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NCT 127 () is the first fixed and second overall sub-unit of the 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, formed and managed by
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 ...
. The current lineup consists of nine active members: Taeil, Johnny,
Taeyong Lee Tae-yong (; born July 1, 1995), known mononymously as Taeyong, is a South Korean rapper, singer, songwriter, and dancer. He is a member and leader of South Korean boy band NCT under SM Entertainment, having debuted in the group's first sub- ...
, Yuta, Doyoung, Jaehyun, Jungwoo,
Mark Mark may refer to: Currency * Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina * East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic * Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927 * F ...
, and Haechan. NCT 127 are known for their experimental hip hop and R&B-based music and energetic choreographies. After debuting in 2016, they broke into the domestic mainstream in 2017 with "
Cherry Bomb A cherry bomb (also known as a globe salute or kraft salute) is an approximately spherical exploding firework, roughly resembling a cherry in size and shape (with the fuse resembling the cherry's stem). Cherry bombs range in size from in diamet ...
", now recognized as one of their signature songs, and received greater international attention following the release of " Kick It" in 2020. NCT 127 have released four studio albums, three of which were
reissued In the music industry, a reissue (also re-release, repackage or re-edition) is the release of an album or single which has been released at least once before, sometimes with alterations or additions. Reasons for reissue New audio formats Rec ...
, and four extended plays in the Korean language thus far. They have also ventured into the Japanese music scene with the release of a Japanese version of their second single "Limitless", an EP, and a studio album. NCT 127 released their first single "Fire Truck" on July 7, 2016, with an original lineup of seven members: Taeil, Taeyong, Yuta, Jaehyun, Winwin, Mark, and Haechan. Their debut
extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.
(EP) '' NCT #127'' (2016) was a commercial success upon release, winning them the Best New Artist title at several South Korean music award shows. Members Doyoung and Johnny joined the unit in December 2016, ahead of their second EP '' Limitless'' (2017) and its title track of the same name; Jungwoo, the final member, was introduced in September 2018 for their first
studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
''
Regular-Irregular ''Regular-Irregular'' is the first studio album by South Korean boy band NCT 127, the second sub-unit of the South Korean boy band NCT. Described as a multi-genre concept album with a total of eleven tracks, the album was released by SM Entertai ...
'' (2018). In April 2019, NCT 127's increasing global popularity prompted SM Entertainment to sign marketing and distribution deals with Capitol Music Group and
Caroline Distribution Virgin Music Label & Artist Services is a music distributor of independent artists and record labels, owned by Universal Music Group. The subsidiary focuses on the distribution of new or emerging partners. Started by Virgin Records as Carolin ...
, respectively. The unit subsequently released the EP ''
We Are Superhuman ''We Are Superhuman'' (stylized in all caps as ''NCT #127 We Are Superhuman'') is the fourth Korean extended play (fifth overall) by South Korean boy band NCT 127. Originally confirmed concurrently during the release of their first Japanese st ...
'' that year and their second Korean studio album, ''
Neo Zone ''Neo Zone'' (also known as ''NCT #127: Neo Zone'') is the second Korean studio album (third overall) by the South Korean boy band NCT 127. Preceded by the music video release for "Dreams Come True" on NCT 127 Day, January 27 (1/27), the 13-trac ...
'', in 2020, the latter becoming their first top-five entry on the US ''Billboard'' 200 and their first release to sell over one million copies. In 2021, NCT 127 released their third Korean studio album, ''Sticker'', and its repackaged version ''Favorite''. With a combined 3.58 million copies sold, it broke the record for the best-selling album of all time by an act under SM Entertainment and earned the group the Daesang award at the 31st Seoul Music Awards. ''Sticker'' debuted at number three on the ''Billboard'' 200, becoming the longest and highest-charting K-pop album in the US in 2021. In 2022, NCT 127 released their fourth Korean studio album '' 2 Baddies'', which surpassed 1.5 million sales in its first week and made them the second K-pop act with three albums debuting in the top five of the ''Billboard'' 200.


Background and name

In January 2016, SM Entertainment founder
Lee Soo-man Lee Soo-man (, born 18 June 1952) is a South Korean business executive and record producer who is best known for being the founder of SM Entertainment, a multinational South Korean entertainment company based in Seoul. He has also been referred ...
delivered a presentation at the SM Coex Artium titled "SMTOWN: New Culture Technology 2016". Lee announced that the label planned to debut a new boy group with an "unlimited" number of members, in alignment with their " culture contents" strategy. The group would have "sub-unit teams" of different members from different cities around the world, and the units would collaborate with each other frequently. Lee revealed the name of the group to be NCT, an acronym of the presentation title. NCT was to be SM Entertainment's first idol group to debut since Red Velvet in August 2014 and the label's first boy group to debut since South Korean–Chinese boy band
Exo Exo ( ko, 엑소; stylized in all caps) is a South Korean-Chinese boy band based in Seoul formed by SM Entertainment in 2011 and debuted in 2012. The group consists of nine members: Xiumin, Suho, Lay, Baekhyun, Chen, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai ...
in 2012. During the presentation, Lee also announced plans to debut the first NCT unit within the first half of 2016 in Seoul and Tokyo, with sub-units based in Chinese cities to follow in the latter half of the year and units in Southeast Asia and Latin America later. On July 1, 2016, NCT 127 was announced as the second sub-unit, a Seoul-based, multi-national boy group that would promote actively in South Korea. The name "NCT 127" combines the acronym for Neo Culture Technology with the number "127", the longitude coordinate of the city of Seoul.


