From NCT DREAM‘s scrumptious debut with “Chewing Gum” in 2016 to later devouring the charts with hits like “Scorching Sauce” and “Sweet,” the boy band’s style for snackable singles takes a distinct and darker flip with “Smoothie,” the lead single off their just-released DREAM( )SCAPE EP, that speaks to the group’s hope of utilizing music for followers to “escape their fears and negativity.”
“Our producers and label have been like, ‘Is there one thing that you just guys wish to say specifically?’” group chief MARK explains to Billboard days earlier than the album drop. “RENJUN was truly pondering, ‘Musically and visually, we’ve at all times been so shiny and really optimistic, however I feel we are able to sort of specific the way it’s nonetheless NCT DREAM and typically we are able to even have dangerous desires.”
Represented by way of the extreme five-part ( )SCAPE Movie on YouTube and their most experimental mini album, NCT DREAM tweaked their signature fashion for tracks that acknowledge hardship and supply an empowering, encouraging message. MARK opens intro observe “icantfeelanything” saying, “I’d’ve been afraid to be courageous,” adopted by CHENLE crooning, “‘Trigger I’m misplaced and confused” earlier than an intense breakbeat switches right into a chant of annoyed yells.
The septet tackles nervousness on the pacifying R&B of “UNKNOWN” (Encouraging the listener to slowly however certainly “Go chase your desires/ Dive in, dive in, into the unknown”) as they yearn for freedom on hip-hop/pop lower “BOX” (“I don’t want controllin’, Let me go/No one lockin’ me up, no person stoppin’ me”). The hook-heavy single “Smoothie” flips the group’s tried-and-true foodie styling by inspiring the viewers to share their worries with NCT DREAM to allow them to mix it right into a therapeutic formulation: “Throw in that doubt and faux, pour in all that ache / Bathe that in all this ice, finally all of it melts.”
Pronounced as “Dream Escape,” the tight, six-track make-up of DREAM( )SCAPE affords followers not solely an uplifting getaway of a listening expertise however crucially lets them in a bit nearer to a bunch that each one debuted as youngsters and is changing into a group of smart younger adults. The messages ought to join properly with NCT DREAM’s audiences worldwide as their DREAM SHOW 3 world tour begins in Might with plans to go to Latin America, the U.S., and Europe earlier than the 12 months’s finish.
Earlier than then, learn extra from MARK, RENJUN, CHENLE, JENO, JAEMIN, HAECHAN and JISUNG on creating their newest album, upcoming world tour and extra.
Congratulations on the brand new album. From the teasers to the music itself, NCT DREAM shares lots by way of DREAM( )SCAPE. General, what are you seeking to present on this album?
RENJUN: As expressed by way of the ( )SCAPE Movie trailers, though we now have all completely different jobs and are in numerous places, we expertise the identical exterior stress and, by way of these processes, we virtually really feel like we’re liberated. And likewise the title track itself, you’ll be able to see that it’s titled “Smoothie,” nevertheless it means that we are going to grind all these dangerous components and blend them up [into something positive].”
MARK: I feel we’ve actually grown as individuals, and as artists, and that positively displays the way in which we make our albums now as a result of I feel this album would possibly even have essentially the most of our identities and our private colours in it. We have been very concerned within the course of from the very begin and we actually acquired to place within the message that we’ve at all times wished to ship to our audiences. This album, specifically, actually sort of showcases who we’re essentially the most out of all the opposite albums when it comes to that we have been very a lot trying ahead to how our followers would reply to that. [DREAM( )SCAPE] revolved round our concepts, and we have been concerned with how we wished this complete message shared, so it made us really feel like, “Okay, we have to take extra accountability for this album.”
JENO: This album is the place to begin of this 12 months in our new chapter so I feel we now wish to focus extra on that tales that lie inside.
