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I know this is quite late to revisit 2020, but initially I intended on expanding my yearly wrap-up thread format for NCT, including some context and my own opinions about it, but it got WAY out of hand
Let's start!
NCT started the year with the release of Neo Zone, NCT 127's 2nd Full Album on March 6th. It contained 13 brand new songs, including the title track Kick It.
On May 19th. NCT 127 released their Repackaged version of Neo Zone, named The Final Round, with Punch as its title track in addition to 3 other new songs.
In a climate of uncertainty in the fandom following the previous year's sales fiasco with Superhuman, fans didn't know what treatment to expect from SM in 2020. Gladly, the agency showed no sign of giving up on investing their resources in NCT. Neo Zone Era was a big turning point for NCT. Kick It was the highest and longest charting song from the group, and the physicals also set a personal record for them. The song was widely covered among idols and is probably NCT's most well known song among non-fans.
Neo Zone: The Final Round brought together the best producers SM can offer, coupled with very extensive promotion, with the release of Mini Track Videos for ALL songs. The result was an amazing, diverse album with many different colors. If you don't like NCT's usual sound, I'm sure you can still find a b-side in Neo Zone which suits your taste. It's my favorite album of all time.
My rating: 10/10
Outstanding tracks: Day Dream, Love Song, Love Me Now
Total: 17 new songs
NCT Dream made their comeback on April 29th with yet another mini album, Reload, led by the single Ridin'. The album set the record for NCT's highest physical on its 1st week by the time of its release (over 400,000 copies). The mini contained 5 new songs.
Even though the numbers proved their fandom power, Ridin' paled in terms of industry impact. There just wasn't anything groundbreaking about it, which is fine. In a vacuum, Ridin' is a pretty solid song, it just sits awkwardly next to NCT's boundary-breaking title track collection.
My rating: 7/10
Oustanding tracks: Love Again, 7 Days, Quiet Down
Total: 22 new songs
On June 9th, WayV released their 1st Full Album, Awaken The World. Composed of 10 songs, including the title track Turn Back Time, the album offered a pretty eclectic experience in a WayV-fashioned structure. They also released a Korean version of Turn Back Time as a separate single in order to perform on Korean music shows.
To follow-up with promotions, on July 29th, WayV released an English Version of Bad Alive as a single alongside its own MV.
My rating: 8.5/10
Turn Back Time - Korean Version
WayV · Turn Back Time (Korean Version) · Song · 2020
open.spotify.com
Outstanding tracks: Domino, Electric Hearts, Unbreakable
Total: 34 new songs
(including 32 brand new and 2 alternative versions of previously-released songs)
On August 14, SuperM released the first pre-release single 100, out of 3 lead singles that would comprise their first comeback with the Full Album, Super One. On September 1st, they released the second single Tiger Inside, and finally on September 25th they released One (Monster & Infinity), together with the album. The title track is a hybrid between Monster and Infinity, two songs included in the album, something that SM has tried before with SHINee's Sherlock (Clue + Note). One is meaningful to SuperM because each element in the title alludes to one group that composes SuperM. Monster is a reference to the EXO song of the same title, while Infinity represents NCT's infinitely-expanding concept. The reference to SHINee and Taemin is in the stylization of the title of the song, borrowed from Sherlock (Clue + Note). Together, they become One through SuperM.
This album sadly suffered from the lack of overseas promotions due to the pandemic, seeming that they didn't even promote in Korean music shows. Save for a few show appearances, the album had zero promotion which caused it to be overlooked even among fans of the three groups, which is sad because it's an amazing album and, in my opinion, SM's best attempt at western appeal. The album had 15 new songs, including 100, Tiger Inside, One, Monster, and Infinity.
My rating: 9/10
Outstanding tracks: Big Chance, Wish You Were Here, So Long
Total: 49 songs
(including 47 brand new and 2 alternative versions of previously-released songs)
NCT launched their big 2020 project in September. With the introduction of two new members, Sungchan and Shotaro, Resonance would be a Full Album divided into 2 parts, in which all 23 members would participate. Each part would have 2 promoted title tracks performed by different combinations of members under NCT U. For the first time SM explored the potential of NCT U by creating as many as 12 never-seen-before lineups, each responsible for singing a different song in the album, in addition to a new song by the lineup that sang Boss together under their 2018 project Empathy.
Across the two parts, the album had a total of 21 new songs. Make a Wish became the most viewed MV on SMTOWN's Youtube channel, and NCT were officialized as million sellers with Resonance Pt.1, as certified by GAON.
The four title tracks included Make A Wish, From Home, 90s Love and Work It. Every member got to participate in at least one of these songs. NCT proved their versatility once again with this album by trying many different things for the b-side tracks, as well as having their first ever ballad as a promoted title track, From Home.