History


2013–2016: Formation, pre-debut activities and early days

All ten members of NCT 127 were originally introduced through
SM Rookies SM Rookies (, stylized as SMROOKIES) is a pre-debut training team created by South Korean entertainment agency SM Entertainment in 2013, composed of trainees who have yet to join an idol group. From 2013 to 2018, the team officially introduced 30 ...
, a pre-debut training team established by
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 ...
. Johnny was the first member to join the label through an American audition at
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
,
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
in 2007, while Yuta was recruited through the SM Global Audition in
Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...
,
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
and Mark in
Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
,
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
in 2012. The same year, Taeyong and Jaehyun joined the label after being cast by label employees and passing auditions and were the first members to be introduced through SM Rookies. Taeil was the next member to join the label in 2013, despite having chosen twice before to not pursue an idol career. Doyoung and Donghyuck joined the label in 2013, with Winwin being introduced through SM Rookies on January 5, 2016, and Jungwoo on April 17, 2017. Prior to the unit's debut, several members had solo activities during their time in SM Rookies, including Taeyong's music video for "Open the Door" and feature in Red Velvet's second single " Be Natural" (credited as SR14B's Taeyong) in 2014. Taeyong then joined fellow trainees Johnny, Mark, Donghyuck, Yuta and Jaehyun in the
Mnet M-Net (an abbreviation of Electronic Media Network) is a South African pay television channel established by Naspers in 1986. The channel broadcasts both local and international programming, including general entertainment, children's series, ...
-produced reality show '' Exo 90:2014''. Doyoung and Jaehyun became fixed MCs for the music show ''
Show Champion ''Show Champion'' (Korean: 쇼 챔피언) is a South Korean music television program broadcast live by MBC M every Wednesday at Bitmaru Broadcasting Center in Ilsan. Hosts * Shindong (February 14, 2012 – December 25, 2012) * Hahm Eun-jung ...
'' from January to June 2015, while Mark and Donghyuck were Mouseketeers on
Disney Channel Korea Disney Channel () was a South Korean pay television channel owned by Disney Channels Korea Ltd., a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (Korea) LLC and the Disney Branded Television unit of Disney International Operations. The South K ...
’s ''
The Mickey Mouse Club ''The Mickey Mouse Club'' is an American variety television show that aired intermittently from 1955 to 1996 and returned to social media in 2017. Created by Walt Disney and produced by Walt Disney Productions, the program was first televised ...
'' in July 2015. The members eventually had their first official show, titled ''SMRookies Show'', in Seoul in September 2015 and later in
Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...
,
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
in February 2016. Taeil released his first solo soundtrack “Because Of You” for the television series '' The Merchant: Gaekju 2015'' on January 26, 2016, and Winwin, who appeared as a dancer for the live performance of NCT U's "The 7th Sense" during the sub-unit's first live performance in China at the 16th Music Feng Yun Bang Awards later in April 2016. Along with other SM Rookies trainees, the members starred in their first reality show series, titled ''NCT Life'', in the same month. Taeyong, Taeil, Jaehyun, and Mark—all of whom previously debuted in NCT U—as well as Yuta, Winwin, and Donghyuck (who selected the stage name Haechan) were confirmed to debut in NCT 127, the Seoul-based unit of NCT, on July 1, 2016. NCT 127 officially debuted with the release of the music video for "Fire Truck" on July 7, 2016, and had their debut performance on
Mnet M-Net (an abbreviation of Electronic Media Network) is a South African pay television channel established by Naspers in 1986. The channel broadcasts both local and international programming, including general entertainment, children's series, ...
's ''
M Countdown ''M Countdown'' () is a South Korean music program broadcast by Mnet. The show features appearances by popular music artists who also perform live on stage. It is broadcast from CJ E&M Center Studio in Sangam-dong, Mapo District, Seoul. Bro ...
'' on the same day. They performed the single alongside another promotional song, "Once Again". They released their self-titled extended play (EP) on July 10, 2016. The record was a commercial success, debuting at number two on the
Gaon Album Chart The Circle Album Chart, previously known as the Gaon Album Chart, is a record chart ranking the 100 most popular albums, extended plays and single albums in South Korea based on their Record sales, pure sales. It is a part of the Circle Chart, pr ...
and rising to the number one position by the third week of its release, while reaching number two on the '' Billboard'' World Albums Chart. In collaboration with
Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta ...
, NCT 127 released the single "
Taste the Feeling "Taste the Feeling" is a song by Swedish DJ Avicii and Australian singer Conrad Sewell. The song was released as a digital download in March 2016. The track is a Coca-Cola released promotional song for their campaign "Taste the Feeling" campaign ...
" under the
SM Station SM Station is a digital music project by South Korean record label SM Entertainment. It undertook to release one digital single every Friday starting from February 3, 2016. The project's first season ended on February 3, 2017, with 52 songs. Its ...
project on July 29 while continuing promotions for "Fire Truck" on television music shows such as ''
Music Bank Music Bank may refer to: * ''Music Bank'' (TV program), a South Korean music program by KBS **''Music Bank World Tour The ''Music Bank'' World Tour is a worldwide live concert tour of South Korean music show '' Music Bank'' by the Korean Broa ...
'', ''Show Champion'', and ''
Inkigayo ''Inkigayo'' ( ko, 인기가요; English title: ''The Music Trend'', previously ''Popular Song'') is a South Korean music program broadcast by SBS. It airs live every Sunday. The show features some of the latest and most popular artists who p ...
.'' The group then collaborated with the '' W Korea'' magazine and modeling agency ESteem for a special performance video, which featured five members (Yuta, Taeyong, Jaehyun, Mark, and Winwin) performing a then-unreleased track, titled "Good Thing". On December 20, NCT 127 released the music video for "Switch", previously issued as a bonus track on ''NCT #127'', which featured other SM Rookies trainees (who were referred to as SR15B at the time of release). The unit was named the Best New Group of 2016 at several music award shows, including
Asia Artist Awards Asia Artist Awards (; abbreviated AAA) is an awards ceremony organized by South Korea-based business newspaper ''Money Today'' and its global media brands StarNews and MTN. It honors outstanding achievements and international contributions of A ...
,
Seoul Music Awards The Seoul Music Awards (; SMA) is a major South Korean music awards show presented by the newspaper ''Sports Seoul''. The award winners are selected based on a combination of criteria, including music sales, popular votes, and expert judges' op ...
,
Golden Disc Awards The Golden Disc Awards (, formerly spelled the Golden Disk Awards before 2015) is an annual South Korean major music awards ceremony that honors achievements in the local music industry. The awards ceremony was founded with the purpose to promo ...
,
Mnet Asian Music Awards The MAMA Awards (formerly Mnet Asian Music Awards) is a major music awards ceremony presented annually by entertainment company CJ E&M. First held in South Korea, the majority of prizes has been won by K-pop artists, although there are other As ...
and Gaon Chart Music Awards.


