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NCT DREAM goes full sci-fi, travels through time in 'Go Back To The Future'
K-pop boy band NCT DREAM poses ahead of a press conference held to celebrate the group's new album release at Lotte Cinema World Tower, Songpa District, Seoul, Monday. Yonhap
By Pyo Kyung-min
NCT DREAM is turning back the clock and hopping back on the hoverboard with its fifth full-length album, "Go Back To The Future." Nearly a decade into its career, the seven-member group is revisiting the excitement of its early days, this time armed with a veteran's poise.
The seven NCT DREAM members — Mark, Renjun, Jeno, Haechan, Jaemin, Chenle and Jisung — appeared for a press conference Monday morning at Lotte Cinema World Tower in Seoul's Songpa District, dressed in sleek black suits, adding a pop of color through hairstyles in blue, silver and pink, and fresh off three sold-out concerts last week.
"Go Back To The Future," set to drop on Monday 6 p.m., marks the team's return eight months after its "DREAMSCAPE" release in November. This new project takes listeners on a time travel adventure, as the group reflects on their nine-year idol journey.
Jaemin of K-pop act NCT DREAM poses ahead of a press conference held to celebrate the group's new album release at Lotte Cinema World Tower, Songpa District, Seoul, Monday. Yonhap
Paying homage to the 1985 film "Back to the Future," the album's concept is inspired by the theme of time travel. A music video was produced with approval from Amblin Entertainment and Universal Studios, the studios behind the original movie.
Echoing the franchise’s iconic motifs, the video follows the members as they journey to the past, only to find themselves erased from history and in a race to restore the timeline.
"This album is about seven weirdos who accidentally discover a hoverboard that turns out to be a time machine," explained leader Mark. "Since the whole concept circles around time travel, we wanted to recreate that feeling of getting back on the hoverboard we used in our debut days to search for the most brilliant version of ourselves."
To showcase different facets of their sound, NCT DREAM chose two lead tracks for the album: "BTTF" and "CHILLER."
The prerelease single "BTTF" explores the idea of going back in time to change the future, only to realize that their brightest path forward is actually the sum of all their past experiences. The track fuses a pulsing synth bass with what the members described as "SMP," the signature neo-futuristic sound unique to its label, SM Entertainment.
"'BTTF' really captures the time travel concept at the heart of this album," Jeno said. "The recording process was more emotionally demanding than technically difficult, and the performance is just as intense."
Jeno of K-pop act NCT DREAM poses ahead of a press conference held to celebrate the group's new album release at Lotte Cinema World Tower, Songpa District, Seoul, Monday. Yonhap
Jisung, the group's youngest member and standout dancer, shared that the choreography for "BTTF" was the most physically challenging he's ever done for the group.
"I think this is the most exhausting routine I've danced so far, which means it won't be boring to watch," he said. "You can definitely look forward to it."
The second title track, "CHILLER," leans in a cooler direction with its catchy hooks and an unpredictable chord progression. While "BTTF" brings high-energy impact, "CHILLER" lives up to its name with a more laid-back vibe.
"We recorded it with that chill feeling in mind," Jaemin explained. "We still gave it our all, but in a relaxed way that preserved the song's mood. Personally, I think it's a track that really represents our color as a team, and that's why I really like it."
From left, NCT DREAM members Mark, Renjun, Jeno, Jaemin, Jisung, Haechan and Chenle pose ahead of a press conference at Lotte Cinema World Tower, Songpa District, Seoul, Monday. Yonhap
Approaching their ninth debut anniversary in August, the group also kicked off the fourth installment of its concert series, "The Dream Show," in Seoul last week, signaling the start of what's set to be a busy second half of the year.
"I'm just grateful that we've been able to do this with our fans and with each other for nine years," Jisung remarked. "Even after all this time, we're still a group that can perform at venues like the Gocheok Sky Dome and I feel a lot of pride in that."
The seven members also expressed their determination to promote the new release with the kind of passion they had as rookies.
"We're planning to continue this promotion and the tour for the rest of the year, with the mindset of rookies just nine days into their debut," Haechan said.
NCT DREAM's vocalist Haechan poses ahead of a press conference at Lotte Cinema World Tower, Songpa District, Seoul, Monday. Yonhap
When asked how they hoped to spend the rest of 2025, the members shared a common goal: making it a year fans will remember as "completely full."
"I want fans to go, 'Wow, what a packed year,'" said Haechan, drawing laughter from the crowd as he added, "Like a soy sauce marinated crab restaurant that always serves crabs full of meat."
Mark chimed in with a big grin. "There's a lot we want to spoil, but we're holding some of it back for now. Just know that we plan to make the rest of this year completely full."