NCT Dream | Killing Voice Reaction (Spoiler: It's Hit & Miss)

[@milindawilson9175]

To understand NCT-Dream's style and sound you have to understand the concept of the group. When they debuted, they were all teenagers. The whole point of this group is to appeal to fans in their age group. Kpop is full of young groups who are trying to attract an older, more mature audience. Therefore, I think SM Entertainment was pretty clever to create this sub-unit as a way to catch the attention of a younger demographic. Why not market music to a younger audience? I think it's kind of refreshing that SM decided to start NCT-Dream out with more of a family-friendly concept because all the members were actually still children. In their Killing Voice performance, from left to right, the members are: > Mark is the leader of Dream, the main rapper and a dancer, who is also an original member of NCT-U, NCT-127 and SuperM; he is Korean-Canadian. > RenJun is a main vocalist; he is Chinese (He actually learned Korean as a child and was bilingual in Mandarin and Korean before joining SM. Everyone jokes that he is more fluent in Korean than the Korean members.) >Jeno is a lead rapper (who became the main rapper and Defacto leader when Mark "graduated".) > Jaemin is a lead rapper, lead dancer and sub-vocalist. > Jisung is the youngest member of all of NCT so far -- who happens to also be one of the tallest, and the member with the deepest voice. He is the main dancer, a vocalist and sub-rapper, as well as one of the best dancers in NCT, so he is the one with the dance breaks in most of their songs. > Chenle is a main vocalist; he is Chinese. (He is a child prodigy who was a fairly famous actor and singer as a child in China.) > Haechan (the one with the high notes) is a main vocalist and lead dancer; he is also a member of NCT-127. NCT-Dream is NCT's third sub-unit, which began in August 2016, and it is made up of the 7 youngest members of the group. All the Dream members are currently between the ages of 24 and 21 years old (they were 14-17 when they debuted.) SM originally created this sub-unit with the idea that if they had a trainee that they felt was ready to debut even though they were really young, they would start out as a member of NCT-Dream. They were the cute babies of the group who were learning the ropes and honing their skills because they are young, but they are also some of the most talented because they debuted way sooner than a lot of trainees. The way NCT-Dream originally was designed to work was that the members were part of the group until they turn 19 and become an adult. SM's original plan was that when the members turned 19, they were supposed to graduate from the group and they were no longer considered a member of NCT-Dream. Mark "graduated" from NCT-Dream in 2018, and Jeno, Haechan, Jaemin and RenJun, we thought would be graduating in 2019. (Which would have left NCT-Dream with only 2 members, with the idea that new trainees would probably debut sometime in 2020 and become members of NCT-Dream.) However, SM announced at the beginning of 2020 that they decided to make NCT-Dream a permanent group and suspend the whole " graduation" concept, including putting Mark back in the group. As you heard, with their debut song "Chewing Gum" they started out with a very young and cute concept that fit the fact that they were all teenagers. But over the years their style and concept has grown and evolved like the members of the group. Any songs from 2016-17-time frame you should expect to have that cute, young vibe. It wasn't until their "Boom" comeback era, after Mark had "graduated" and the members were starting to grow up, that their style and sound took on a more mature edge. NCT-Dream's "Candy" on the other hand, is a remake of the iconic song "Candy" by SM's very first Idol group H.O.T. in 1996. Therefore, if you look up NCT-Dream's MV, you will see it's supposed to be a homage to H.O.T.'s original version. If you compare Dream's version with H.O.T.'s original MV, you will see all the similarities in NCT-Dream's MV. Dream's version takes the iconic, nostalgic style of H.O.T.'s song and adds modern elements to update it for the new century. H.O.T.'s original song is about being addicted to a girl like a piece of candy. Even though you want to break up with her and stop seeing her, she keeps luring you back in with her sweetness and beauty. Like your favorite candy, you can't give her up no matter how hard you try. As you will see, NCT-Dream's version of the song reinterprets the song and gives it a different meaning. "Candy" is one of H.O.T.'s most iconic songs, and literally every new group, both boy groups and girl groups, learn the song and choreography and they perform it on music programs as one of their rookie performances. I doubt you could find a Kpop artist -- or even a Korean of any age -- who doesn't know H.O.T.'s "Candy." That is why NCT-Dream's version is so meaningful for anyone who knows the song's history and one of the reasons why it has quickly become so popular. To get to know NCT-Dream better, you should check out their MVs in order of when they were released. As you will start to discover as you go along, you will see and hear how their style has grown and changed over time. That is also part of the group's concept. As the members grow and mature so too does their sound and style. That is why they debuted with their song "Chewing Gum," which has a very cute and bubbly concept that fits the fact that they were all teenagers at the time. They had to grow and mature into the sound you hear now. SM's no dummy when it comes to creating groups that gain global popularity. It just goes to show you why it's one of the Big 3 entertainment companies in the world. :D As mentioned, NCT stands for Neo (a pop culture term that means new-original) Culture Technology, which is what the group as a whole is designed to be. They are a new and original concept and style of Kpop group that embraces all cultures and technologies to reach everyone around the world. Fun fact: Neo City is the city that NCT is from. Because the group is made up of so many diverse members who are from all over the world, when they come together as one group, they are said to reside in Neo City. Which is why NCT fans are NCTzens and WayV's fans are WayZenNi -- the zen connecting them with NCT (WayZenNi in Chinese means WeishenV (WayV in Chinese) will cherish you) -- because we are citizens of the Neo city. We fans are also multi-cultural and diverse from all over the world and from all walks of life, so we are invited to become citizens of SM's/NCT's Neo City. Although NCT officially started debuting in April 2016 with NCT-U, NCT was actually introduced to the media in February 2016 as part of SM's new Neo Culture Technology concept. If you want to see NCT's official debut showcase, check out kzbin.info/www/bejne/gaqYf6mNqL2hpJo. (Skip to 16:00 this is the part that has to do with NCT.) You don't necessarily need to react to it if you don't want, but you should check it out. I think it's kind of interesting to hear Lee SooMan's (SM's founder) explanation about the creation of Neo Culture Technology (Neo Culture Technology is really more encompassing than just NCT, the Kpop group is just one part of SM's Neo Culture concept, which has now morphed into SM's Culture Universe and Kwangya) and it's cool to see the epic way NCT was introduced to the media. The very first members of NCT entered wearing masks and their identities were revealed as they removed their masks. Lee SooMan is kind of known for being a little extra and going over the top, and this presentation is a good example of that. LOL NCT's concept has always been centered on different aspects of dreams and dreaming, so part of the showcase sets up the group's dream concept. And it even shows how SM had always planned for NCT's Chinese sub-unit to debut from the very beginning. In the showcase you will see WinWin as a character in the Chinese part of the story, which sets up the idea that SM plans to create a Chinese sub-unit. It just took the company 3 years to figure out how to navigate all the political issues with China, so WayV (originally planned to be called NCT-V) didn't actually end up debuting until 2019. I also think this is why we saw Kun, the leader of WayV, as a member of NCT's pre-debut SMRookies and why he participated in the Chinese version of NCT-U's song "Without You" in 2016, but didn't officially debut until WayV was created. I suspect SM was getting him ready for NCT-V's debut, but everything got delayed and pushed back as the company tried to figure out how to make the Chinese sub-unit happen. Which I think also is why WinWin became a member of NCT-127 and hasn't been a part of the group since WayV's debut -- 127 was just a placeholder to hone Winwin's skills while SM worked on setting up WayV.