What message did you all wish to share? MARK opens the album by saying, “I’d’ve been afraid to be courageous,” and the concept of is talked about just a few instances within the file. What’s the importance of bravery right here?
RENJUN: It’s at all times laborious to start out one thing and take that first step. Really, it’s very tough to be courageous and requires a variety of braveness. And with this album, we wished to assist others at their very own beginning line to be courageous by themselves.
MARK: Our producers and label have been like, “Is there one thing that you just guys wish to say specifically for this album?” So, we have been pondering amongst our members however RENJUN was truly pondering, “Musically and visually, we’ve at all times been so shiny and really optimistic, however I feel we are able to sort of specific the way it’s nonetheless NCT DREAM and typically we are able to even have dangerous desires as properly, you realize?” Though we’re going for our desires, there are hardships that we face in actuality. Our hope is to let our audiences escape their fears and negativity; we actually wish to encourage that. That sort of fashioned the title of our album as properly, which isDREAM( )SCAPE.
And I wished to make clear as a result of I really feel like lots of people would pronounce it as “Dreamscape,” nevertheless it’s “Dream Escape.” They took the “e” out as a result of the parentheses are alleged to symbolize a gate, you realize? We have now to name it “Dream Escape,” I assume — the “e” escaped.
JENO: We specific our progress by way of our music. Since we debuted at such a younger age, I feel we nonetheless have issues to determine from the youthful picture that our group holds. So, with that in thoughts, once we have been producing this album, we tried to flee from that picture that we had.
It felt like DREAM( )SCAPE was viral the second you unveiled these darkish teasers that we haven’t seen from NCT DREAM—I assumed the bruised and bloody toes have been very placing. Are you able to clarify them and your tackle the reactions?
RENJUN: The preliminary teasers meant that the garments on prime are very neat and glossy, however you additionally see these wounded toes from the members. This signifies that, in actual life, everybody appears to be comfy and put collectively, however we now have hidden emotions inside and wounds in our hearts—and that’s regular. We’re attempting to specific that going by way of struggles and ache finally results in an escape.
JENO: As you’ll be able to see within the ( )SCAPE Movie, we’re locked in our personal rooms to point out every of the member’s personal desires and identities on this suppressed actuality. Ultimately, we get to flee after the seven of us collect up, and that’s the storyline that we targeted on once we have been filming.
MARK: It was actually enjoyable seeing how after each picture acquired launched, the followers have been like, “Oh, what does this imply? What does this symbolize? I feel there’s a narrative behind all this.” I actually appreciated to see how they have been very attentive to every element of the picture, and typically even, we have been shocked by how they interpreted some elements of a photograph or video — their attempting to detect what all of it meant at the start was launched was one of many issues that we actually appreciated about this promotion.
To not pry, however that’s an amazing message that I think about many artists relate to. Is there something you handled the place issues appeared good on the surface, however one thing else was happening inside?
RENJUN: I feel everybody has ache and scars from their lives that they don’t wish to present till they’re prepared. So, perhaps speaking to individuals [about this subject] may make others comfy to wish to reveal their pains.
JENO: To proceed that, I feel the rooms that I described earlier actually relate to this album, and that’s the place the story and idea got here from.
MARK: I feel there are a variety of instances the place I really feel very hungry on set, however I simply can’t present that to the individuals as a result of I really feel like that is perhaps delaying the entire schedule, you realize? Very painful…
RENJUN: He’s joking! He’s at all times kidding.
MARK: I imply, there’s a seed of fact. [Group laughs.] However don’t fear an excessive amount of.
Why was “Smoothie” the appropriate track to decide on the only for this necessary album?
MARK: So, it was actually laborious selecting the title observe as a result of we had a variety of conferences and heard a variety of completely different choices of songs for the title observe [single], however we finally selected “Smoothie” as a result of one of many important targets we had for this comeback was to provide you with a track that had the best hook however nonetheless had an impression. In a manner, we may have chosen a extra advanced track, however we wished to actually slim it right down to the only kind of hook that anybody can sort of catch on, even from the primary hear, and I keep in mind how we agreed that “Smoothie” could be the one due to that purpose particularly.