2017: New members, breakthrough with ''Cherry Bomb'' and Japanese debut

On December 27, SM Entertainment confirmed that NCT 127 would release their second EP '' Limitless'' in January 2017. The label then announced that new members Johnny and Doyoung would join with NCT 127, becoming a nine-member boy group, with Doyoung having previously debuted with NCT U in April 2016. The group premiered two versions of the EP's eponymous lead single on January 4 and January 5, 2017. The EP, released the next day, was commercially successful, becoming NCT 127's second chart-topper on the Gaon Album Chart and their first to reach number one the '' Billboard'' World Albums Chart. The lead single also received positive reviews from music critics, hailed by ''
Dazed Digital ''Dazed'' (''Dazed & Confused'' until February 2014) is a bi-monthly British style magazine founded in 1991. It covers music, fashion, film, art, and literature. Dazed is published by Dazed Media, an independent media group known for producing ...
'' as one of the top 20 best K-pop songs of 2017, and a fan favorite. Similar to their previous releases, the unit began their promotion cycle for "Limitless" and "Good Thing" on ''
M Countdown ''M Countdown'' () is a South Korean music program broadcast by Mnet. The show features appearances by popular music artists who also perform live on stage. It is broadcast from CJ E&M Center Studio in Sangam-dong, Mapo District, Seoul. Bro ...
'' on January 5. They released their EP ''
Cherry Bomb A cherry bomb (also known as a globe salute or kraft salute) is an approximately spherical exploding firework, roughly resembling a cherry in size and shape (with the fuse resembling the cherry's stem). Cherry bombs range in size from in diamet ...
'' on June 14, led by their single of the same name. The release marked NCT 127's breakthrough, with "Cherry Bomb" being their first single to enter the
Gaon Digital Chart The Circle Digital Chart, previously known as the Gaon Digital Chart, is the music industry standard record chart ranking the 200 most popular singles in South Korea. It provides rankings on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis, which is based o ...
, peaking at number forty-seven, and earning the group their first music trophy. The song has since become one of the group's
signatures A signature (; from la, signare, "to sign") is a handwritten (and often stylized) depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and intent. The writer of a ...
and was named by ''Billboard'' and ''Idolator'' "one of the best K-pop songs of 2017". In addition to their initial activities in South Korea, NCT 127 promoted overseas with their first live performances at the 2017's KCON music festival in
Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
, followed by their appearance at the KCON Festivals in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
and
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, respectively. They also became the first K-pop act to be introduced as Apple Music's “New Artist of the Week” list, attending and performing at the Apple Store in
Williamsburg, Brooklyn Williamsburg is a Neighborhoods in Brooklyn, neighborhood in the New York City borough (New York City), borough of Brooklyn, bordered by Greenpoint, Brooklyn, Greenpoint to the north; Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, Bedford–Stuyvesant to the s ...
on June 25, 2017. The group released a Japanese version of "Limitless" on November 4, 2017, as their debut Japanese single, along with a new music video. In December, after signing with Avex Trax, NCT 127 was confirmed by SM Entertainment to make their official Japanese debut in spring of 2018, accompanied by their first showcase tour.


