"Favorite (Vampire)" is a song that was recorded by South Korean

boy band A boy band is loosely defined as a vocal group consisting of young male singers, usually in their teenage years or in their twenties at the time of formation. Generally, boy bands perform Love song, love songs marketed towards girls and young ...

NCT 127 and was released as the lead single from the repackaged edition of their third studio album ''

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'' (2021) on October 25, 2021. The song was composed by Kenzie,

Darkchild Rodney Roy Jerkins (born July 29, 1977), also known by his stage name Darkchild, is an American record producer, rapper, and songwriter. He has collaborated with a broad range of popular artists. Jerkins has won multiple Grammy Awards. Among hi ...

and Rodnae "Chikk" Bell and was arranged by Kenzie and Darkchild. Kenzie also worked on the Korean lyrics.

Background and release

On June 29, 2021, Lee Soo-man revealed during the SM Congress 2021 that NCT 127 was planning to release a third studio album followed by a repackage edition. After wrapping up promotions for their previous single,

SM Entertainment SM Entertainment Co., Ltd. () is a South Korean multinational entertainment agency. It is one of South Korea's largest entertainment companies where it was established in 1995 by record executive and record producer Lee Soo-man. The company ha ...

confirmed the release date and opened pre-orders for the album. On October 9, a release schedule was announced on the group's official

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accounts. A mood sampler for the "Classic" version of the physical album was posted on October 12, followed by the release of the first batch of individual teaser photos on October 13. On October 16, a mood sampler for the "Catharsis" version was posted, followed by the related individual teaser photos. The last batch of teaser photos was revealed on October 24 alongside the

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teaser. The song was officially released on October 25, 2021 along with ''Favorite''.

Composition

"Favorite (Vampire)" was composed by Kenzie, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins and Rodnae "Chikk" Bell. Kenzie also wrote the Korean lyrics for the song and participated in the arrangement alongside Darkchild. Musically, the song has been described as an R&B pop dance track with an "addictive signature whistle sound and rich harmonic vocals". Shanicka Anderson of ''

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'' has also described it as a "well-rounded" R&B track that "builds to an explosive chorus with layered harmonies" and "features a gentle whistling sample". Ashlee Mitchell of ''Hypebae'' described the track as a "mixture of

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, hip-hop, dance and contemporary R&B" with a "nostalgic chorus that reminds listeners of an early 2000s hit". The song was composed in the

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of F minor with a

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of 150 beats per minute. A dance break was added in the music video version of the song, element that was excluded from the digital and streaming version. The lyrics dramatically express that "even at the end of a tragic love that leads to catastrophe, the other person remains my everything and my joy".

Commercial performance

In South Korea, the song debuted at number 2 on the

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for the issue dated October 24–30, 2021. It also debuted at number 1 both on the component Download Chart and on the component BGM Chart. It also debuted at number 56 on the component Streaming Chart. The song debuted at number 43 on the ''Billboard'''s K-pop Hot 100 chart for the issue dated November 6, 2021. In Japan, the song debuted at number 56 on the ''Billboard Japan'' Hot 100 chart for the issue dated October 30, 2021. It also debuted at number 50 and number 65 on the ''Billoard Japan'''s Top Download Songs and Top Streaming Songs charts, respectively. In Singapore, the song debuted at number 19 on the RIAS's Top Regional Chart for the issue dated October 22–28, 2021. In the United States, the song debuted at number 8 on the ''Billboard'' World Digital Song Sales chart for the issue dated November 6, 2021. It also debuted at number 186 on the ''Billboard'' Global 200 for the issue dated November 6, 2021 and at number 96 on the ''Billboard'' Global Excl. US for the issue dated November 6, 2021.

Critical reception

Carmen Chin of ''

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'' noted how the "completely sublime vocal performance from NCT 127" and the elegant "fusion of the member’s different voices" make ‘Favorite (Vampire)’’s chorus "one of their best yet". Comparing it with "Sticker", she commented how the "hip-hop and trap-inspired verses blend much more naturally with the emotion-driven pre-chorus and hook’s whistle melody". Writing for ''

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'', Tanu I. Raj also compared the track to NCT 127's previous release and described the two as "polar opposite approaches to love". She said that "whereas “Sticker” is bombastic and courts with overconfident energy, “Favorite (Vampire)” is subdued and dares to lay oneself bare, giving in to the vulnerability that love demands". Tamar Herman of ''

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'' said it emphasizes "NCT 127's harmonius vocals, while still playing around with the sort of experimental style the group is known for".

Music video

A short story inspired by the lyrics of the song featuring images and videos of the members was posted from the 20th to the 22nd on the group's social medias to give a preview of the upcoming single. The members are the main characters of the story and narrate about love at first sight while having a dark secret through romantic monologues. In the music video teaser the secret is revealed when the boys are seen with gold eyes and fangs, showing that they are vampires. The music video was choreographed by Quick Style Crew, who had already collaborated with NCT 127 for " Kick It" and "Punch", Anthony Lee of Kinjaz and long-time collaborator Lee Ilhyung of Prepix. The music video for "Favorite" seems to be set in a lucid dream with

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elements, in which the members switch between two versions of themselves, one where they're experienced performers and the second where they're blood-thirsty vampires wandering in a mysterious forest.

Accolades

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from album's liner notes.

Studio

* Recorded at SM LVYIN Studio and SM Yellow Tail Studio * Mixed at SM Blue Cup Studio * Engineered for mix at SM LVYIN Studio * Digitally edited at Sound Pool Studio * Mastered at 821 Sound Mastering

Personnel

–

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* Lee Soo-man –

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* Yoo Young-jin – music and sound supervisor * NCT 127 – vocals, background vocals * Oiaisle – background vocals * Kenzie – lyrics, composition,

arrangement In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orches ...

, vocal directing * Rodnae "Chikk" Bell – composition * Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins – composition, arrangement * Lee Ji-hong – recording, engineered for mix * Noh Min-ji – recording * Jung Eui-seok – mixing * Jung Ho-jin –

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* Kwon Nam-woo – mastering

Charts

Weekly charts

Monthly charts

Release history

References

{{authority control Songs written by Kenzie (songwriter) South Korean contemporary R&B songs Korean-language songs 2021 songs 2021 singles NCT 127 songs NCT (band) songs SM Entertainment singles