JAEMIN: There are a variety of components from which you make a “Smoothie” pictured within the music video, and what we wished to specific was reducing by way of all these dangerous components to viewers — that’s the plot level that you just would possibly wish to sit up for essentially the most when watching.
One in every of my favourite tracks out of your LP final 12 months, ISTJ: The third Album, was “Yogurt Shake,” and I puzzled if “Smoothie” was associated to it.
MARK: That’s additionally one factor we wished to say! We have now a variety of songs that relate to meals or one thing you’ll be able to eat, which is why we wished to have the “Soiled Smoothie” because the title as a result of we didn’t need it to sound too widespread or one thing that individuals can anticipate straight away.
among the different DREAM( )SCAPE tracks you have been concerned in, I like the lyrics in “BOX,” which MARK co-wrote. Did this come from a private place or do you ever really feel NCT DREAM is put right into a field?
RENJUN: We wished to extra so summarize a common feeling as a result of I feel everybody, whether or not it’s at dwelling or work, I feel everybody has felt that sort of feeling of being put in a field so eager to discover and be happy.
MARK: I relate to what RENJUN mentioned as a result of, whether or not we’re or aren’t conscious of it, all of us have our personal bins internally as properly. I spotted that this track’s theme and power actually match the album’s idea — we are able to’t be trapped in your body or opinions anymore. In the event you have been to place that as a “BOX,” this track helps us come out of that and I simply wished to place that power into the verses that I wrote.
MARK and JENO took half in “UNKNOWN,” which I discovered comforting and I feel followers will too.
MARK: Simply from the phrase, “unknown,” I feel lots of people can relate to being afraid when it’s one thing that you just’re not conversant in — despite the fact that they know that they should take that step. We use the analogy of a physique of water as one thing being “UNKNOWN” so you’ll be able to dive into the unknown by taking a leap of religion. When me and JENO have been writing, we actually wished to specific how we all know that we wish to take that dive so let’s simply take the leap of destiny collectively — as a result of it’s at all times higher to do one thing with somebody you belief somewhat than do it alone.
The album closes with “Respiratory,” co-written by MARK, JENO, JAEMIN and JISUNG.
JENO: After I was making the rap, the track content material itself may be very darkish and restrictive, feeling like your breath is working out — that’s, till I met you and that turned the remedy. So, that’s the theme that we set from the beginning.
RENJUN: The primary a part of the track begins with “The place I’m” and the final half ends with “Right here I’m.” After we have been recording, we put our feelings and struggles into this concept of feeling misplaced, however once we have been getting near the tip, we felt like, “Oh, I’m right here and I’m decided.”
You’ll quickly take these songs on stage with THE DREAM SHOW 3 world tour. How are the preparations going?
JISUNG: I feel it’s going to be a greater live performance than THE DREAM SHOW 2. We’re nonetheless engaged on it, however we set DREAM( )SCAPE because the course and give attention to THE DREAM SHOW 3 tour. It’ll be a really completely different live performance as a result of we’re now extra skilled, we now have new songs and I feel we are able to put out extra numerous and improved sides of ourselves.
JENO: This 12 months, followers can sit up for a present the place every part has its personal robust, unbiased coloration and varied charms in every part — that’s the important thing level.
RENJUN: It’s virtually like using a rollercoaster as a result of our feelings all through the sections have a dynamic to it. So, followers may also journey the ups and downs with us.
What else do followers have to know proper now?
CHENLE: We labored actually laborious on this album, so I hope you guys sit up for it from the trailer to the levels we’re going to carry out when we now have the album out. It’s going to be a really busy 12 months for us and we’re going to look to do a variety of issues. We’ll be getting nearer with you all so please sit up for all that.