2018: ''Empathy'' project, member lineup adjustments and ''Regular-Irregular''

In mid-January 2018, SM Entertainment announced that all current members and units would participate in NCT 2018, a project by parent group NCT. NCT 127 released "
Touch In physiology, the somatosensory system is the network of neural structures in the brain and body that produce the perception of touch ( haptic perception), as well as temperature ( thermoception), body position (proprioception), and pain. It ...
" as the fourth single from ''
NCT 2018 Empathy ''NCT 2018 Empathy'' (stylized in uppercase) is the debut studio album by South Korean Boy band NCT, an unlimited group project under the management of SM Entertainment. Containing a total of fourteen tracks with twelve of which were released as ...
'', the studio album that united the existing sub-units of NCT, with different members collaborating under the rotational unit NCT U. The group released their first Japanese EP '' Chain'' via Avex Trax on May 23, 2018, which debuted and peaked at number two on the Oricon Albums Chart. Its eponymous second single was also successful, peaking at number twenty-one on the
Oricon Singles Chart The Oricon Singles Chart is the Japanese music industry-standard singles popularity chart issued daily, weekly, monthly and yearly by Oricon. Chart rankings are based on physical singles' sales. Until 2017, Oricon did not track download sales. In J ...
. On September 17, SM Entertainment introduced a new logo for NCT 127 on all social media platforms. On October 1, they were announced as
Apple Music Apple Music is a music, audio and video streaming service developed by Apple Inc. Users select music to stream to their device on-demand, or they can listen to existing playlists. The service also includes the Internet radio stations Apple M ...
's ''Up Next'' Artist of the October, making them as the first K-pop artist to be selected for the series. Along with the release of a new teaser video, the label confirmed that member Jungwoo would officially join the lineup for their upcoming first full-length album, titled ''
Regular-Irregular ''Regular-Irregular'' is the first studio album by South Korean boy band NCT 127, the second sub-unit of the South Korean boy band NCT. Described as a multi-genre concept album with a total of eleven tracks, the album was released by SM Entertai ...
'', on October 12. Jungwoo previously debuted in the rotational unit NCT U for the single "Boss" in February 2018. The album was a commercial success domestically, remaining at number one on the
Gaon Album Chart The Circle Album Chart, previously known as the Gaon Album Chart, is a record chart ranking the 100 most popular albums, extended plays and single albums in South Korea based on their Record sales, pure sales. It is a part of the Circle Chart, pr ...
for two weeks and becoming NCT 127's first to receive a Platinum KMCA certificate for selling over 250,000 copies. In addition, the album debuted at number eighty-six on the US ''Billboard'' 200, earning the group their first charting title on the chart and leading all ten members to extend their promotions to the United States. In association with their role as one of Apple Music's ''Up Next'' artists, album promotions included a group performance of an English version of the lead single "Regular" and "Cherry Bomb" on ''
Jimmy Kimmel Live! ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. The nightly hour-long show debuted on January 26, 2003, at Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywood, Los ...
'' as the group's first appearance on US national television. NCT 127 also performed on
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
's ''
Mickey Mickey is a given name and nickname, almost always masculine and often a short form (hypocorism) of Michael, and occasionally a surname. Notable people and characters with the name include: People Given name or nickname Men * Mickey Andrews (bor ...
's 90th Spectacular'' TV special on November 4 and released an Apple Music-exclusive digital EP, '' Up Next Session: NCT 127'', on October 21. The digital EP contained an English version of "Cherry Bomb", remixes for "Fire Truck" and "Regular," and the original song "What We Talkin’ Bout" featuring American singer
Marteen Marteen Estevez (born April 6, 2001), better known mononymously as Marteen, is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He has opened for acts like Kehlani, Fifth Harmony, Dua Lipa and NCT 127. Record producer J. R. Rotem discovered Mart ...
. NCT 127 re-released ''Regular-Irregular'' under the title ''Regulate'' on November 23, led by the single "Simon Says". The single was moderately successful in South Korea but experienced greater success in the US, becoming NCT 127's first to top the '' Billboard'' World Digital Songs chart and their first to enter the New Zealand Hot 40 Singles chart. Due to his preparations to debut with China-based sub-unit
WayV WayV ( zh, s=威神V, hp=WēiShén V; an initialism for We are your Vision) is a Chinese boy band and the fourth overall sub-unit of the South Korean boy band NCT, managed by SM Entertainment's Chinese sub-label, Label V. The group is composed o ...
, member Winwin did not join the group's promotional activities for the release of the repackage. On December 19, it was announced Haechan would be taking a hiatus from the group due to injury.