[@lululuc]

When NCT Dream debuted their whole concept was about being cute/bright and the members were 15-17 years old, which wasn't so common at the time so they were seen as a super young group, Chewing gum and Dunk shot are songs from that era. This unit was supposed to have a graduation system that after a certain age some members would move to other NCT units and another teen member would debut, they scrapped that concept and it allowed the members to do music more suited to their ages as they grow up, but overall i think they kept a youthful concept and it's suited better to their voices, i don't think they do "cute" concept as much anymore

[@kpopauntie]

I'll have to keep an eye on them as they continue to age then.

[@allons_y1001]

Candy is a remake of a 1996 song from the group H.O.T., who is under the same label. They were the first kpop group along the lines of what we're used to now and were HUGE in Korea. Candy's lyrics are really funny... a guy wakes up and decides to break up with his girlfriend and talks about how she's great and all, but it's over... but then he sees her and it all just goes out the window and he vows to stay by her side forever.... all against that super happy beat. The guy in the middle who can't stand still, has basically two main modes... sleepy power-saving cat mode and cat with the zoomies mode.

[@zuzannabrzeszczak1578]

,cat with the zoomies mode' - i love that! 😁🐱

[@kpopauntie]

Now I'm going to have to listen to Candy. And the cat-like behavior makes a lot of sense.

