As if this day wasn’t already stuffed with enough new K-pop releases, NCT Dream have surprise released a teaser for their upcoming album due out next month. The Sun acts as their first new music since Mark left the group and paints a sentimental vibe that that seems to point toward a more mature presentation in the future.
Pre-releases can be a nice opportunity to promote material that wouldn’t usually fit the mold of a traditional title track. When it comes to idol groups, it’s a way to get more ballad-adjacent songs into the public sphere. NCT Dream have dabbled in slower, more rock driven material before (Broken Melodies being the best example), but The Sun pulls them in a less predictable direction. It’s a song that takes its time, boasting a 4+ minute runtime that’s almost double the length of many of its peers. This allows plenty of space for extended instrumental breaks, swirls of psychedelic harmonies and a general sense of expansiveness.
This approach comes at the expense of slick, taut songwriting, as The Sun often feels more like a series of movements than a perfectly packaged pop song. I think this will pay off in the long run. There’s plenty of moments to explore within the track. My favorite parts — of course — are the peaks of drama where the instrumental kicks up and hits us with a jolt of electric guitar. I wish The Sun would fully lean into this for its climax. There’s a sense of missed opportunity for real payoff, but the music would tease us all the way through. I hope this hints at an equally experimental album to come.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8.5 |
Grade: B
Simple but pleasing and peaceful. It feels like the song was a little undercooked as the bridge and outro stood out way more than the overall track.
8.25(8,8,8,9)
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their first new music since Mark left the group again*
I like that it’s not a straight up boring ballad. I love the harmonies and production.
the title track is called “Boogie Woogie” I hope it’s not some wack ass song…
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XDDD IT BETTER BE GOOD!!
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Wow, a song that is 4:30 long? That is like forever these days.
There are a lot of lovely like vocal flourishes here and there.
What I notice most is the fluctuations in time. The song is essentially in a fast 6/8 time. Then it shifts to heavy on the One so it sounds like it shifted to 2/4 or 4/4 time but really it just drops out the triplets. Then shifts back. For example at 1:54 6/8 to 2:11 2/4.
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Hey, I got a quick question. Did you go to school for music?
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I am sure the song got a wonderful backstories to be told, but I am not sure this is the best way to convey it as people already start to wonder where the song is going to take them at 2 minute mark and are still confused about the destination at 4 minute mark. Its a good listening experience yes but it felt very lukewarm and it s not something that I would actively seek for replay if I am not their biggest fan.
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