2019: First world tour, ''Awaken'' and ''We Are Superhuman''

In January 2019, NCT 127 announced their first concert tour, Neo City – The Origin, with stops in South Korea and Japan from January to March. The tour was extended to North America, with twelve shows on April and May 2019, and an additional nine in Latin America, Europe and Southeast Asia from May through July 2019. Haechan rejoined the group beginning with the Japan leg of the tour in March 2019. The group featured on Jason Derulo's single " Let's Shut Up & Dance", which was released on February 22, alongside labelmate
Lay Zhang Zhang Yixing (; born ), known professionally as Lay Zhang or simply Lay (), is a Chinese rapper, singer, songwriter, dancer, actor and businessman. Zhang first gained recognition for participating in the Chinese television talent show ''Star A ...
. On March 18, NCT 127 released "Wakey-Wakey" as the lead single of their first Japanese studio album, '' Awaken'', which was released on April 17. In April 2019, NCT 127 signed a worldwide distribution deal with Capitol Music Group and
Caroline Distribution Virgin Music Label & Artist Services is a music distributor of independent artists and record labels, owned by Universal Music Group. The subsidiary focuses on the distribution of new or emerging partners. Started by Virgin Records as Carolin ...
via SM Entertainment. Ahead of the North American leg of their tour, the group made appearances on ''
Good Morning America ''Good Morning America'' (often abbreviated as ''GMA'') is an American morning television program that is broadcast on ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends with the debut of a Sunday edition on January 3, 1993. Th ...
'' and '' Strahan and Sara'' on April 18; they were the third K-pop act to perform on the former. In the same month, the group announced their fourth EP, ''
We Are Superhuman ''We Are Superhuman'' (stylized in all caps as ''NCT #127 We Are Superhuman'') is the fourth Korean extended play (fifth overall) by South Korean boy band NCT 127. Originally confirmed concurrently during the release of their first Japanese st ...
'', released on May 24, 2019, and performed once again as a nine-piece group, with Winwin continuing to promote solely as a member of WayV. The group performed the EP's lead single, " Superhuman", on ''Good Morning America'' and ''Strahan and Sara''. They also performed the song on ''
The Late Late Show with James Corden ''The Late Late Show with James Corden'' (also known as ''Late Late'') is an American late-night talk show on CBS. It is the fourth and current iteration of '' The Late Late Show''. Airing in the U.S. from Monday to Friday nights at 12:37:28a ...
'' on May 14. NCT 127 appeared in the Japanese variety show ''NCT 127 Teach Me JAPAN!'', which began airing on dTV from June 9. ''We Are Superhuman'' debuted at number eleven at the ''Billboard'' 200 with 27,000 units, becoming NCT 127's second entry on the chart. The EP also became their second number-one album on the ''Billboard'' World Albums chart. An English version of "
Highway to Heaven ''Highway to Heaven'' is an American fantasy drama television series that ran on NBC from September 19, 1984, to August 4, 1989. The series starred Michael Landon as Jonathan Smith, an angel sent to Earth in order to help people in need. Victo ...
" was released as the EP's second single on July 18, 2019. In August 2019, SM Entertainment announced that Jungwoo would sit out the group's activities for undisclosed health reasons, although the label clarified in November 2019 that his health had been improving and that he may be able to rejoin the group in 2020. NCT 127 performed as special guests at the 2019
Global Citizen Festival The Global Citizen Festival is an annual music festival started in 2012 and organized by Global Poverty Project. It was founded by Ryan Gall and Hugh Evans. Gall said he was inspired by visiting Austin City Limits and seeing the branding on the ...
in New York in September 2019. They released their first live album, ''Neo City: Seoul − The Origin'', on October 24, and performed at the 2019 MTV Europe Music Awards in
Seville Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...
,
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on November 3, becoming the first K-pop group to do so. NCT 127 also performed at the 2019
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade in New York City presented by the U.S.-based department store chain Macy's. The Parade first took place in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States with ...
in New York on November 28, making them the first Korean artist to perform at the event, as well as on the program ''
Today Today (archaically to-day) may refer to: * Day of the present, the time that is perceived directly, often called ''now'' * Current era, present * The current calendar date Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Today'' (1930 film), a 1930 ...
'' on November 29.


