K-popfenomeen NCT 127 brengt vandaag hun vierde studioalbum 질주 (2 Baddies) uit. 127 is de lengtegraad van Seoel – het thuisfront van de groep – en een verwijzing naar de bakermat van de Koreaanse pop.
질주 (2 Baddies) is een gevarieerd album met invloeden uit verschillende genres, van hiphop en R&B tot dance en pop. Gerenommeerde songwriters schreven mee aan de nummers en werkten aan de productie van de plaat: Dem Jointz (Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Rihanna), Cutfather (Jamelia, Kylie Minogue, Pussycat Dolls) en KENZIE (SNSD, SUPER JUNIOR, NCT).
Voorganger Sticker was het debuut van NCT 127 in de UK Album Charts en piekte op #40. Het album kwam eveneens binnen op #3 in de Billboard 200 charts, na Drake en Lil Nas X.
NCT 127 werd geboren in 2016 en is één van de voortrekkers van K-pop, met een leger loyale fans, een resem hits en indrukwekkende liveshows.
The album is preceded by their double million seller album Sticker, which was the group’s first appearance on the UK Albums Chart, debuting and peaking at #40. Sticker also debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 chart (behind only Drake and Lil Nas X) and became the third K-pop group to chart for more than 14 weeks. CLASH rated the album 8/10, stating that “With every new comeback, a wall of noise is established from the start, but hidden behind is a wealth of simplicity, richness and restraint that allows them to be disruptors in the K-Pop scene while simultaneously proving they’re more than just a loud gimmick.”
질주 (2 Baddies) contains 12 songs from various genres – ranging from hip hop, R&B to electronic dance and pop. Globally renowned songwriters took part in the album production, including the likes of Dem Jointz (Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Rihanna), Cutfather (Jamelia, Kylie Minogue, Pussycat Dolls) and KENZIE (SNSD, SUPER JUNIOR, NCT).
Lead single, 질주 (2 Baddies), is an intense hip-hop dance track with an addictive signature synth backed by powerful vocals. The lyrics contain the message that only those who run whilst only focusing on the precious things in life will grow and achieve success.
The album opens up with Faster, an intense hip-hop dance number with a strong bass where NCT 127 share their aspirations. Mid-tempo R&B track Time Lapse has members MARK and TAEYONG taking part in the lyrics which depict the feeling of longing for a lover.
Other notable tracks include LOL (Laugh-Out-Loud), a neo-soul pop song accompanied by a joyful 808 beat while emotionally-charged R&B track Gold Dust allows the members to show off their rich vocals. Hip-hop track Crash Landing draws inspiration from the UK drill genre and the album closes off with 1, 2, 7 (Time Stops), a groovy up-tempo track where the members express gratitude to their NCTzens fanbase.
The album announcement follows the group’s epic return to the United States for the first time since 2020 and are expected to light up the stage with electrifying performances in front of sold out shows in Los Angeles and Newark. Following the announcement, fans sold out tickets in under one hour of going on sale.
The shows come as a continuation of NCT 127’s Neo City – The Link world tour, following performances at iconic venues in Seoul, Tokyo, Singapore and Manila. The US shows are NCT 127’s first shows outside of Asia and more stops are expected to be announced in the coming months.
About NCT 127
With 3M+ monthly Spotify listeners, 14.1M+ Instagram followers, and 8M+ Twitter followers, NCT 127 is known for having not only a loyal and active fanbase (nominated by iHeart as Best Fan Army in 2021) but also amazing hit songs and impressive stage performances (check out their performance from last year on The Late Late Show with James Corden).
Debuting in 2016, NCT 127 is NCT’s Seoul Team and the number ‘127’ is the longitude of Seoul, symbolizing the group’s home base, the home of K-pop. Members include TAEIL, JOHNNY, TAEYONG, YUTA, DOYOUNG, JAEHYUN, JUNGWOO, MARK, and HAECHAN. In March of last year, NCT 127 became a Million Seller for the first time with the 2nd album NCT #127 Neo Zone, which also saw their highest chart debut at #5 on the Billboard Top 200, and lived there for 10 weeks, receiving over 70M audio streams in the US with its lead track Kick It. In addition to the group peaking at #2 on Billboard Artist 100, NCT 127 was named as one of Time’s “Songs and Albums That Defined K-Pop’s Monumental Year in 2020”