[@sab.eeeeeexiv]

I guess you can call their music is "age appropriate". as they grow older, their music grew with them. Also SM Groups master harmonization

[@bibilibi]

jesus ive just realized how much im commenting 😅 im binge watching this nct playlist so expect more! its just so cool for me to see you listening to groups like nct and p1harmony who are some of my ults after finding you through stray kids, another one of my ults i feel as if you have a similar taste in music as me and at first i honestly did not listen to nct dream because of how far their music was from my taste, but now i enjoy everything they put out ☺️

[@kpopauntie]

Don't have to apologize for commenting too much lol. Just might take me a long time to be able to react to comments sometimes. Glad to hear NCT Dream can grow on someone with similar tastes to me.

[@bibilibi]

26:47 switch ups is nct’s specialty 💚

[@kpopauntie]

I'll have to keep an eye out for that. Or rather, an ear.

[@alisonwebre1]

Hello Future and Broken Melodies are my current favorites. Chewing Gum is worth watching because of how young they are. You can literally watch then grow up. Jisung, the tallest guy is actually the youngest in the group and in chewing gum he is actually the shortest and still going through puberty. A trip.

[@kpopauntie]

Thank you for the recommendation!

[@juniblessing3875]

i think for nct dream, people focus on their cheerful concepts more so they relate them to that and that explains the song choices for this vid too, but actually their discography is one of the most diverse I have seen in kpop, their bsides really show that they can slay any concept.

[@kpopauntie]

I'll have to get to know them more and more.

[@JayBroton]

Auntie, (I'm 60 yo male) you liked it more than your intellect will let you admit, haha. So fun to watch your reaction!

[@kpopauntie]

Thank you for watching with me!

[@beccangavin]

Your face when they started Chewing Gum! That’s understandable LOL. It grows on you when you become a fan because it was their debut and they were so stinking cute on their little hoverboards. Same with Dunk Shot. The song sounds like an after school special but they were so cute with their little headbands. What they left out from their early discography was My First and Last which is not only adorable but also has strong Jackson Five vibes which I dig. It’s a good song. We Go Up made me a fan. The whole concept and execution is chef’s kiss. You’ll like that one. A lot of their older music was really nostalgic - it was meant to evoke fond memories of youth. We Go Up is like puberty but with optimism. We Young is youth with rose colored glasses and pretty harmonies. My First and Last was remembering your first childhood crush. 1,2,3 is probably my favorite B-side and Hello Future makes me happy every time I hear it. I thought I would prefer 127 out of all the units but Dream is just so charming.

[@kpopauntie]

Thank you for the recommendations!

[@Dear.127dream]

Actually they debuted when their age was about 15.6!😊 They debuted when they were very young!! So they are 21~24 now:) NCT DREAM is the most younger unit in NCT!! From the left, the names are Mark, Renjun, Jeno, Jaemin, Jisung, Chenle, and Haechan. -MARK is a leader and a versatile member who is the main rapper and main dancer sub-vocalist. He's also in NCT 127. -RENJUN is the main vocalist and has a clear and pretty voice. -JENO is the main rapper and lead dancer. -JAEMIN is the center and sub rapper sub-dancer. -JISUNG is the main dancer and sub-vocalist. -CHENLE is the main vocalist and has a soft voice. -HAECHAN is the main vocalist and lead dancer! He has a unique vocal tone and good singing skills. And he's also in NCT127 too.

[@kpopauntie]

Thank you!

[@allons_y1001]

Yes, all of NCT's discography is incredibly varied. Each FIXED member unit has a particular twist to the overall "Neo" sound that makes NCT who they are. Title tracks for all units are almost always hype, hard-hitting, with varying degrees of experimental and usually a bit more rap-focused. B-sides for all units are where the vocalists really get to shine and the tracks tend to run the gamut of genres, but with an emphasis on R&B. For title tracks, *127* is more associated with an experimental sound that is loud and hard-hitting... *Dream* started out with a VERY bright and bubblegum pop-ish sound because they were literal children at debut (14-17 y/o) and have since grown into a more mature and bright sound, but are still evolving and are currently kinda going back and forth between bright/happy and hard-hitting/sexy.... whereas *WayV* tends to have a very cinematic, atmospheric and dramatic feel. *NCT U* being a NON-FIXED member unit has no real through-line since the members are different for every track, other than the overall distinct "Neo" flavor. We really only see NCT U during special all-member album era's though, of which there have been just 3 so far in the over 7 years they've been active. Some title track recommends in the type of song you seem to prefer; *NCT 127* - Kick It *NCT Dream* - GO *WayV* - Phantom *NCT U* - Boss Almost forgot... we recently got our first fixed sub-unit, called *NCT DJJ* which features three members of 127 (Doyoung, Jaehyun & Jungwoo). Their sound so far is very R&B. For them, I'd start with the debut mv for 'Perfume' and/or the performance video for 'Kiss'.