2020: ''Neo Zone'' and cancelled US arena tour

As the group's United States promotional activities for their previous release came to a conclusion by the end of November 2019, NCT 127 released a shortened music video for "Dreams Come True" on their official YouTube channel on January 27. After the announcement of Jungwoo's return, the group released their second Korean studio album, ''
Neo Zone ''Neo Zone'' (also known as ''NCT #127: Neo Zone'') is the second Korean studio album (third overall) by the South Korean boy band NCT 127. Preceded by the music video release for "Dreams Come True" on NCT 127 Day, January 27 (1/27), the 13-trac ...
'', on March 6, 2020, featuring lead single " Kick It". Several members took part in songwriting for the album. ''Neo Zone'' debuted at number five on ''Billboard'' 200 with more than 87,000 units sold in the first week. The album sold over 700,000 units in the first month in the US, becoming their best-selling album to date, as well as topping the Korean album sales chart in March. In addition to promotional activities in South Korea, NCT 127 promoted in the US, beginning with performances at the 2020
RodeoHouston The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, also called RodeoHouston or abbreviated HLSR, is the largest livestock exhibition and rodeo in the world. It includes one of the richest regular-season professional rodeo events. It has been held at NRG S ...
in
Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
on March 10, becoming the first K-pop group to perform at the event. They were scheduled to embark on their second tour, Neo Zone – The Awards, in June 2020 in North America, although the tour was indefinitely postponed and later canceled entirely due to concerns over the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. In April, NCT 127 was chosen as ambassador for Korean cosmetics brand
Nature Republic Nature Republic (Hangul: 네이처리퍼블릭) is a South Korean cosmetics brand created in 2009. History Nature Republic opened its first store in March 2009. Stores were opened outside of South Korea in Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand and Malay ...
. On May 17, they became the fourth act to hold an online concert, titled " Beyond the Origin" as part of SM Entertainment's Beyond Live online concert series. The concert sold over 104,000 virtual tickets to audience members from 129 countries. On May 19, the group released ''Neo Zone: The Final Round'', a repackage of ''Neo Zone''. The album was released alongside lead single "Punch", which NCT 127 premiered live during their Beyond Live concert two days prior. Combined sales of ''Neo Zone'' and ''The Final Round'' exceeded 1.2 million copies, making it the group's best-selling album at the time and their first to exceed one million total sales. The group reunited with the rest of the NCT members for their second studio album, ''
NCT 2020 Resonance Pt. 1 ''NCT 2020 Resonance'' is the second studio album by South Korean boy band NCT, an unlimited group project under the management of SM Entertainment. Similar to their previous release ''NCT 2018 Empathy'', ''NCT 2020 Resonance'' is part of the " ...
'' and ''
NCT 2020 Resonance Pt. 2 ''NCT 2020 Resonance'' is the second studio album by South Korean boy band NCT, an unlimited group project under the management of SM Entertainment. Similar to their previous release ''NCT 2018 Empathy'', ''NCT 2020 Resonance'' is part of the "N ...
'', released on October 12 and November 23, respectively. NCT 127 recorded the track "Music, Dance" for the album.


2021: ''Loveholic'', ''Sticker'' and second world tour

NCT 127 announced in January that they would release their second Japanese EP, ''
Loveholic Loveholics (Hangul: 러브홀릭스; previously known as Loveholic (Hangul: 러브홀릭)) was a South Korean modern rock group founded in April 2002 who released their first album in 2003. The band successfully released six albums, including a s ...
'', on February 17. On June 4, NCT 127 collaborated with
Amoeba Culture Amoeba Culture () is a South Korean independent record label established in 2006 by Dynamic Duo and Go Kyung-min. The label is home to prominent artists such as Dynamic Duo, Rhythm Power, and Ha:tfelt. The label had the third largest sales amo ...
to release the digital single "Save". On June 28, SM released a presentation on the future of the company and the comebacks of their artists. The presentation explained that the group planned to release a third studio album and repackage. At a fanmeet for the group's fifth anniversary, they confirmed the album would have a September release window. Their third Korean studio album, '' Sticker'', was released on September 17. The album consists of eleven tracks, including the lead single of the same name. It achieved 1.13 million pre-orders within the first 24 hours, making it the highest pre-ordered K-pop album in one day. In total, the album recorded 2.2 million pre-orders and sold 2.4 million copies within a week after its release, making it the first album from SM Entertainment to sell over two million copies without a repackage version. ''Sticker'' also became the group's highest-ranking album on the ''Billboard'' 200 at number three and the highest-ranking K-pop album on the chart in 2021. NCT 127 released the repackage version of ''Sticker'', ''Favorite'', and its lead single " Favorite (Vampire)" on October 25, 2021. The repackage accumulated 1.06 million copies in pre-order sales and sold over 1.1 million copies in one week after its release. As of November 3, 2021, ''Sticker'' and ''Favorite'' have sold a combined total of 3.58 million copies, making it the best-selling album by an artist under SM Entertainment. On December 17, NCT 127 kicked off their second world tour with three shows at
Gocheok Sky Dome The Gocheok Sky Dome () is a domed baseball stadium located in Gocheok-dong, Seoul, South Korea. It is the home ballpark of KBO club Kiwoom Heroes. The stadium is primarily used for baseball and has a capacity for 16,744 spectators for baseball ...
in Seoul, promoted as NCT 127 2nd Tour ' Neo City: Seoul – The Link'.


