NCT 127 are back with Ay-yo, the repackaged version of their fourth studio album 질주 (2 Baddies). Ay-yo includes three brand-new songs, including the title track ‘Ay-yo’. The repackaged album also includes the 12 tracks from 질주 (2 Baddies) along with ‘Ay-yo’, ‘DJ’ and ‘Skyscraper (摩天樓; 마천루)’.
The title track ‘Ay-yo’ also serves as an album opener and is a heavy hip-hop dance track with powerful energy provided by the instrumentation. The song has very well-balanced vocal and rapping parts – both the vocal line and rapping line have their time to shine, particularly the vocal line, which is a slight change in the NCT 127 normal line distribution. The rapping parts are smooth and less shouted, giving the feeling of a more mature sound, still giving ‘Ay-yo’ that unique style that can only be found in NCT 127’s music.
‘DJ’ is a funky up-tempo track where the members become DJs themselves, gifting special moments with their own-selected playlists. The song has jazz elements and smooth harmonisations. The latest new addition is ‘Skyscraper (摩天樓; 마천루)’, a powerful hip-hop track produced by Dem Jointz and it’s the hype song you need in your 2023 playlist.
Alongside working with famous writers such as KENZIE, Dem Jointz, Andreas Öberg, and producer Simon Petré, the album is further enhanced by the additional rapping talent of TAEYONG and MARK on ‘DJ‘ and ‘Skyscraper (摩天樓; 마천루)‘.
Ay-yo arrives four months after the original release of 질주 (2 Baddies) in September. The album was a global success, debuting at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, making the group only the second K-Pop artist in history to land three albums in the Top 5.
NCT 127 recently completed an arena tour across U.S. and South America. The engagements included stops across the United States, Chile, Columbia, and Mexico, as well as three back-to-back shows in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Moreover, the group also hosted a special virtual event and concert experience on Roblox, a global immersive 3D platform. In celebration of their special anniversary, “127 Day,” The NCT 127 Concert Experience included a free interactive virtual concert performance and additional experiences including featured avatar drops. The event marked the first concert in a dedicated K-pop experience on the platform and the largest-ever official group performance by any band on Roblox, with nine band members performing virtually.
NCT 127 are set to perform on Korean music shows this week. They have performed ‘Ay-Yo’ for the first time today (February 2) along with ‘DJ’ on M Countdown.
