12, 2020, and the second part was then released on November 23, 2020.

<i>Hot Sauce</i> (NCT Dream album) 2021 studio album by NCT Dream

Hot Sauce is the first studio album by South Korean boy band NCT Dream, the third sub-unit of the South Korean boy band NCT. It was released on May 10, 2021, through SM Entertainment. Following their previous EP, Reload, this album marks NCT Dream's first release to feature back as a seven-member unit following the return of Mark from the termination of the age-based graduation system that was operated in the group. Hot Sauce is one of the best-selling albums in South Korea.

<i>Sticker</i> (album) 2021 studio album by NCT 127

Sticker is the third Korean-language and fourth overall studio album by South Korean boy band NCT 127. It was released on September 17, 2021, by SM Entertainment, distributed by Dreamus in South Korea and Virgin Music in United States. It follows their Japanese-language EP Loveholic, released in February 2021, and previous Korean-language studio album Neo Zone, released in March 2020. On October 25, the group released a repackaged version of Sticker, titled Favorite, which features three new tracks, including the lead single "Favorite (Vampire)".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sticker (song)</span> 2021 single by NCT 127

"Sticker" is a song recorded by South Korean boy group NCT 127 for their third studio album of the same name. Composed by frequent production group and collaborator Dem Jointz, Calixte, Prince Chapelle, Ryan S. Jhun and Yoo Young-jin with lyrical composition by the latter, member Taeyong and Mark, the "experimental" hip-hop track was released digitally on September 17, 2021 as the lead single from the album by SM Entertainment. An accompanying music video was released on the same release date, which depicts a "futuristic/space cowboy" concept.

"Favorite (Vampire)" is a song that was recorded by South Korean boy band NCT 127 and was released as the lead single from the repackaged edition of their third studio album Sticker (2021) on October 25, 2021. It is primarily a R&B track that incorporates hip-hop production. It is characterized by whistle sounds and "rich harmonic vocals". its lyrics was written by Kenzie, who also composed the song alongside Darkchild and Rodnae "Chikk" Bell and was arranged by Kenzie and Darkchild.

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