NCT 127 and the Sticker Comeback — Don’t Judge a Book (Album) by its Cover (Title Song)
All NCT units have been reaching new heights, constantly breaking SM Entertainment's records as well as their own this year. 2021 is clearly their year, and NCT 127’s third album didn’t flop either when it comes to numbers. But is Sticker actually that good? Well let’s just say it caused a little “Kraze” in our editorial chat on the day of the release, and we ended up agreeing that yes, the overall album slaps. So keep reading, it gets better.
Tracklist:
Sticker
Lemonade*
Breakfast*
Focus
The Rainy Night
Far
Bring The Noize*
Magic Carpet Ride
Road Trip*
Dreamer*
Promise You*
*Author’s Favorite Picks
NCTzens have been spoiled lately with so much great content. But I did have my Miranda Priestly moment when NCIT first popped up during the teaser weeks—a school concept? For September? Groundbreaking. We definitely see no back-to-school campaigns anywhere this time of year. But following that initial thought, now I actually want more “Neo Culture Institute of Technology” in my life. NCIT HOUSE is definitely one of the most entertaining new sitcoms this year, and those Seoul City teaser photos...I can’t move on.
After 1.5 years of waiting, and an ocean of quality content, NCT 127 is finally back with their third studio album filled with mature and empowering thoughts, confidence, and cool hip-hop, R&B, and dance tracks—spiced up with a little wanderlust and longing to meet again. Somehow as they start growing bigger and bigger, Taeil, Johnny, Taeyong, Doyoung, Yuta, Jaehyun, Jungwoo, Mark, and Haechan just start to feel closer and closer with their constantly maturing, evolving, and growing music.
Sticker in Numbers
11 songs, 38 minutes, and 46 seconds. Okay, these are not the numbers I meant—although if you look at the release date, September 17, 2021, it resonates 1-2-7 pretty well. But here’s the real deal: the high anticipation for the long-awaited album was proved by pre-sale numbers and first day achievements. Sticker broke the record for SM Entertainment’s first day pre-orders, and received a total of 2.12 million pre-orders, which is the highest ever in the company’s history. They went on to break their own highest first-week sales on HANTEO within less than a day.
On the day of release, the album reached No. 1 in over a dozen countries, debuted at No. 2 on iTunes Worldwide, and had over 4.5 million streams on Spotify, breaking another SM Entertainment record for 2021. The complete album took over local charts with all 11 songs! Both on the day of its release and the day after, Sticker got an “all kill” on MelOn, taking the first 11 spots with their 11 new songs that also all made it to top 30 on FLO.
Of course, the anticipation and great visual teasers drove all NCTzens to the music video right away. It surpassed 1,000,000 views in 21 minutes, becoming the fastest SM Entertainment music video to reach that milestone. In the first 24 hours, “Sticker” reached over 27 million views on YouTube, taking a good second place between NCT Dream’s “Hot Sauce” and NCT U’s “Make A Wish” on the list of most viewed SM Entertainment music videos on the first day. NCT clearly dominates the company currently.
The Title Track: “Sticker”
I think “Sticker” would have been a really strong B-side, but as a title track...I’m not convinced just yet. It’s a hip-hop based rhythmic dance song with a strong baseline and a flute sound that is way too overpowering at the intro. It’s definitely energetic, but also aims to be powerful and a bit sexy. I don’t think “Sticker” leaves room for the members to fully show themselves, though they even said they wanted to show their colors through this song, which feels like something is missing. Meanwhile, some parts simply felt out of place to me. I don't want to specify them because I don’t want anyone to associate this comment with any of the members, I’m just not a fan of the arrangement at some points, even though I usually enjoy the works of the producers behind it.
I did listen to it on repeat for the sake of this review, and it slowly started to stick to me, so it might be just one of those songs that takes a little time and getting used to before completely growing on you. That being said, I did enjoy the lyrics right away, and I was really glad when I found out that Taeyong and Mark contributed to them. “Sticker” is about how relying on someone, like stickers stuck together, can make a complicated world better. It’s more sweet rather than powerful in contrast to what it seems to be aiming for, but it works. Sticking together and us being the main characters in their “masterpiece," and although there is nothing new in the metaphor, “Talk about your gravity, you pull me so hard like crazy,” I like it. It's often used because it simply works.
The Music Video
This could easily just be me lacking something, but while I'm 99% sure the song will grow on me, I just don’t understand the “Sticker” music video, even after several watches. To be honest, it felt a bit like a showcase of NCT’s music club’s year-end project—very high budget sets for a school performance though!
