It was March 2020 when NCT 127 released the single ‘Kick It’ and their sophomore album Neo Zone, marking their arrival as a K-pop leader. Neo Zone proved that the group’s diligent work had expanded their artistic identity, both musically and visually.
Their work paid off well as the group earned over half a million album pre-orders in South Korea alone and peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 straight after its release. Moreover, it reached No. 1 in the weekly South Korean Albums (Gaon), US Top Album Sales, US Tastemaker Albums, and US World Albums (Billboard). It also became the group’s first release to receive a multi-Platinum KMCA certification in South Korea.
The 13 tracks on Neo Zone are a well-crafted mixture of R&B, hip hop, EDM, and pure pop. Besides the leading single ‘Kick It’, all the tracks stand out and are so incredible that even one year after we can’t stop listening to them.
Now, join us in going through some of our favourite songs from Neo Zone.
Kick It
The title track ‘Kick It’ definitely stands out and takes us back to iconic NCT 127 tracks like ‘Cherry Bomb’ and ‘Limitless’. The track taps into a diverse set of genres, blending rock, R&B, and hard-hitting rap verses.
Pandora’s Box
‘Pandora’s Box’ might be one of the cheesiest tracks on the album, but yet it’s also sophisticated. The chorus is just carefree and dreamy. The lyrics were co-penned by Taeyong, Mark, and Johnny.
Sit Down
‘Sit Down’ is a straight-up hip-hop moment and what K-HipHop fans are looking for. Here, the album turns to dark and aggressive sounds, but it’s still a refreshing moment. With powerful R&B vocals and trap production, the rap-heavy track fits NCT 127’s overall image and sound.
Love Me Now
This song is the definition of a “concert banger” — if you can remember what a concert is. We hope NCTzens will soon have the chance to chant “love me, love me, love me” at the top of their lungs during an NCT 127 concert. What a dream. The track reminds me one of those European club bops, and it works.
