NCT 127 “Regular-Irregular” Review

Popular SM Entertainment kpop group NCT 127, a subunit apart of the larger group NCT, released their first full-length album, Regular-Irregular, Oct. 12.

While Regular-Irregular is the subunit’s first full album, the group has previously released three mini-albums (NCT #127 – The First Mini Album, NCT #127 – The Second Mini Album, and NCT #127 Cherry Bomb – The Third Mini Album), and have been around the kpop scene since July of 2016.

What NCT 127 did with their title track “Regular” is unique in the kpop industry as they released both a Korean version and a full length English version. A few groups have done this before, but NCT 127 released a music video for each version with the English version dropping first. The timing was convenient as the group is currently in the United States going to events such as the American Music Awards, performing on late night talk shows such as Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and hosting interviews for famous radio stations and entertainment news sources.

Both versions of the “Regular” music video feature the same clips and aspects. The main focus is on the members enjoying their lives after “making a bag on the regular” and having “just made a million” while telling their haters they can’t even compete. The editing and effects were outstanding, even for a kpop music video which typically have top-notch production. Everything in the video looked a hundred percent real, even though aspects such as rapper Mark walking with a tiger and vocalist WinWin skydiving were done with CGI and green screens. The time spent in the video focused on the group’s choreography showed how talented NCT 127 is at dancing and the level difficulty that their choreography is at.

The song itself features a strong influence of a Spanish beat that underlines the entire song. Perfectly timed rap bars flow into melodic vocal runs that creates a smooth flow. The lyrics themselves show off how confident and comfortable the group is and proves to their western haters that kpop is a legitimate form of music.

NCT 127 created a lot of buzz from eastern and western fans alike as they smashed down barriers that separates kpop from the mainstream music scene.