Stay tuned for Pyo Kyung-min's latest K-pop stories, where she digs into the backstories that matter. She’d love to hear from you — share your thoughts at pzzang@koreatimes.co.kr. After all, every article gets better with insights from those who love the scene, just like she does!
NCT 127 feels like it's starting over on 10th anniversary album
Members of NCT 127 pose during a press conference at SKY31, a convention venue in Lotte World Tower, in Seoul's Songpa District, Monday, marking the release of the group's seventh full-length album, "BLINGY." Yonhap
By Pyo Kyung-min
Tracks from 'BLINGY' to be performed during upcoming concert Tuesday
NCT 127 releases its seventh full-length album "BLINGY" on Monday, opening a new chapter in its 10th anniversary year with three of its original members absent.
The Seoul-based unit of SM Entertainment's sprawling NCT roster debuted in July 2016 with the stated ambition of taking the city to stages worldwide. Hits including "Cherry Bomb," "Kick It," "Sticker," "Fact Check" and "Walk" have kept the group in the sights of global fans over the past decade.
The team is now operating as a five-member act made up of Taeyong, Johnny, Jaehyun, Yuta and Haechan. Vocalists Doyoung and Jungwoo are fulfilling their mandatory military service, while Mark left the group in April after his exclusive contract with SM ended.
Members of NCT 127, from left, Haechan, Jaehyun, Taeyong, Yuta and Johnny, pose during a press conference at SKY31 in Seoul's Songpa District, Monday, marking the release of the group's seventh full-length album, "BLINGY." Yonhap
Hours before the album's release, the five members held a press conference Monday at Lotte World Tower in Seoul's Songpa District, where they spoke about the comeback and their 10th year in the industry.
"We tried to find our way back to where we started," Taeyong said. "Because it's our 10th anniversary, we worked hard to make sure the members who aren't here still come through on the album. We gave everything we had for our fans."
During the photo session, the members set up life-size standees of Jungwoo and Doyoung on stage, drawing laughter from the room. It was a gesture meant to signal that the team remains whole.
From left, Yuta and Johnny of boy band NCT 127 pose with a standee of bandmate Jungwoo during a press conference at SKY31 in Seoul's Songpa District, Monday, marking the release of the group's seventh full-length album, "BLINGY." Yonhap
Asked how the group prepared without them, Taeyong said the current lineup was not what anyone pictured at the start.
"When we debuted, all of us honestly assumed we'd still be together 10 years later," he said. "There's been a lot of turnover, and going through that was painful. Even so, the remaining seven of us wanted to repay the memories and the trust we've built with our fans over the past decade ... We started to look forward to things again."
Haechan said the gaps were impossible not to feel while making the record.
"There are parts only they can carry, of course," he said. "But we believed the five of us could cover that ground, so we went in with confidence."
Haechan of boy band NCT 127 poses with a standee of bandmate Doyoung during a press conference at SKY31 in Seoul's Songpa District, Monday, marking the release of the group's seventh full-length album, "BLINGY." Yonhap
"BLINGY" comprises nine tracks and, according to SM, looks back on the group's journey while setting out its intention to keep forging its own path.
Lead single "Blingy" is a hip-hop track built on distorted synths, heavy drums and a chanting chorus, reinterpreting elements of rage and dubstep in the group's own register. Taeyong took part in creating the choreography.
"It's a song with vitality and energy," Yuta said. "We paid a lot of attention to the group vocals in the chorus while recording, and it made the song hit harder."
Johnny summed up the record in one word: "beginnings."
"We worked harder than on any performance we've done, and it's brutal," he said. "It's such a demanding routine that I couldn't get through it start to finish many times. We'll be able to show the kind of hard-hitting performance people haven't seen from us lately."
The tracklist also includes "Legacy," "Piñata," "Step Up," "IKR," "Getaway" and "Day After Day." Two tracks speak to the anniversary directly — "127 Million Miles" features all seven members, including Doyoung and Jungwoo, on a message about staying together across distance, while "I mean, It's about time," co-written by Taeyong and Johnny, promises to keep walking the road together.
Members of NCT 127 speak during a press conference at SKY31 in Seoul's Songpa District, Monday, marking the release of the group's seventh full-length album, "BLINGY." Yonhap
Asked about the group's goals for the release, Jaehyun said chart results were not the main focus.
"Better numbers and better outcomes would be great, of course," he said. "But since this album marks our 10th anniversary, what mattered most was the version of us that our fans have in mind. I hope everyone, from the fans who've been with us a long time to the ones who just arrived, ends up liking it more than they expected."
NCT 127 will perform "Blingy" for the first time at the "NCT 127 THE 7TH ALBUM 'BLINGY' COMEBACK LIVE PARTY" on Tuesday at 8 p.m. at KINTEX Exhibition Center 2 in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province.
The group also begins its fifth world tour, "NEO CITY — THE REDLINE," with three shows at KSPO Dome in Seoul from Sept. 18-20.