It was surprising how overpowering the (still neo-futuristic, of course) wild west was in this concept. Like besides the, “Bang bang look at the kids holding their heads up high / NCT we will show you the vibe, hi / Our logo in the shape of a gun,” part that only comes up once in the first verse, I just couldn’t find the connection. If we want to force it, the, “Don't say much other than'I love you' / If I'm right, throw your hands up,” part could have been portrayed as a gunfight out of a Western movie where one ends up giving up, confessing and saying “I love you” by holding up their hands, but that wasn’t the case. That random cowboy-dressed dog deserves some brownie points for the cuteness though. What saves this music video is the styling; their outfits, hair, and makeup all slapped! But definitely check it out and decide for yourself. It’s a very subjective topic, and the music video could very much be your cup of tea.
The Album: STICKER
”Lemonade” …
Now the second track on the album, “Lemonade,” is what I’m talking about. It feels like what I thought Sticker was going to be like when I first saw the teaser photos. I have a feeling if NCT 127 pulled an ATEEZ and made fans vote for the official title between “Lemonade” and “Sticker,” this might have been the winner. The track video already felt more powerful and sexy than just a plain lemonade.
“Lemonade” is also a hip-hop based dance track with more of a minimal drop and bass sound. It feels addictive and empowering from the beginning, though the last chorus is the highlight for me. Jaehyun dominates this song, and I really enjoy the contrast between Haechan and Yuta’s voices. But of course Taeyong’s rap hits the spot as always, just like all the other members.
Now what makes it extra attractive is actually the lyrics. It’s sexy but not in a sexual way; its confident attitude will make you feel all kinds of ways. It’s basically about when life gives you lemons…you know the drill. The lyrics talk about not dealing with life’s sourness (and haters’ BS), ignoring these noises, and enjoying life to its full sweetness. Mark also mentions previous tracks “Fire Truck,” “Cherry Bomb,” and “Irregular” in the second verse, giving “Lemonade” another reason to become a fan-favorite—not that it needed any more push, as it actually debuted at No. 4 on Spotify Korea.
... And The Other B-Sides
“Breakfast” is a bit more pulsing than the previous two songs. It’s an uptempo electronic future house track. But don’t let the title fool you, it’s not about an innocent morning feast, more like about the night before and staying together until the morning—filled with an excitement and yearning that lasts through each part of the day. I’ve been blushing from the first listen, and I’m blushing again as I'm writing this. Seems like I can’t get used to these feelings even after having the song on repeat all day.
Following the powerful start to the album, there are two melodic songs that let the members show off more of their vocal capabilities. “Focus” is a groovy R&B track that also feels quite sensual. Its original title “같은 시선,” meaning “same gaze,” is descriptive. The song is about getting lost in the eyes, falling deep into each other's gaze like diving into the ocean. It’s a gaze that heats up the room. “The Rainy Night” is a bit more of a bitter emotional piano ballad. It’s quite different from the previous tracks, giving it a unique charm.
From here we are getting back to being motivated. “Far” is about reaching beyond our goals without anything or anyone stopping us. It’s not overflowing but still energizing, and the beat will make you bounce with the music. The seventh song brings typical Hitchhiker and Neo vibes to the tracklist. It’s a powerful hybrid between trap and hip-hop, and to me, “Bring The Noize” is about speeding through the negative noises that surround us in life. It's pretty empowering, and makes me believe I’ve “got no limits.” Jaehyun’s rap in the third verse is one of my favorite parts from the entire album. We’ve already gotten a little taste of its performance version, and I’m hoping “Bring The Noize” will have more stage opportunities.
“Magic Carpet Ride” feels like it's taking us on a trip to the starry skies of dreamland, already feeling very soft and enchanting through its track video. “Road Trip” just straight up makes me miss the times we could freely travel and go on adventures pre-pandemic. It’s a refreshing, cute track with acoustic guitar and a calming melody. This song is perfect for those upcoming rainy days, like the one shown in the track video.
For closing, we get two more sweet tracks. In the colorful track video filled with beautiful flowers, “Dreamer” felt like a dream scene from a romance movie. It has a playful, youthful, and bright sound that will make you groove along. If you start your day with this track (only after “Breakfast” of course), it might color your reality dreamier too.
The last track is “Promise You,” a mid-tempo synth-pop love letter to the fans that once again made me realize that this group is filled with the sweetest voices. The original Korean title “다시 만나는 날” translates to “The Day We Meet Again” in English, and the two titles combined tell exactly what the song is about—NCT 127’s promise to meet the fans again. A perfect closing to the long awaited comeback.