NCT 2020 Brings Former ‘90s Trends Back to K-Pop with “90’s Love!”
NCT 2020 is back after a little over a month with part two of their second studio album and it’s amazing—different members are showcased and the varying styles will have you wondering what they have in store for us next. Sadly, it’s more of a repackage than an actual part two, but the brand new tracks all have that certain flair that just screams NCT.
Let’s Talk Music!
Tracklist:
“90’s Love” ♔
“Misfit”
“Raise The Roof”
“Volcano”
“Light Bulb”
“Dancing in the Rain”
“My Everything”
“Interlude: Past to Present”
“Make A Wish (Birthday Song)”
“Déjà Vu”
“Nectar”
“Music, Dance”
“Faded in My Last Song”
“From Home”
“From Home (Korean Version)”
“Make A Wish (Birthday Song) [ English Version ]”
“Interlude: Present to Future”
“Work It” ♔
“단잠 (All About You)”
“I.O.U”
“Outro: Dream Routine”
*Disclaimer: “Interlude: Present to Future” and NCT 2020: Resonance Pt. 1 songs will not be reviewed.*
Previously reviewed songs can be seen here if you missed it.
“90’s Love”
“90’s Love” is described by SM Entertainment as “an old-school R&B, hip-hop track that features bright upbeats, groovy percussion, and a strong bass line.” Right off the bat, you can definitely hear the elements mentioned as the opening bars give off a vibe similar to “Poison” by Bell Biv DeVoe or, for a more recent reference, “Finesse” by Bruno Mars. The song flaunts an interesting line up consisting of Sungchan, Ten, Jeno, Mark, Winwin, Haechan, and Yangyang. Unbiased opinion, but this song is probably one of NCT’s strongest title tracks and it’s really nice to hear because it’s dark and powerful, yet still has those elements that bring the song back to that old school hip-hop feel right when you start to vibe to the style change at the pre-choruses. The bridge of this song is amazing, typical of NCT—they have some of the best bridges. Ten and Haechan have a high note ad lib harmony very similar to the one Ten has in SuperM with EXO’s Baekhyun. Then, after that, Haechan almost immediately goes into an impressive high note that could possibly be the highest he’s had to date. Collectively this lineup of members produced a really nice sound and it’s very enjoyable.
B-Sides
“Raise The Roof” is heavily influenced by both hip-hop and R&B. It has booming bass and various elements are thrown in like electronic synths and strings that blend together to create a strong track. Vocals are strong on this track as well; the tones of the members’ voices go so well together and the ad libs that Taeil sings in this particular song give off Michael Jackson vibes. The bridge of this song is unparalleled—it definitely takes one of the top spots for best NCT bridges—and the back and forth between the robotic voice and the members saying "resonate" and "raise it” at the end packs such a punch. The energy this song exudes makes it seem like the members enjoyed themselves recording this song and it’s really satisfying.
The track “My Everything” is perfect for the upcoming season, giving off slight Christmas vibes. It has everything needed to provide a typical winter ballad right down to the classic piano for simple instrumentation to enhance the vocals. The vocalists on this track—Taeil, Xiaojun, and Renjun—make this another main vocal unit song that will most definitely be appreciated by vocal enthusiasts. The combination of the three will give NCTzens endless talking points. Their voices are beautiful and their techniques are simply out of this world! The way they flip from their normal range to a smooth falsetto is so satisfying to hear since it’s so effortless. The way the background harmonies come in at the second pre-chorus while simultaneously being joined by another harmony layer on top of that is simply breathtaking. NCT has some of the best complementing vocal tones in the industry since they have so many vocalists—at around the 2:35 mark, the ad lib there with the three of them is one of the most amazing on Part 2.
“Work It” is the follow-up title track to “90’s Love” and it features an unexpected lineup of Johnny, Yuta, Ten, Jungwoo, Hendery, Jaemin, and Jisung. The song is of the EDM genre, throwing in a bass line that fits very well the style, and a little synth here and there—it’s a nicely produced track that could easily be played on the radio or at a club, which makes it a very nice choice for the dual-title. At first, the mix of elements and styles could sound chaotic to some, but after the second or third listen it’s not bad… it actually goes well together. One thing that should be mentioned though is the use of autotune and robotic vocals, although these are very typical for the genre, they weren’t really needed and they felt a little unnecessary—thankfully, it didn’t take much away from the actual song itself.
“단잠 (All About You)” is started off by Jaehyun and his voice seems to really fit the instrumental, which is basically a synth keyboard with underlying spatial effects added to it until the chorus. The chorus brings in a funk influence with a bass-like sound probably created by the same synth, but it changes the sound of the song completely for the time that it’s brought in. It’s definitely an interesting choice. The vocals match the feel of the song—completely chill with nothing that particularly stands out, but that too was a stylistic choice. Though it is still good, this song isn’t a favorite, but the layered harmonies during the line "It was all about you" are so satisfying and the bridge, as usual, is fantastic.
“I.O.U” starts off with light hip-hop vibes and a strong Taeyong rap. The very first vocal verse before the pre-chorus of "Ooh my babe" is a little weird with the instrumental for some reason and they probably should have brought in the musical change a little earlier, but the pre-chorus and chorus are both amazing and very catchy! The “I.O.U” parts with the off-beat hits and vocal effects are, to put it simply, chef’s kiss. The vocals are amazing, as expected with any track that has Chenle and Doyoung, powerhouse vocals, and beautiful falsettos galore! Lastly, the rap parts toward the middle of the song that feature Jisung, Shotaro, Taeyong, and Yangyang provide such a great contrast because of the different tones of their voices.
“Outro: Dream Routine” is the last track and it’s only about 50 seconds long—that being said, it manages to leave a lasting impression with a saxophone loop immediately coming in at the beginning and a short electronic buildup that eventually leads to another saxophone loop at the end. Members are also heard on the track in hushed whispers and echoed tones saying various different phrases. Could any of these be hints for upcoming music?