NCT’s 2018 “EMPATHY” Review

Firstly: I’m not biased. I don’t stan NCT. It’d be nice, but I just can’t bother with it at the moment, maybe one day. So, if I like or dislike something, it’s not because of the group, because I barely have an opinion on them. Okay, that’s it.

NCT released an album! With everyone. 18 members is a lot. Seventeen ain’t got nothing on them (ahem, anyway). I wasn’t too excited because I don’t stan NCT, but from the songs I’ve heard, they sound really amazing.

I found out about their comeback because I’m subscribed to SMTOWN on YouTube (because of EXO and Red Velvet) and when the Yearbook video came out, I was bored, it was short, and I watched it. The first was very pure and light and the second one had SUPERB editing. I mean, wow. Also, my sister won’t shut up about NCT so I later listened to her screaming about it.

I’m pretty positive I didn’t watch any of the MV teasers, except for “Baby Don’t Stop”. I watched the “Boss”, “Touch”, and “Baby Don’t Stop” music videos though. The music videos are amazing, let me just say that. The concepts are every unexpected but I love it. I’m IN LOVE with the color theme in “Touch”. But, we’re not here to discuss the videos.

This is my review of the tracks of the album.

INTRO: Neo Got My Back

I thought the lyrics were “Leo got my back”. This was is the Yearbook video and I really loved it. I didn’t know it was their song, I thought it was someone else’s. I read some comments predicting that it would be on the album, so I just patiently waited.

It’s a perfect intro song. The lyrics actually make a lot of sense as well. This song makes you wanna pop it and lock it if you know what I mean. You’ll do a little dance, even when you’re sitting down. It’s simple and has a cool vibe to it.

BOSS

This is the cool, edgy concept. The instrumental in the back is not unique, but it definitely gets stuck in your head. It’s a very good song, let me just say that. But it isn’t completely different and risky, which is fine! Not all songs have to take risks to make it good. The voices match the theme extremely well and the chorus is fairly easy to catch onto and repeat for 8 hours during school because it’s stuck in your head and you don’t have headphones.

Baby Don’t Stop

The beginning reminds me A LOT of the beginning of “BOSS”. It has the same sound in a different beat pattern. Let’s talk about the whispering. Okay, I get very uncomfortable with whispering. I don’t know why but it’s just a thing I have. So, when I first listened to this song, I had headphones and it was making me cringe slightly. But after listening to it a few times, the whispering was not uncomfortable and now one of the best components of the song. It’s what makes the song unique.

Also, Ten’s VOCALS. They are BEAUTIFUL. When he sings the lyrics:

“Baby, baby, I just feel so right
Baby, I just feel so nice”

I WANT TO CRY. That part is my absolute favorite because it just sounds so beautiful. He just sounds beautiful during the whole song.

The instrumental, although it’s similar to “BOSS”, works very well with the vocals, rapping, and everything. The lyrics are…interesting. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with them, but if your parents want you to stay a pure child, then they would be appalled at this song. It’s a slightly suggestive song.

Also the dancing in the music video like hold up where’s the nearest church

GO

WHOO. That’s my reaction. NCT DREAM left their innocent and childlike concepts behind, and here they are “screaming ‘go'”. The rapping is on point in this song. It’s a pretty powerful and motivating song. It makes you want to do something. If you’re not in the mood to sit quietly and listen to soft music, this is your song. It’s not memorable to me, for some reason, but it’s really well designed and while still following a format, it’s not basic.

TOUCH

This was definitely not expected from NCT 127. When someone says “NCT 127”, I think of “Cherry Bomb”, “Limitless”, or “Baby Don’t Like it”. But, I loved that they switched it up and went for a kind of cute concept. It actually works very well.

This is my favorite song off the album. I accidentally listened to 10 seconds of it, starting from the middle of the song, and I could not get it out of my head. It’s very fun and the voices are light and soft. It puts you in a good mood. I’ve rarely liked a song the second I hear it; it often takes me a few times to love it. But with “Touch”, I instantly loved it. It’s just fun.

The last 40 seconds are my favorite with the pauses (kind of I don’t know how to describe it). This also gets stuck in your head, for sure. While writing this, I had to have an earthquake drill and the WHOLE TIME, the chorus of “Touch” was repeating in my head. It’s a song that’s easy on the ears but is too special to just be played in the background.

YESTODAY

I did have to listen to this a few times to really enjoy it. When I pick a song or two to play first on this album, this won’t be one of them. Despite my pickings, this is very smooth and gives me a kind of New York vibe (I don’t know why ok, let me live). The rap and vocals are both very needed in this song to make it superb. It’s not completely basic. It reminds me of some other songs I’ve heard, but I think “Yestoday” is a better version of them.

It’s a very good song. It makes me smile fondly with nostalgia.

Black on Black

You thought “BOSS” was badass? Welcome to “Black on Black”. I would definitely play this song as I walked down the hall in slow-motion with my friend gang behind me as I stare down all the kids at my school that I’m not particularly fond of. It’s an unusual take on the cool, badass song and I think has a bigger impact. It’s not really catchy so I won’t remember how to recite it.

 

I’m not going to review the other songs because they’re all older and that seems like an excuse that I’m tired haha. But I am going to say that “The 7th Sense” is pure art.

⇓

I hope you enjoyed this review and didn’t take it too seriously because these are MY OPINIONS. Anyway, thank you for reading and have a lovely day.

LINKS

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/NCT-2018-Random-Booklet-Folded/dp/B07B62ZSSL

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/3KAJvo62RNQEtXwIyB5rzX

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/nct-2018-empathy/1358690306