My Other Fave NCT 127 Songs

Update: As of October 16th 2024, Taeil has been removed from SM Entertainment for Sexual Assault allegations. I feel like I need to put this disclaimer on my NCT 127 (and really any NCT related articles where he’s mentioned, I may miss some articles, but this still applies). But I do NOT support him moving forward, and any praise of him in these articles was before this news came out. I hope the victim is able to get justice and has a supportive and loving group around them to help them heal from their trauma.

Finale tiiime 🥳

Alright! Time for the last article in the NCT 127 deep dive series. If you haven’t checked out my other, other fave articles like this, I have a new tag for them.

This is where I put all my other favorite songs from a group or soloist into one article. This is a work in progress series on ATK.

Typically, it’s songs from multiple albums and eras, and different languages all in one post. In the case of LOONA or OnlyOneOf, those are basically their entire discography up to their most recent releases.

I’ve gone back and added to those articles. Because LOONA’s future is up in the air as of writing, that’s probably not going to have any further updates to it.

But for groups still making music, I’ll probably just make a part 2, 3, etc., as more music comes out.

And that’s likely the case for NCT 127. This article will cover my favorite songs from almost every other album I haven’t covered yet in 127’s catalog.

I will mention “Chain” again, because I released in my Regular-Irregular review, I talked about “Chain”, but I didn’t include it in the title. Since there’s another b-side from that album I’ve been dying to talk about, I’m giving it more love here.

I think the oldest songs on here will be from 2018. But most of these are from 2021 onwards. So you won’t see NCT#127, Limitless, Cherry Bomb, Regular-Irregular & Regulate, Superhuman, Neo Zone or The Final Round. Because those have already been covered. So let’s begin!

Touch

One of theeee best NCT 127 title tracks. You can’t change my mind. I hate that it wasn’t just released as its own single.

Because it wasn’t released digitally as a prerelease track on like Melon, for example, and you could only listen to it on YouTube for a while, it was difficult to stream and get them music show wins for.

But they were the only unit this era to get a music show win about two weeks after the album finally dropped. I think timing had a lot of to do with it.

“Boss” was incredibly popular online. But it was released earlier in the promo cycle. “Touch” was right around the time the album dropped, so it was fresher in people’s minds, I think.

I’ve been meaning to cover NCT 2018 because that’s still my favorite all unit, Marvel Avengers Infinity War moment for NCT universe.

I still have so many thoughts about it. I started to go on a tangent here, but I decided to save it for that article, lol. So I’ll keep it brief for conciseness and context, lol.

With the recent news of Sungchan and Shotaro being removed from NCT, and there being one NCT unit left to be announced, it’s definitely time for me to cover 2018 Empathy.

I feel like all this news is leading up to the 2023 version of an all NCT unit album, especially with the Japanese unit coming. It’d be a great way to introduce them. And they’ve done it with previous members through the full unit album.

Anyway, back to 127 and “Touch”, my love of it. Everything was perfect. We got an R&B track with a “cute” concept. Something we were begging for.

I remember I was so in love with Jaehyun’s look in “Touch” that I designed my Tumblr page to a baby blue with a screenshot of him in those blue sunglasses as the header.

It was just a fun, light-hearted song. Super catchy, and even people who weren’t really checking for 127, were paying attention to it.

Styling here was cute, I don’t think there is one member’s fit or hair I don’t like. I think the more natural colors fit the vibe well. It’s mostly a warm tone video.

The choreography is good. Not as iconic as “Cherry Bomb”, but entertaining enough for me to watch the performance version multiple times. It’s somewhere in the top 10. Maybe right at 10.

I love the adlibs throughout the song. NCT 127 songs tend to do this thing where you get bombarded with them near the end of a song. My favorite one in particular is Taeyong singing, “it’s like whenever we touch, you know I can’t get enough.”

A classic.

Chain

I’m going to quote myself here:

This is pots and pans music. Noise music crafted with me in mind. The way the crowd was bouncin left to right just as the chorus hit is still one of my favorite concert experience memories I have.

Music video wise, I feel like we don’t talk enough about this! I love the more casual styling here. The hair and makeup is on point. I’m just a huge fan of choreo centric videos anyway.

I will say, it still blows my mind how little Yuta gets used in Japanese songs/videos. What’s up with that? Mans should have more lines in the Japanese stuff.

Speaking of lines, though, gotta talk about the excitement I had when WinWin had his part and screentime. WinWin stans get crumbs, but we eat it up regardless, lol.

