Exclusive: NCT 127 Defines What It Means To Be "Neo" And Highlights Their Charms At "2 Baddies" Press Conference

Sep 16, 2022

NCT 127 has finally made their highly-anticipated return with “2 Baddies”!

On September 16, NCT 127 held a press conference ahead of the release of their fourth studio album “2 Baddies” to talk about their comeback. JaeJae was the MC for the press conference, kicking off the press conference with great excitement. Following their energetic group greeting, the members took turns introducing their album and talking about their preparations for the album.

When asked how NCT 127 has spent the time since they released their third studio album “Sticker” last year, Johnny shared, “Since December, we’ve been holding our “Neo City : The Link” concerts, and we’ve been busy with our world tour.” Jaehyun also mentioned individual projects such as the NCTLAB project. For the new album, Doyoung expressed his excitement, saying, “I think a legendary album will be released.”

The members also highlighted some of their B-sides starting with “Faster.” Jaehyun introduced the song by sharing, “It’s a great song to start off the album,” commenting that it gives off the nervous excitement of standing at the starting line. The members also introduced “Time Lapse,” which is a song Mark and Taeyong worked on together, “Crash Landing,” which is a very NCT 127-like love song, and “1, 2, 7 (Time Stops),” which Taeil described as a fan song for NCTzens.

Regarding “1, 2, 7 (Time Stops),” Jungwoo commented, “I really like fan songs, and NCTzens also like them, so I wanted to showcase this song.” JaeJae wittily commented, “It has a lot of lucky numbers. I used to use 127 as my password too.”

On their title track “2 Baddies,” Taeyong shared that the song represents NCT 127 themselves, calling it very “Neo.” Doyoung said, “Like how [Jaehyun] introduced ‘Faster’ earlier, I personally think it would be good to listen to ‘2 Baddies’ right after.” He joked, “I recommend listening to it in the car while staying within the speed limit, and the song will make you feel good.”

The members also watched their performance video for “2 Baddies” for the very first time at the press conference. Taeyong shared, “I think when I watch my team perform, my heart becomes warm for some reason because all our members do such a great job. I think, ‘Wow, this is our team.’ Johnny added, “When we agreed to end our practice at 11 p.m. for example, I suggested we keep practicing just one more time. But the performance came out that much better.”

Johnny also revealed that NCT 127 will be headed to Los Angeles and Newark soon. Johnny shared, “We’re putting in effort to try something new since it’s our first time going back [to the United States] in two to three years. We hope NCTzens in the states look forward to it.”

Check out the members’ responses to more questions below:

Q: What are your ambitions for this comeback?

Taeyong: I always think about this a lot, but there’s something we say every time we promote, and it’s: let’s have a fun time. We have to have a good time so that the fans can also have a good time. Let’s also not get hurt, and let’s stay healthy.

Yuta: Rather than tell you our resolve, we’ll just show you through our performances going forward!

Q: How did you feel while preparing for this album?

Doyoung: Since it’s our first comeback in a while, and our fans have also waited a long time, rather than the results, we hope that our fans feel that this album and this team are worth the wait. Although results are important, above all, what matters the most is our fans thinking, “This is why I waited so long,” while listening to the album.

Q: What were your first thoughts when listening to the demo track?

Doyoung: There’s a reaction video of us first listening to “2 Baddies” while in the practice room for our Japanese tour. I’m not sure if that video will be released, but everyone felt the beat and danced, and it was a happy reaction without a doubt. It’s a song that really reflected our tastes, so I was really happy.

Q: Do you have specific goals for this album? How would you define what a “Neo-like” song is?

Johnny: Like we always say, we’re just happy if fans are satisfied. If we have to set a goal [for Billboard], I think it’s to hit No. 1. Anyone is happy to gain good results—it’s like having competitive spirit!

Taeyong: I think I remember we always did difficult concepts, and I was always concerned looking at the members’ makeup and outfits, wondering, “Will this be ok?” But now i think we’ve taken on that “Neo” style, and that style has become cool. Neo isn’t weird or unique, but it means to stand out.

Q: Where do you want to “speed” to? (Referring to the Korean title of their track “2 Baddies.”)

Jaehyun: [We hope] people speed forward without any regrets and let go of their stress.

Taeyong: I want us to be a team that lasts a long time… For the next 20 to 30 years, would you like to “speed forward” with us?

Q: How would you introduce your music to convert people into fans?

Taeyong: First, this is not because I’m the the team leader or a member of this team, but I think this team is so talented to the extent that I think there isn’t anything we can’t do. That is our charming point. We have very diverse colors, so you can’t help but fall more and more for the team…If we get to set records with this album, I’m really prepared to be happy.

Doyoung: NCT 127 is like malatang. Even just a few years ago, it wasn’t well known, but now its weird if you don’t eat it. In that sense, I think we’re making malatang-like music. Please become a fan of us us.

Q: What are your thoughts on Lee Soo Man potentially ending his contract early as executive producer?

Taeyong: We’ve been with Lee Soo Man since our trainee days, so we can’t really imagine SM without Lee Soo Man. He really loved “2 Baddies,” so we hope that this album won’t be the last that he produces.

Wrapping up the press conference, Mark talked about their growth as a group with the release of their fourth studio album and hinted at showcasing new tracks and performances for their upcoming concerts. On their reason for releasing the music video a day earlier than the album, Doyoung wittily remarked, “The music video came out really well, so we just wanted to showcase it early.” Mark added, “As a fan of NCT 127, I was really happy.”

If you haven’t already, check out the music video for “2 Baddies” here!