2022: ''2 Baddies'' and world tour continuation

From May 22 until June 26, NCT 127 continued their world tour with 'Neo City: Japan — The Link'. They performed with five sold-out shows at the
Tokyo Dome is an indoor stadium in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan. It was designed as a baseball stadium following its predecessor, Korakuen Stadium. Construction on the stadium began on May 16, 1985, and it opened on March 17, 1988. It was built on the site of th ...
in
Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
, the Vantelin Dome in
Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city and third most populous urban area in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020. Located on the Pacific coast in central Honshu, it is the capital and the most pop ...
, and the
Kyocera Dome The (official name: ) is a baseball stadium located in Osaka, Osaka, Japan. Opened in 1997, the stadium was the home field of the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes. In 2005, the stadium became one of the homes of the Orix Buffaloes, a result of the mer ...
in
Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...
, garnering a total of 220,000 spectators. This marks NCT 127 as the first NCT unit to embark on a dome tour in Japan. They later performed at the
Singapore Indoor Stadium The Singapore Indoor Stadium, known exonymously as the Indoor Stadium, is an indoor arena located in Kallang, Singapore. It is within walking distance of the Singapore National Stadium, and collectively form a part of the wider Singapore Spor ...
in
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
and at the
SM Mall of Asia Arena The SM Mall of Asia Arena, also known as the Mall of Asia Arena or the MoA Arena, is an indoor arena within the SM Mall of Asia complex, in Bay City, Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines. It has a seating capacity of 15,000 for sporting events, an ...
in
Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
,
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
, earning 12,000 and 15,000 spectators, respectively. On September 16, NCT 127 made their comeback with their fourth studio album '' 2 Baddies'' and its title track of the same name. The album sold 1.5 million copies in its first week, becoming the highest-selling album by an SM Entertainment act within its week debut. On the ''Billboard 200'' chart in the United States, the album sold 55,000 copies in its first week and debuted at number three, becoming the group's third album to debut within the top five and their second consecutive album to debut at number three. This makes NCT 127 the second K-pop act to have three albums debut in the Top 5 of the chart, following
BTS BTS (), also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a South Korean boy band formed in 2010 and debuting in 2013 under Big Hit Entertainment. The septet—consisting of members Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook—co-writes and co-pr ...
. ''2 Baddies'' also became the group's highest-charting album in Australia's
ARIA Charts The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
, debuting at number three. A reissue of the album will be released in January 2023. On October 6, NCT 127 held a sold-out concert at the
Crypto.com Arena Crypto.com Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Downtown Los Angeles. Adjacent to the L.A. Live development, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street. The arena opened on October 17, 1999; it w ...
in
Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, as part of the North American Leg of Neo City – The Link. They later performed with another sold-out show at the
Prudential Center Prudential Center is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the central business district of Newark, New Jersey. Opened in 2007, it is the home of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the men's basketball program of Seton Hal ...
in
Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.Seoul Olympic Stadium The Seoul Olympic Stadium (), also known as Jamsil Olympic Stadium (formerly romanised as ''Chamshil''), is a multi-purpose stadium in Seoul, South Korea. It is the main stadium built for the 1988 Summer Olympics and the 1986 Asian Games, 10th ...
, the largest concert stadium in South Korea. The show, titled Neo City: Seoul – The Link+, featured a new set list that included tracks from their fourth studio album '' 2 Baddies.'' NCT 127 continued touring in November and December, playing shows in Jakarta, Indonesia and
Bangkok, Thailand Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...
.


Members

Originally a septet at the sub-unit's debut in July 2016, the lineup now consists of nine active members as of 2022: Current (active) * Taeil (태일) *Johnny (쟈니) *
Taeyong Lee Tae-yong (; born July 1, 1995), known mononymously as Taeyong, is a South Korean rapper, singer, songwriter, and dancer. He is a member and leader of South Korean boy band NCT under SM Entertainment, having debuted in the group's first sub- ...
(태용) – leader * Yuta (유타) * Doyoung (도영) * Jaehyun (재현) *Jungwoo (정우) *
Mark Mark may refer to: Currency * Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina * East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic * Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927 * F ...
(마크) *Haechan (해찬) Current (inactive) *Winwin (윈윈)


Timeline

ImageSize = width:665 height:200 PlotArea = width:470 height:100 left:75 bottom:80 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:07/07/2016 till:04/30/2022 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Legend = orientation:horizontal position:bottom Colors = id:act value:red legend:Active id:mil value:black legend:Inactive id:alb value:blue legend:Studio_album ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:1 start:2017 gridColor:black PlotData = color:black width:7 textColor:black align:left anchor:from bar:Taeil from:start till:end Color:act bar:Johnny from:12/26/2016 till:end Color:act bar:Taeyong from:start till:end Color:act bar:Yuta from:start till:end Color:act bar:Doyoung from:12/26/2016 till:end Color:act bar:Jaehyun from:start till:end Color:act bar:WinWin from:start till:11/23/2018 Color:act bar:WinWin from:11/23/2018 till:end Color:mil bar:Jungwoo from:10/12/2018 till:end Color:act bar:Mark from:start till:end Color:act bar:Haechan from:start till:end Color:act LineData = layer:back Color:alb at: 10/12/2018 at: 04/17/2019 at: 03/06/2020 at: 09/17/2021