I have so much love for this song. The more time that goes by, the higher up it creeps into my top favorite NCT 127 songs ever, mental list. I mostly listen to the Japanese version because that was the version that came out first.

I typically listen to the song the comes out in whatever language first. That includes English songs too. I think the only Kpop songs I really listen to the English version of more than the Korean ones is “More and More” by TWICE and “Open Mind” by Wonho.

I don’t really have anything additional to say here about “Chain”. I just love it. It’s a comfort song. I get hype every time I hear it. Similar to “View” by SHINee, it still feels fresh every time I hear it. I get the same wave of emotions as the first time I hear it.

100

More Japanese music from NCT 127. We’re in that segment of the article. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this on ATK, but I took a semester of Japanese in college. It was online, and I didn’t do that well with it, but there are random parts of it I still remember.

Because I learned a tiny bit of Japanese before learning any Korean (my Korean practice has pretty much gone on a hiatus, atm), pronunciation wise, I’m more comfortable with Japanese than Korean. Which is another reason why I get excited when there’s a Japanese release I love.

Plus there’s still a lot of English in these songs most of the time, it’s a win win situation. So when I first heard “Chain”, I was obsessed. This album, Chain, was the first Japanese album the group released.

The Japanese versions of “Limitless” and “Comeback” are on this album, as well as the three original/new songs. “Dreaming” is the only one I don’t care for, it’s fine.

I think it’s important to mention this is the first appearance of “Comeback” in NCT’s discography. We later see it on Regular-Irregular for 127 and WayV’s album, Take Off, in Chinese.

It’s “100” that stood out to me as my favorite b-side. It’s very reminiscent of “Back 2 U (Am 01:27)”. I love NCT 127 in their slightly petty, post breakup era. The bops are made here.

I don’t really see much talk about “100” online, I feel like it’s pretty slept on. I need that to change.

Blow My Mind

I refuse to talk in depth about “Wakey Wakey”, and the emotional trauma that caused me being a Johnny stan at the time. I still feel the second hand embarrassment, lmao.

If you have no idea what I’m talking about, Google at your own will. I will not be including any links of looong hair Johnny or the music video. This is all that I will say about it.

Actually I think this was the moment I started one, swerving permanently into Jaehyun and Jungwoo’s lanes (never left Taeyong’s tbh), and two starting to be less of an Nctzen. They were showing the clownery with “Wakey Wakey” and I ignored the red flag.

But “Blow My Mind” was the only song on this album that I really enjoyed. I don’t listen to it much, but I do like it. It’s like a safe NCT 127 song, a bit bland. I feel like it was to balance “Wakey Wakey” being the title.

It’s kinda forgettable. But I do recommend it. “Chain” is a lot all at once, “100” has the harmonizes 127 is known for, and “Blow My Mind” is a tune.

Back to the Korean tracks!

Breakfast

As much as I loathe “Sticker”, they tried to make it up to me with a few songs on the album for me to enjoy. Three. Three songs. The first of those being “Breakfast”.

I don’t listen to this one much, similar to “Blow Your Mind” I feel like it’s a safe 127 song. But “Breakfast” has more going on instrumentally and vocally. It’s an interesting song for your ears, you’re not sure what’s coming next. I bet it’s a blast to hear live and dance too.

Haechan is hard carrying this song.

Focus

My favorite song from Sticker? Yeah, I remember clicking save to likes halfway through the chorus. We know Ash loves when vocal line do the damn thing, and that’s exactly what’s going on in “Focus”.

The first round of raps in “Focus” is fine, but it’s really the last like 40 seconds of the song when Mark starts rapping again, followed by Taeyong, and the song ending with Johnny that really tie up the song perfectly.

It’s giving Limitless, and I’m so here for it.

The Rainy Night

Oooo it’s been awhile since there was a boring ballad from 127 that I loved. It’s like they stopped f***ing around in the studio and went back to their roots with this, “Focus” and “Breakfast”.

I know the members, overall, aren’t too fond of “Sticker”. Taeyong dancing in that TikTok takes me ouuut every time I watch it.

Johnny and Jungwoo trying to make it work also makes me roll on the floor in laughter. My salt is directed towards SME, not the guys, they literally just work there. But that’s not gonna stop me from complaining about it at any chance I get.

“The Rainy Night” is a chill, slower pace song on a chaotic ass album. She’s stronger than the Marines.

Favorite (Vampire)

There’s a lot of bullshit SME has put Kpop fans through, but this has to be near the top of the list. You’re telling me y’all sat on this song, instead of making THIS the title track?

