NCT 127 marks 10-year anniversary with new studio album 'Blingy,' promising to go back to basics

NCT 127 releases 'BLINGY' amid lineup changes

NCT 127 released its seventh full-length album "BLINGY" on Monday, opening a new chapter in its 10th anniversary year with three of its original members absent, as reported by The Korea Times.

The Seoul-based unit of SM Entertainment's NCT roster debuted in July 2016 with the stated ambition of taking the city to stages worldwide. Hits including "Cherry Bomb," "Kick It," "Sticker," "Fact Check" and "Walk" have kept the group in the sights of global fans over the past decade.

The team is now operating as a five-member act made up of Taeyong, Johnny, Jaehyun, Yuta and Haechan. Vocalists Doyoung and Jungwoo are fulfilling their mandatory military service, while Mark left the group in April after his exclusive contract with SM ended.

Members speak on absence and resilience

Hours before the album's release, the five members held a press conference Monday at Lotte World Tower in Seoul's Songpa District, where they spoke about the comeback and their 10th year in the industry.

"We tried to find our way back to where we started," Taeyong said. "Because it's our 10th anniversary, we worked hard to make sure the members who aren't here still come through on the album. We gave everything we had for our fans."

During the photo session, the members set up life-size standees of Jungwoo and Doyoung on stage, drawing laughter from the room. It was a gesture meant to signal that the team remains whole.

Asked how the group prepared without them, Taeyong said the current lineup was not what anyone pictured at the start.

"When we debuted, all of us honestly assumed we'd still be together 10 years later," he said. "There's been a lot of turnover, and going through that was painful. Even so, the remaining seven of us wanted to repay the memories and the trust we've built with our fans over the past decade ... We started to look forward to things again."

Haechan said the gaps were impossible not to feel while making the record.

"There are parts only they can carry, of course," he said. "But we believed the five of us could cover that ground, so we went in with confidence."

Album details and upcoming tour

The album "BLINGY" comprises nine tracks, according to SM Entertainment. The lead single, also titled "BLINGY," is a hip-hop track built on distorted synths, heavy drums and a chanting chorus, reinterpreting elements of rage and dubstep in the group's own register. Taeyong took part in creating the choreography for the title track.

Johnny said the title track has a message of return to beginnings and that its demanding choreography had not been performed in full by the members. The tracklist includes pre-release single "Pinata," the B-side "Legacy," and fan song "127 Million Miles" sung by all seven members.

NCT 127 recently renewed its contracts with SM Entertainment as a full group. The group will kick off its fifth world tour, "NEO CITY — THE RED LINE," with three shows at KSPO Dome in Seoul from Sept. 18-20.

Looking ahead

Haechan said the group's goal is to show NCT 127's music to more Czennies around the world. Jaehyun said chart results were not the main focus; the version of them that fans have in mind mattered most.