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[Herald Review] Three-day Seoul concert links NCT 127 and fans
NCT 127 successfully ends their three-day concert in Seoul, anticipates world tour in 2022
By Choi Ji-wonPublished : Dec. 21, 2021 - 13:05
K-pop boy band NCT 127 reunited with fans in person for the first time in three years through their concert “Neo City : Seoul - The Link” last week. The three-day concert took place on Dec. 17-19 in Gocheock Sky Dome in western Seoul.
The recent entertainment was the second concert of NCT 127, a subunit of S.M. Entertainment’s popular boy band NCT, since their debut in July 2016. Chinese member Winwin did not take part, as was the case of the group’s first concert concert “The Origin” held in 2018, due to his activities as part of another NCT subunit, WayV.
The last day of the concert on Sunday was more special, as it was joined by fans around the world watching via livestream platform Beyond Live.
“I know that you guys are a little sad that you aren’t with us here at the stadium but we know that you’ll feel the energy. I hope you guys can receive some energy from us,” Johnny said.
“It’s a shame that it’s already the last day. It’s a miracle that we’re holding this concert at this stage, and since it’s so sad to end the miracle here, we’ll really do our best, so please everyone, give us lots of claps,” Yuta said, while Mark piped in, “We’ll try best to go through the screen. I hope you guys enjoy it.”
Over the three-hour session, the nine members performed a massive set list of 34 songs, comprising not only the group’s best hits but also solo and unit stages reserved only for the night.
Opening the action was “Kick It,” the group’s title song of second LP “Neo Zone,” which successfully heated up the venue with its boisterous, bravado sounds.
They brought energy to the stage with performances of “Lemonade” and “Earthquake,” the last one from NCT’s third studio album.
While the stadium was void of the thunderous cheers from fans due to the recently tightened social distancing measures limiting noise levels in concert venues, the bandmates consistently shouted out to fans to induce their claps and reactions.
“Elevator” and “Love Song” was like scenes from a musical, as the members showcased perfectly synchronized moves and made full use of the extensive stage installments, such as the rotating mobile platforms. Although the air was void of the usual fan cheers and chants, the energy exuding from the members weren’t less than any other concerts.
The night was more special as each of the members had the chance to boast their unique charms through solo and unit stages, among which were new songs unveiled that night.
Taeil kicked off the run with an R&B version of “Another World,” going onto perform with Haechan their premiere stage of the song “Love Sign.”
Mark and Taeyong took the baton with “The Himalayas,” which followed the solo performances of Mark’s “Vibration” and Taeyong’s “Moonlight.” The three songs were all unveiled that night.
About his hip-hop track “Vibration,” Mark said, “I intended a rap that was tough, yet classy and restrained.”
Taeyong’s punk rock genre “Moonlight” took Doyoung by surprise during rehearsal as he first watched Taeyong come out from behind the screen on the moon.
It was as if each member had waited for the night to showcase their new solo songs, as Jaehyun performed “Lost,” Doyoung, “The Reason Why It’s Favorite,” and Yuta, “Butterfly."
According to Jaehyun, the melody of his partly self-made song ”Lost“ was inspired by emotions of feeling lost and empty, while the lyrics was themed around love. "I’d feel proud if people had empathized with such feeling and were consoled from it," Jaehyun said.
Doyoung’s "The Reason Why It’s Favorite" was composed by S.M.’s star songwriter Kenzie, who Doyoung introduced as the "mother of S.M." She was present during Sunday’s concert.
One of the most breathtaking moments of the night was Jungwoo’s "Lipstick" dance performance, which, according to Jungwoo, was meant to be one of the turning points of the show.
”I think I portray this cute and young image and I wanted to go against such expectations and give a surprise. If you look at the concert set list, you’ll actually see that the overall atmosphere (of the concert) shifts from day to night following my performance,“ Jungwoo said.
Perhaps the shortest yet most shocking rendition of the night was Johnny's solo stage during "Focus." The one-minute long performance was a time of muted frenzy for fans who had to watch Johnny in silence as he danced inside a transparent cage, topless, slipping in between bars, as if luring the audience with his movements.
Johnny, Taeyong, Yuta and Jaehyun brought back the early memories with ”Run Back 2 U," a track from their first studio album "Regular-Irregular," and their 2015 pre-debut single "Bassbot."
In between solo and unit acts, the bandmates came together for some of their biggest hits, including "Favorite (Vampire)," "Simon Says" and “Touch.”
As the first concert following the release of their recent two studio albums, “Neo Zone” and “Sticker,” and the repackages, the show was especially focused on delivering live performances of tracks from the albums, including “White Night,” ”Paradise” and “Pilot.”
Hitting the night’s climax with “Sticker” and “Cherry Bomb,” NCT 127 turned the mood of the night with the fan song “Dreams Come True.”
“I started today’s concert hoping today will last long in my mind, as today’s the last day and we don’t know when we will be able to meet again. When this show ends, we’ll all be waiting indefinitely for the better days, so I’m going to remember today for a long time. And I’ll be waiting and working hard for the next time. We’ll be missing you so much,” Doyoung said.
Jungwoo took the mic, and said, “It was so sad that we were only given three days for this show in over two years. We also had little time to prepare. I honestly felt a pressure and was afraid, but seeing your supporting eyes, it really emboldened me.”
Addressing their fans, NCTzen, Taeil said, “For some reason, I felt like crying seeing you guys wave the placard with the slogan during ‘Dreams Come True.’ We’re so thankful to NCTzens who are invaluable to us,” while Taeyong added, “We think about you as much as you do about us. Let’s make some noise and have more fun next time!”
Haechan brought the night to a close by saying, “The time has gone by so fast. This is the first concert in two years and 11 months, and it’s a shame that we’re here only for three days. I really hope we can hear your chants and screams next time. I want to do everything. Thank you so much for coming today. Many staffs have put in so much to make this single concert. We love you so much, NCTzen.”
The show came to an end with “Promise You,” embracing all the hopes and promises of the nine members and their fans.
According to S.M., NCT 127 is set to kick off their second world tour next year.
By Choi Ji-won (jwc@heraldcorp.com)
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