NCT 127 Share The First Albums They Ever Bought, Favorite Films, And Secrets That Would Honestly Shock NCTzens

Let us introduce you to some new things (about NCT 127)!

If you listen to K-pop, then you know that NCT 127 is essentially royalty.

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But just in case you're not a resident of Neo City, we've got you covered! NCT 127 is a sub-unit of a larger group called NCT, short for Neo Culture Technology. NCT 127 is Seoul's representative sub-unit (the '127' in their name being the longitudinal coordinate of the city), and their goal is to take K-pop from its origin point and spread it across the world.

The group debuted in 2016 with the single "Fire Truck." Since then, NCT 127 has taken the world by storm with their strong performances, beautiful vocals, knockout choreography, and fierce rapping.

With ~limitless~ outreach, the group has already racked up an impressive list of accomplishments so far, including holding their first worldwide tour Neo City: The Origin; performing at the Macy's Day Parade and MTV EMAs; and becoming one of Apple Music's "Up Next" artists, all while releasing incredible songs in Japanese, English, and Korean.

This year, NCT 127 is back and ready to dominate with their new single "Kick It," upcoming US arena tour, and new album — Neo Zone — out March 6.

SMTOWN / Via YouTube

AKA today! The 13-track album is the group's second full-length album since 2018's Regular-Irregular and features a phenomenal mix of R&B, hip-hop, and ballads that just confirms that every song NCT 127 touches turns to gold.

We caught up with NCT 127 to chat about their latest album, Neo Zone, childhood dream jobs, and the first albums they ever purchased.

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Ready? Let's go!

What was the first album you ever purchased?

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Taeil: "Stevie Wonder's Talking Book."

Johnny: "Jason Mraz's Mr. A to Z."

Jaehyun: "Alicia Keys' The Diary Of Alicia Keys."

Haechan: "SHINee's ROMEO — The Second Mini Album."

What is your current favorite film?

CJ Entertainment, Nordisk Film, Pixar / Disney

Taeil: "Masquerade! This was the first movie I watched alone at the theater, so it’s memorable for me. Also Inception. This movie was one of the movies that got me into watching movies — I wasn’t too into movies before. This was also when I was really into lucid dreaming, so it became one of my favorites."

Taeyong: "A Man Called Ove. This is a movie about a man getting back and finding his life again, and it’s so inspiring. The book was a bestseller all over the world. One day, I’d love to experience the love that the main character does."

Jaehyun: "Before Sunrise. The whole movie is just of the two main characters conversing, but it still keeps you focused the entire time. That was really impressive."

Jungwoo: "The Incredibles. It was refreshing to see a movie with a family of superheroes fighting the bad guys — the filmography was also really fun to watch. It’s one of those timeless movies that left an impression on me."

Mark: "Good Will Hunting. Matt Damon’s acting is great in this movie, and I was really moved by it. 'That’s not your fault' — that’s my favorite line!"

What's your favorite song off of your new album, Neo Zone, and why?

NCT 127 / Via YouTube

Haechan: "'Dreams Come True!' It’s a genre that I personally like, so I really like this song."

Mark: "Ah, this is so hard... I’d have to say ‘Pandora’s Box.’ I think the chorus is really nice. The more you listen to it, the more you like it. It’s because it’s one of those songs where you uncover the treasure as you listen to it more and more. It’s a hidden gem!"

Jungwoo: "'Pandora’s Box.' It’s a song that puts you in a good mood when you listen to it."

Jaehyun: "'Love Song.' The song’s rhythm and melody is really fun. It’s also a style of song that I personally like and I feel like it suits me."

Doyoung: "'Pandora’s Box.' I really like this part of the song — the lyrics ‘Remember this moment / Us' — and the melody."

Yuta: "'Kick It,' because it’s one of the most addictive title tracks we’ve had in terms of melody. And I really like the choreography! Also 'White Night.' I really like this song because I like ballads, and the R&B vibe of the songs makes it reminiscent of Boyz II Men."

Taeyong: "'White Night.' I think this song portrays everyone’s beautiful voices really well."

Johnny: "It’s so hard for me to choose because they’re seriously all so good... But if you had to make me choose, it’d be 'Love Song.' The lyrics are sweet and beautiful. Parts like 'I hate the rain / But I’m starting to like it because of you' — they make your heart thump and skip a beat!

Taeil: "'Boom,' 'Love Song,' 'White Night,' 'Pandora’s Box.' I like all the songs off this new album, but I particularly like these four — I think they turned out really well."

What’s one secret that you believe NCTzens would be shocked to find out about you?

