NCT 127 hits ground running with new album 'Sticker'

K-pop boy group NCT 127 / Courtesy of SM Entertainment

By Dong Sun-hwa

K-pop boy group NCT 127 is making waves with its latest album, “Sticker,” which dropped Sept. 17.

After reaching a new high by debuting at No. 3 on Billboard's main albums chart, “Sticker” reigned atop four other Billboard charts ― Top Album Sales, Top Current Album Sales, Independent Album and World Album ― and ranked third on the Artist 100 chart as of Tuesday (U.S. time.)

“These achievements reflect the group's global popularity and influence,” SM Entertainment, home to NCT 127, said in a statement Wednesday.

In addition, NCT 127 made it to Britain's Official Albums Chart for the first time since its debut in 2016, with “Sticker” clinching the No. 40 spot. It has also performed well on charts for other countries, including Japan, China and Malaysia.

The SM Entertainment star act sold 2.15 million copies of “Sticker” during the first week of its release. This is its second time NCT 127 has sold more than 1 million copies of its physical album, after hitting the milestone for the first time in 2020, with its second studio album, “NCT #127 Neo Zone.”

Fronted by the namesake lead single, “Sticker,” has 10 other tracks including, “Lemonade,” “Breakfast,” “The Rainy Night” and “Bring the Noize.”

“Just like our previous releases, Sticker also offers songs of various genres that highlight our vocal prowess and rap,” member Haechan said during an online press conference, Sept. 17.

Doyoung added, “Since it is boring to repeat what we did in the past, we thought a lot about what we should do to be seen as fresh and cool this time.”

NCT 127, a 10-member sub-unit of the 23-member K-pop act NCT, debuted with the EP “NCT #127” (2016), and has unleashed a string of hits such as “Kick It” (2020).