NCT 127 finally released their highly anticipated second studio album, Neo Zone. This album features 13 songs that span many genres; the title track “Kick It” has drawn quite the attention of NCTzens and non-NCTzens alike. Something interesting to note is that the song actually has three titles. While the song is being promoted under the English title, the song also has a title in Korean and Chinese, which both translate to “Hero.” 

The Song 

If NCT 127 had a signature sound, this would be it. The first few seconds of the song are full of heavy electric guitar riffs, weird electronic sounds, and vocal ad-libs that are reminiscent of earlier releases “Simon Says” and “Cherry Bomb.” The song mixes smooth vocals and aggressive rap verses with a strangely catchy chorus that sings “Let me introduce you to some new thangs.” The song also references the action movie hero Bruce Lee several times (13 times in total, I counted). Another key lyrical part that will get stuck in everyone's heads is the line 127 squad, which will most definitely make it into the fanchant, official or not. However, the most interesting thing about this track is that the line distribution is the fairest it's ever been for a title song. For most NCT 127 title tracks, Mark and Taeyong usually receive the most lines, but in a refreshing change of pace, Haechan and Taeil have the most during the music video, while during live performances Jaehyun and Haechan have the most vocal time. Despite that, a big complaint is that a good part of Taeil, Haechan, Jungwoo, and Yuta’s lines are composed of ad-libs and not actual pieces of the verse, which is somewhat disappointing. 

The Music Video 

The music video has a lot going on. The colors and the imagery are all over the place, but manage to still maintain a nice, cohesive look. The various sets include martial arts dojos and urban street settings that seem to be focused in a region of China. The majority of the colors in the music video are centered around hues of yellow, black, and white. 

The members’ costuming does follow this same color scheme, except for the ending look. The main two outfits are the black-and-white fighting gear and the all-black look with gold chains. The fighter outfit is what the members wear for the majority of the video, feeding NCTzens well with shirtless Johnny and a mostly shirtless Taeyong. However, the real winners in this music video are Jaehyun stans, as he appears several times in the music video dressed like a rich K-Drama boyfriend without a shirt, to the delight of NCTzens everywhere. The last outfit the members are seen in are similarly styled printed shirts and red jackets with “New Thangs” printed on the left side. While many have speculated that these are related to a greaser look lending to the old school theme of the album teasers, they are actually inspired by the Cobra Kai jackets in the original film Karate Kid. The featured choreography includes moves inspired from various forms of martial arts, which mixes well when they splice the scenes of the members dancing with the faceless shimmering man performing complex moves. The members are also seen in glimpses performing similar moves, occasionally wielding weapons like nunchucks, which could also be meant as an homage to the frequently mentioned action movie hero. 

Overall, the music video is the standard fans have come to expect out of NCT 127. “Kick It” adds an interesting play on the “Hero” trope with a catchy song that you’ll be humming without even trying.

Check out “Kick It” below.