As a closing to the project, NCT released a single with all 23 members, Resonance. It included a medley of Make a Wish, 90s Love, and Work It, and interludes of Raise the Roof, a b-side from the album.
My rating: 9.5/10
Outstanding tracks: Faded In My Last Song, I.O.U, My Everything
Total: 71 songs
(including 67 brand new and 4 alternative versions of previously-released songs)
1. Compilation Albums: NCT Dream released their First Japanese mini album in January. However, it was a compilation album of their previous Korean singles (not even Japanese versions of them), so none are counted here. It still sold very well in Japán though, so we can probably expect original Japanese songs by NCT Dream in the future.
WayV released Take Over The Moon: Sequel, which was pretty much a compilation album as all songs were already included in Take Over The Moon, except a bonus track called WayVoice #1, which is a cute little skit kind of track. (Total: 1 song)
2. Live Albums: In June, NCT Dream released a live album of their concert The Dream Show. The album contains 22 tracks, all live versions of their released songs. Though technically they are alternative versions, I don't count live albums in the yearly total.
3. Remixes: Ever since the creation of the project iScream, SM has been consistently releasing remixes of their artists' title tracks by in-house DJs and producers. This year, NCT were a part of 3 iScream singles, totaling 8 remixes of their songs. (Total: 8 songs)
4. Featurings & Collabs: This year, NCT wasn't featured in any SM STATION singles. However, they still had some collabs with SM artists here and there. In February, Yangyang lent his voice to DJ IMLAY. He sang Asteroid, the title track of IMLAY's mini album Dystopia. Still in February, Kun and Xiaojun featured on Zhoumi's single I'll Be There. In May, Ten and Xiaojun sang in DJ GINJO's track The Riot. (Total: 3 songs)
Yearly Total: 83 songs
(including 71 brand new and 12 alternative versions of previously-released songs)
With a whooping total of 83 songs released (including 4 full albums!) and many new milestones reached in 2020, NCT is sure climbing up to the top spots among Korean boy groups purely by
(Ok, I actually wrote this paragraph back in January but reviewing this in June, I think we have the answer to this already with NCT DREAM's Hot Sauce selling 2M copies)
See you guys with one more Wrap-Up at the end of this year!
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Kick It a 10 while KING Turn Back Time is an 8.5? Not in this house
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Kick It a 10 while KING Turn Back Time is an 8.5? Not in this house
The album!!!! Not just the titles smh
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It changes nothing, any album with Kick It on it should be an immediate -5
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bruce lee will hear of thisIt changes nothing, any album with Kick It on it should be an immediate -5
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All he hears is falling dirt, as he spins in his grave
This is one of the best songs nct had ever producedIt changes nothing, any album with Kick It on it should be an immediate -5
ridin album a whole ass 7
Saint Ren
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Disgusting
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This is one of the best songs nct had ever produced
ridin album a whole ass 7why why why
bskvks a mini album just wasn't enough!! and ms. ridin' didn't do it for me
BUT love again is one of my fave Dream songs
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The sm in sm maid stands for social media
What can’t you do
What can’t you do
ms.ridin by herself is enough i mean it gave off major exo teasebskvks a mini album just wasn't enough!! and ms. ridin' didn't do it for me
and the pre-chorus was A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!!
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yes I totally see where you're coming from! it's definitely a great song but I prefer the crazier more experimental stuff from nctms.ridin by herself is enough i mean it gave off major exo tease
A True nctzenyes I totally see where you're coming from! it's definitely a great song but I prefer the crazier more experimental stuff from nct
I lost my argument lol
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Nctzen are well fed for sure
KICK IT/NEO ZONE IS THAT B*TCH
i love nct, but ngl, sometimes it does kinda feel like some of their success comes from brute force on sm's part sdjkfhgh
nice write-up, maid!
i love nct, but ngl, sometimes it does kinda feel like some of their success comes from brute force on sm's part sdjkfhgh
nice write-up, maid!
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it is so funny to me how many posts I've seen of people saying they're tired of seeing nct everywhere dfkghkldg
i love nct, but ngl, sometimes it does kinda feel like some of their success comes from brute force on sm's part sdjkfhgh
nice write-up, maid!
meanwhile nctzens are crying saying they're not promoted
thanks vampy!
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As expected from sm maid, i can count of you if we are talking about NCT.
Even if I knew all of this, i still read it because 2020 was NCT year!!
Pd: I guess I'm the only one who likes Puzzle Piece.
Even if I knew all of this, i still read it because 2020 was NCT year!!
Kick It is queen!!! Next to Boss and MAW, are the most recognizable songs from NCT. And I think it's the signature song of NCT 127 at the moment.
Painfully agree. Ridin' isn't a bad song, but i need a lot of days to get used to it.
Pd: I guess I'm the only one who likes Puzzle Piece.
Even if SM said they will be unlimited members...I'm hoping LSM put a stop after giving Sungchan and Shotaro their unit.