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| NCT 127 members perform during the concert "NEO CITY: SEOUL ― The Origin," held at KSPO DOME in Seoul, Sunday. Courtesy of SM Entertainment |
By Kwak Yeon-soo
NCT 127 threw its first solo gig titled "NEO CITY: SEOUL ― The Origin," leading 24,000 fans through two days of concerts held at KSPO Dome in Seoul on Saturday and Sunday.
Making their debut in 2016, NCT 127 is made up of 10 members.
"Holding a solo concert is like a dream come true and the proudest moment of our career," NCT 127 member Taeyong said during a press conference ahead of the show, Sunday.
His bandmate Jaehyun added, "We are grateful and honored to throw our first concert at KSPO DOME, but we also have a dream of performing on bigger stages."
NCT 127 sent the crowd into a frenzy as it performed 24 songs, from its first single "Fire Truck" and big hit "Regular" to the latest "Simon Says." The set list included "Limitless," a song with tremulous bass and killer choruses, "Cherry Bomb," an urban hip-hop piece with mystic vibes, "Fly Away With Me," an uplifting pop track, and "Heartbreaker," an EDM jam with a futuristic sound.
"I think NCT 127's strength is that we continue to pursue diverse, fresh music," Doyoung said. "If you listen to our songs, they all sound different and fall into different genres. It is quite challenging to always try on new concepts, but we would like to prove our growth potential."
The boy group made its presence in Korea and overseas, scoring chart accomplishments with its first full-length album "Regular-Irregular" released in October.?By now, NCT 127 is the second-highest-charting K-pop boy band on the Billboard 200 albums chart following BTS.
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| NCT 127 members perform during the concert "NEO CITY: SEOUL ― The Origin," held at KSPO DOME in Seoul, Sunday. Courtesy of SM Entertainment |
They have been dubbed "SM Entertainment's future," putting a lot of pressure on the bandmates. But Doyoung said, "Rather than feeling the pressure, we are excited and thrilled to be able to represent our label. We pride ourselves on approaching all genres of music with an open mind. It is always a challenge to pursue diverse, elevated concepts, but we are really enjoying it."
Unfortunately, their concerts got off to a rocky start with Haechan unable to perform due to an ankle injury. He also did not show up at the press conference.
"Haechan will take part in the performance tonight but remain seated without choreography," Taeyong said, asking for fans' understanding.
Jungwoo, who joined NCT 127 in September, said, "I am very nervous about performing on a big stage right after joining the band, but I have been practicing a lot not to lag behind other members."
Following the Seoul gig, NCT 127 will hold 14 more concerts in seven Japanese cities, including Osaka, Hiroshima, Hokkaido and Saitama, before bringing their shows to major cities around the world.