SME, get in the ring, we’re boxing.

Yes, I’m happy one of my favorite, pun intended, NCT 127 songs was released shortly after “Sticker”, but SME slapped us in the face then proceeded to fart, then walk away. That’s what this era felt like. Never has a move pissed me off so much.

I’d love to have more positive to say about this era, but it really solidified my place with NCT 127 and dropping them from my main faves list. I was already on the fence with Dream. Because they also stopped releasing music I liked. With there being a song here or there that I’d save.

But I had enough of 127’s nonsense. I officially became more of a causal fan, and I’ve pretty much stopped watching variety shows or stuff on YouTube.

Outside new music dropping, I’m no longer super involved with the fandom or stuff going on with the group other than major news. I follow a few of them on Instagram, but yeah, I’m in my casual NCT era.

Well for all units except for WayV surprisingly, their music keeps getting better. I just haven’t really watched anything they’ve uploaded to YouTube lately. But they haven’t given me reason to step back. The opposite, actually, I’m even more excited for their future releases.

Okay, okay, enough salt. “Favorite” genuinely is a God tier song. It did give me hope that 127 can still make music that isn’t divisive or for clout. I love the visuals in the music video for it.

Especially Jungwoo’s white hair. I got questions for some of the styling, but I chalk it up to Taeyong’s odd sense of style. Look at these teasers for his solo debut if you don’t believe me.

The choreo also slays. I love the dance break in the music video. It does stop the flow of the song, but it’s a visual medium, so I appreciate they took the opportunity to do something different. Other than just playing the song in full. It reminds me of the performance version of “Cherry Bomb”.

Love On The Floor

I will say the album art this era, Sticker included, slaaaays. I hope the graphic design department got some bonuses.

I think out of the repack songs, “Love On The Floor” is my third favorite song. Which feels and sounds low, considering how much of a banger this track is.

Back in 2021 I listened to all three consistently after they released, and I still listen to them regularly. But “Favorite” and “Pilot” are my most listened to songs out of the repackage songs. Actually out of this entire era.

Pilot

I don’t remember if I talked about my love for “Long Flight” by Taeyong on here or not. Oooo I haven’t. Gotta make a music video fashion post on it. But “Pilot” feels like an OT9 part 2 to it.

Like how J-Hope released “Airplane” and then BTS came out with “Airplane pt.2”. Those are the exact vibes I get.

“Long Flight” and “Pilot” even start off similarly, I’m pretty sure that’s the same female voice.

I love that we have the harmonizes like in “Favorite” but it has a playful vibe to it. Less sexy and serious, but still sounds like something 127 would release. A perfect b-side.

Designer

The chorus is sooooo good. I forgot how much I love this song until I revisited it for this article. I haven’t checked for any song off 2 Baddies since my initial listen, tbh. I added “Designer” to my one of my playlists to bring it back in rotation.

I remember listening to “2 Baddies” but I was mostly over it. I don’t even remember my exact feeling. In difference mostly, I think.

But “Designer”? Oh I looove that. I almost skipped this album and left it at “Pilot”. But I needed something to listen to while doing my Thursday afternoon trash and recycling duties (pick up is Friday).

I had four songs on here, but I decided I’m probably not going back to those, and that’s “Time Lapse” and “Crash Landing”. Not awful songs, but not good enough for me to confidently place them on here.

I didn’t get the same excitement from them like with “Designer” or the next song….

Playback

And the final song on the list, “Playback”. I like it. Similar to “Blow Your Mind”, and “Breakfast”, they sound like music I’d expect 127 to release. Good b-sides, nothing spectacular, but good songs.

I feel like we should have got a cute music video for this song, though. I will say that. I don’t have much else to say on her, though.

Alriiight and that’s it for NCT 127. This was quite a lot. I still have a lot of love for NCT 127, but the musical direction over the last couple of years has been total whiplash, pun intended. I had fun working on this article. And I still love listening to 127 and recommending songs to new Nctzens or people new to Kpop.

So I hope this was a helpful guide. A starting point. On Spotify, it says I have 53 NCT 127 songs saved. They don’t include the NCT songs like “Touch” because that was a part of the Empathy album. So technically 54 songs. I think that’s pretty impressive since I’ve been listening to them pretty consistently for seven years.

And even when they do weird shit like “Sticker”, they still sprinkle in R&B and House tracks in the b-sides. It’s a complicated relationship for sure, lmao. But let me know what some of y’alls fave NCT 127 songs are in the comments.

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter and Instagram! See ya next post!

Ash 🧛🏾‍♀️