Artistry


Musical style

NCT 127's music incorporates genres such as hip hop, R&B, and
EDM EDM or E-DM may refer to: Music * Electronic dance music * Early Day Miners, American band Science and technology * Electric dipole moment * Electrical discharge machining * Electronic distance measurement *Entry, Descent, and landing demonstrat ...
. Their most prominent style, however, is
experimental An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs when a ...
hip-hop, which Taeyong described as "neo", in reference to NCT's name, Neo Culture Technology. NCT 127's hip hop-based experimental singles include the
hardcore hip hop Hardcore hip hop (also hardcore rap) is a genre of hip hop music that developed through the East Coast hip hop scene in the 1980s. Pioneered by such artists as Run-DMC, Schoolly D, Boogie Down Productions and Public Enemy, it is generally cha ...
song "
Cherry Bomb A cherry bomb (also known as a globe salute or kraft salute) is an approximately spherical exploding firework, roughly resembling a cherry in size and shape (with the fuse resembling the cherry's stem). Cherry bombs range in size from in diamet ...
", the Latin-inspired hip hop song " Regular", the "powerful" hip hop and R&B song " Kick It", and the critically polarizing minimal hip hop song " Sticker". They have collaborated frequently with American producer
Dem Jointz Dwayne Allen Abernathy Jr. (born July 17, 1976), better known by his stage name Dem Jointz, is an American record producer. He has produced tracks for numerous artists including Rihanna, Anderson .Paak, and NCT, among others. He also co-produ ...
, who has composed many of their lead singles alongside South Korean songwriter
Yoo Young-jin Yoo Young-jin is a South Korean singer-songwriter, record producer and vocal trainer under SM Entertainment. He has produced and written songs for H.O.T., S.E.S, BoA, Shinhwa, TVXQ, CSJH The Grace, Super Junior, Girls' Generation, Shinee, ...
. Gelene Penalosa of ''POP!'' dubbed NCT 127 the "K-pop's kings of noise music" after noting the increasing prominence of experimental music among fourth generation K-pop groups.


Songwriting

The members of NCT 127 have participated in songwriting since their debut. Taeyong and Mark often write their own raps on songs such as "Cherry Bomb", "Kick It" and "Sticker"; Jaehyun participated in songwriting for "Fire Truck". According to the
Korea Music Copyright Association The Korea Music Copyright Association (KOMCA) is a South Korean non-profit copyright collective for musical works, administering public performance and broadcasting rights, and mechanical recording and reproduction rights. Founded in 1964, it i ...
, Taeyong and Mark have songwriting credits on 62 and 51 songs, respectively. NCT 127 are among the few acts under SM Entertainment that regularly write their own tracks.


Choreography

NCT 127's choreography has been noted for its intensity and complexity, and the members' synchronized dance moves across different styles has received praise. Tim Chan of ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' described their choreography as "difficult for even professional dance troupes to master." Taeyong has actively participated in the conception of the group's dances for both lead singles and album tracks, most notably for "Kick It" and "Bring the Noize".


Discography

Korean albums *''
Regular-Irregular ''Regular-Irregular'' is the first studio album by South Korean boy band NCT 127, the second sub-unit of the South Korean boy band NCT. Described as a multi-genre concept album with a total of eleven tracks, the album was released by SM Entertai ...
'' (2018) *''
Neo Zone ''Neo Zone'' (also known as ''NCT #127: Neo Zone'') is the second Korean studio album (third overall) by the South Korean boy band NCT 127. Preceded by the music video release for "Dreams Come True" on NCT 127 Day, January 27 (1/27), the 13-trac ...
'' (2020) *'' Sticker'' (2021) *'' 2 Baddies'' (2022) Japanese albums *'' Awaken'' (2019)


Concert and tours


Headlining tours

* NCT 127 1st Tour 'Neo City – The Origin' (2019–2020) * NCT 127 2nd Tour 'Neo City – The Awards' (2020; cancelled) * NCT 127 2nd Tour 'Neo City – The Link' (2021–2022)


Concert participation

*
SM Town Live World Tour VI SM Town (stylized as SMTOWN) is a musical collective for the recording artists under South Korean entertainment company SM Entertainment. SM Town artists have performed at the annual SM Town Live world tours since the SM Town Live '08 Asia tour ...
(2017–2018) * SM Town Special Stage 2019 in Santiago (2019) * SM Town Live 2019 in Tokyo (2019) * NCT: Resonance 'Global Wave' (2020) * SM Town LIVE "Culture Humanity" (2021) * SM Town Live 2022: SMCU Express at Kwangya (2022) * SM Town Live 2022: SMCU Express at Human City Suwon (2022) * SM Town Live 2022: SMCU Express at Tokyo (2022) * SM Town Live 2023: SMCU Palace at Kwangya (2023)


Online concerts

* NCT 127 – Beyond the Origin (2020)


Awards and nominations

In 2016 and 2017, NCT 127 received "Best New Artist" awards from the
Mnet Asian Music Awards The MAMA Awards (formerly Mnet Asian Music Awards) is a major music awards ceremony presented annually by entertainment company CJ E&M. First held in South Korea, the majority of prizes has been won by K-pop artists, although there are other As ...
,
Golden Disk Awards The Golden Disc Awards (, formerly spelled the Golden Disk Awards before 2015) is an annual South Korean major music awards ceremony that honors achievements in the local music industry. The awards ceremony was founded with the purpose to promo ...
and
Seoul Music Awards The Seoul Music Awards (; SMA) is a major South Korean music awards show presented by the newspaper ''Sports Seoul''. The award winners are selected based on a combination of criteria, including music sales, popular votes, and expert judges' op ...
. In 2022, they won the Grand Prize (Korean: 대상 ''Daesang'') award at the 31st Seoul Music Awards for the commercial success of ''Sticker'', becoming the first NCT sub-unit to win a Daesang from a major award show.


Notes


References

{{authority control NCT (band) South Korean boy bands SM Town SM Entertainment artists Universal Music Group artists 2016 establishments in South Korea South Korean hip hop groups South Korean pop music groups South Korean male dancers South Korean dance music groups Musical groups established in 2016