@NCT127 / Via Instagram

Johnny: "I’m actually not as good at Korean as our fans think!"

Mark: "I actually take a lot more selfies than you’d think. I’m studying these days!"

Haechan: "I look like I’d be great at playing video games, but I’m really terrible..."

What’s one thing that you’re extremely obsessed with right now?

Taeil: "Justin Bieber’s Changes album."

Yuta: "[The video game] Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot."

Jaehyun: "Boxing! It’s been about 3 months since I started, but I love sweating out all my stress — it’s a fun new hobby of mine."

Mark: "My health! I’m focusing on taking care of myself."

And, conversely, what is one thing that you were a huge fan of while growing up?

NCT MUSIC / Via YouTube

Yuta: "TVXQ. I was such a huge fan!"

Jaehyun: "Basketball. Both watching and playing."

Taeil: "Stevie Wonder. I wanted to be like him when I was younger. He has so many hit songs that I looked up all the songs starting from his debut album and listened to all of them."

Jungwoo: "Soccer. I played it a lot when I was younger."

Mark: "Bruno Mars! I used to love him because he was SO good at singing."

Taeyong: "My older sister. I wanted to be more like her — in her confidence and her sociability."

Doyoung: "Girls’ Generation! I was such a huge fan from fifth to sixth grade; they were even the background for the main screen for my personal homepage!"

Which NCT 127 song do you think best showcases your personality?

Doyoung: "'Knock On.' I think the overall atmosphere and feel of the song represents me as a person well."

Jungwoo: "'Replay (PM 01:27)!' This song suits me overall — and it’s one of those songs that I can’t help but to also get hyped and excited while I’m singing it as if I’m becoming the song!"

Yuta: "'Kick It.' I like this strong, powerful energy. It’s a song where I hope I get to showcase my energetic side."

Haechan: "'Dreams Come True!' I like songs that have a hopeful tone and message, and this one is one of those! I want to sing more of these bright, cheery songs."

What's the first song you sing at karaoke?

SMTOWN / Via YouTube

Johnny: "Eric Clapton's 'Tears In Heaven.'"

Taeyong: "Drunken Tiger's 'I Want You.'"

Doyoung: "NCT U's 'Without You.'"

Jungwoo: "Maroon 5's 'Sunday Morning.'"

Mark: "Jungyeop's 'Nothing Better.'"

Haechan: "Justin Bieber's 'Love Yourself.'"

What’s your favorite type of amusement park ride?

Team rollercoaster: Taeil, Yuta, Doyoung, and Jungwoo.

Team "tallest, scariest ride at the park": Johnny, Taeyong, Jaehyun, and Haechan.

Mark: "I don’t really like amusement park rides... But I like cotton candy! For rides — something that’s not TOO scary."

Before you became a K-pop idol, what was your childhood dream job?

NCT Daily / Via YouTube

Taeil: "A zookeeper! I’ve always loved animals since I was young and I’ve been an avid viewer of Animal Farm [a Korean TV show], so I wanted to be a zookeeper because I love animals so much."

Yuta: "A hair stylist! I think I've always had that artistic side to me."

Jaehyun: "A theme park designer or a news anchor. There were a lot!"

Haechan: "Being a singer was my only dream — I wasn’t interested in anything else."

Finally, what's your favorite part of the "Kick It" choreography?

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Yuta: "I like the chorus part where we sing 'New thangs / New thangs.' That part of the choreography is my favorite." (See above!)

Taeyong: "Personally, I like the part during the dance break where Mark makes the rest of us fall over. I think that’s a memorable point of the choreography."

Doyoung: "I like the choreography during Taeyong and Mark’s rapping — when there are four members dancing. The combination of them look great together."

Taeil: "The part where we imitate Bruce Lee’s trademark pose. It’s a really simple move, but it’s also a move that reflects the heroic theme of the song well."

Haechan: "The part with me and Jungwoo. I think our chemistry’s pretty amazing and we achieved the vibe we were going for — the groovy, yet delicate feel — in that choreography."

Jungwoo: "Mark’s rap. I love Mark-Gordon Ramsey’s pancake dance. It’s great!"

Mark: "The part right after Johnny’s — the ad-lib. Where we all turn our heads to the side."

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

You can also hear all of your new fav Neo Zone songs live when NCT 127 visit the US on their upcoming arena tour Neo City: The Awards.

Kicking off in June at Madison Square Garden in NYC, the 127 Squad will perform in Atlanta, Chicago, San Jose, Los Angeles, and Seattle. Tickets are available now if you're ready to ~kick it~!

And if you're ready to put your new NCT 127 knowledge to the test, you can take our quiz here!