10th Anniversary NCT 127, Five Members Create a "Limited Edition"... "Stronger With Our Unique Color"

10th Anniversary, Seventh Full-Length Album "Blingy"
Doyoung and Jungwoo Serving in the Military... Five-Member Promotions
All Members Renew Contracts with SM Entertainment
Fifth Tour Begins at KSPO Dome in September

Group NCT127 is posing at the press conference celebrating the release of their seventh full-length album, "Blingy," held on the 24th at SKY31 in Songpa-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

"If I had to sum up the past 10 years in one word, it would be 'My Way.' We have focused on our own music and walked our own path without worrying too much about others."

On August 24, at Sky31 in Songpa-gu, Seoul, the group NCT 127 looked back on the past decade with a more relaxed attitude during a press conference commemorating the release of their seventh full-length album, "Blingy." They debuted on July 7, 2016, and are celebrating their 10th anniversary this year. For these activities, five out of the seven members—Johnny, Taeyong, Yuta, Jaehyun, and Haechan—will be performing, as Doyoung and Jungwoo are currently serving in the military. All seven members recently renewed their contracts with SM Entertainment. Taeyong said, "It means we trust each other and our company as we move forward," and added, "We want to show an even stronger side of ourselves."

Taeyong said, "When we debuted, I imagined that all of us would still be together 10 years later. Over the years, there were many member changes, and every time we went through those periods, it was painful and hard to adjust." After Mark ended his NCT activities in April, NCT 127 became a seven-member group. Taeyong commented, "We want to repay the fans for the trust and memories we've built together over the past 10 years." Regarding Mark, he said, "As someone who walked this 10-year journey together, I respect him deeply. I saw firsthand how hard he worked." He added, "Now that each path is different, I respect and support him on his journey."

This is their first new album release in about two years since "WALK" was released in July 2024. The seventh full-length album, set to be released at 6 p.m. that day, includes nine tracks in total, including the title song "Blingy." The album centers on hip-hop but also experiments with rock, pop, and indie pop. While only five members will be performing on stage for this promotion, the track "127 Million Miles" features all seven members, including Doyoung and Jungwoo, who are currently serving in the military. The song expresses the determination to stay connected, even when separated by great distances.

Jaehyun said, "Because this album comes out on our 10th anniversary, we focused on capturing the sound and image of NCT 127 that our fans imagine." He added, "We thought carefully about which song would best express our identity when selecting the title track."

The title track contenders included "Blingy," "Piñata," and "Legacy." Haechan said, "All five of us agreed that 'Blingy' best delivers our synergy in terms of music and performance. We felt it would be the best track to showcase our energy on stage."

NCT 127. Provided by SM Entertainment

"Blingy" is a hip-hop track led by distorted synths, powerful drums, and a chanting chorus, with elements of rage and dubstep. It builds on the strong, experimental musical style that NCT 127 has maintained over the past 10 years. Taeyong also participated in choreographing the dance. He explained, "Because the beat is so strong, we tried to create moments of relaxation in the middle," and said, "The key point is the part where we flip the hand movement that represents sparkling." Yuta described the song as "full of experience and energy," adding, "While practicing for the first time in a while, I realized just how intense this choreography was going to be."

Since their debut, NCT 127 has consistently released music with a strong sense of identity. With "Fire Truck" and "Cherry Bomb," they pushed aggressive hip-hop and electronic sounds, while "Kick It" and "Sticker" showcased unconventional rhythms and song structures. This is why Haechan described the past 10 years as "My Way."

After first entering the Billboard 200 with their 2018 debut full-length album "Regular-Irregular," NCT 127 climbed to No. 5 on the chart in 2020 with "Neo Zone." Their albums "Sticker" in 2021 and "2 Baddies" in 2022 both reached No. 3. In March last year, they held their milestone 100th solo concert in Newark, USA.

Jaehyun chose "challenge" as what he was most proud of during the past 10 years. He said, "We've always tried new things in music and style. 'Blingy' is another chapter that we are able to present now, continuing the journey of the last decade." Taeyong added, "When I see how fans have preserved every one of our albums since our debut, it makes me think that each album is our own 'Blingy.'"

NCT 127. Provided by SM Entertainment

NCT 127 will kick off their fifth tour, "Neo City – The Red Line," at Seoul Olympic Park KSPO Dome from September 18 to 20. All three Seoul concerts are already sold out. Afterward, they will tour cities including Jakarta, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, and Taipei.

Haechan described both the new album and the concerts as "limited editions." He said, "Our goal is to introduce NCT 127's music to even more Czennies around the world. Appearing on 'America's Got Talent' recently made me realize how many fans there are around the world who want to see us. We hope to meet fans in many more places in the future."

Speaking about the next 10 years, Taeyong said, "When Doyoung and Jungwoo return, I want to try putting together even bigger performances and more refreshing songs. Our goal is to keep showing our own unique color, without being confined to just one thing."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.