2018 has definitely been the year of NCT, with NCT 2018 happening earlier this year with the release of NCT 2018 EMPATHY and five music videos, Ten’s release of SM Station song “New Heroes,” and more. The releases don’t seem to be stopping any time soon, as NCT DREAM has since returned with their second mini-album titled We Go Up and a title track of the same name.

The music video for “We Go Up” was made public on August 30, but the full album was only just released September 3. This is the group’s final comeback before Mark graduates from the unit.  

The music video is bright and fun, and the members continue to show their youthful image on screen with vibrant orange and blue colors creating the overall mood. There’s a resemblance to the music video for “Go,” though this is perhaps a lighter version of it with similarities including the outside performance of the choreography, the driving of a car, and the members sitting together on the couch and generally having a good time. The video focuses mainly on choreography, ending with all the members posing together.

It’s a lighter beat than what we heard earlier this year from the unit, but the track maintains its focus on rap and hip-hop for the verses. The pre-chorus is softer and the main chorus has a bigger beat drop than the rest of the song, which blends the two elements together. With a very good line distribution (not counting Mark’s adlibs), all the members get their chance to show off their talent. As for the member who stands out the most, it’s Jisung who really gets to shine this time around. Overall, it’s a feel-good song.

The album features six songs including the title and one Chinese version of the title track. The song titled “1, 2, 3” is an easy listen, though still upbeat with a catchy chorus that resembles early 2000s pop music. “Beautiful Time” is the third track on the album. It’s slower than the rest and boasts the addition of a chill guitar, which contributes to the overall vibe of the song. Following “Beautiful Time,” “Drippin’” is the fourth track. It’s a little heavier on the beat than the other songs on the album with its EDM/Hip-Hop sound. “Dear Dream” is the final song on the album besides the Chinese version of “We Go Up.” Another slower song focused primarily on the rap components, “Dear Dream” is essentially dedicated to Mark, who is graduating from the unit. The lyrics are about DREAM’s friendship and the bond the members have as a group.  

NCT is slowly growing bigger, with units continually rotating and changing. Though we are sad that Mark is graduating from DREAM, we are also excited to see what comes next for the group.