[@kpopauntie]

Thank you for the recommendations!

[@rellarella2705]

when NCT Dream debuted the members were very young (14-17 yrs old), their concept is basically a "youthful" sound, their early songs were very cute and bubbly but their vibe developed and matured quite a lot as they got older you should check out NCT 127 though, they will definitely be more your style (they did the killing voice too last year) 2 members from Dream are part of 127 as well, Mark and Haechan (the guys on the left and right end)

[@kpopauntie]

Nice. I'll have to check out NCT 127. Thank you.

[@ppigonyeh]

The entertainment agency they are under, SM, is known for producing vocally talented idols. Harmonization and group singing is definitely their artists edge.

[@kpopauntie]

Agreed. I love me some good harmonies.

[@annaklein5201]

I think you would really like nct 127 'kick it' its pretty heavy sounding

[@kpopauntie]

Thank you for the recommendation.

[@Im-ds2tf]

for myself, i don't really use the word 'lighter' for nct dream (i mean if you heard istj and glitch mode it's not really on lighter side). i think the common word to define nct dream's songs is youthful. cause from lighter to harder song, they always had that youthful sound

[@aw-jp8ej]

They debuted at 14 - 17 years old so their debut songs is cheerful poppy & bright Is always fun to watch them growing up & develop their voice, music, etc They have youthful energy even until now. (they're all looks so adorable) Maybe because of their chemistry and they knew each other since teenager Their discography are wide actually since they're growing up & try different kinds of music genre lately They're the youngest guests on dingo killing voice

[@leeminhyung167]

You’d probably like Saturday Drip by NCT DREAM. It’s pretty rap heavy. Also SM group in general just do a lot of Harmonies for their choruses

[@kpopauntie]

Thank you for the recommendation.

[@crescentmoonreact]

I feel like in nct, knowing your music taste you would probably like nct 127 and wayv (nct Chinese subunit) a lot more than the dreamies. 127 has a very experimental sound and more hard hitting songs with more raps, wayv has a specific style but still pretty hard hitting. They actually have a song with almost all nct members (21 of them, they were 23 at the time, now they’re 20) called beautiful by nct 2021. It’s more of a ballad-ish song though. If you want to see if you would enjoy nct 127 they have a killing voice as well that you could check out. 2 of the members of dream are in 127 as well so they’ve now done 2 killing voices!

[@kpopauntie]

Thank you for the recommendations. Sounds like you're right; I'd probably like NCT 127 more. I'm adding their Killing Voice to my list.

[@myra3718]

Yeah, NCT Dream has more of a lighter sound while NCT 127 has way more hard hitting catchy songs. I know you watched kingdom and BTOB was a part of it. They did a killing voice and I think you would really like it. There's actually a few killing voices that would suit your taste. It's just a matter of which one you want to check out. Hope you have a good day today. ❤

[@kpopauntie]

Thank you for the recommendations. I might just have to check out the BTOB Killing Voice.

[@anetteriepe9011]

Love your reaction ❤. For me is this the best killing voice. Love them so much❤ The vocals are insane Their voices are amazing. Love you my Dreamis 🥰❤💚💚💚💚

[@kpopauntie]

Thank you for watching with me.

[@jayl.6126]

yknow...just for the heck of it it'd be fun(?) if you watch the Chewing Gum MV (their debut song) when they we were all quite literal children. It's so bright, (cutesy theme HEAVY), cheerful, + the not yet matured voices, appropriate to age, and prob going to make you laugh in a "these kids are adorable but why are they singing about gum" lol

[@nikitamay8465]

The one in the center is jaemin always has alot of energy you may see if you do more content in the future but apparently he’s completely different off camera

[@kpopauntie]

Sounds like Jaemin is the entertainer of the group.

[@hyuckchan4890]

@@kpopauntie it should be Haechan, Jaemin, and Chenle. They're full of energy haha

[@sehunWonWoo]

Chaotic, adorable goofballs

[@kpopauntie]

That they are.

[@bibilibi]

i feel like you’d like their songs 119, drippin, maybe bungee as well, and smoothie!

[@kpopauntie]

I didn't have those songs on my list yet. Thank you.

[@zinmar7625]

Their ISTJ album songs are all so good

[@Kpopnoona90]

Watch NCT 127’s Killing Voice. They’ll be more your cup of tea. Also, their 2 youngest members are also in NCT Dream. Lol

[@kpopauntie]

Thank you for the recommendation!

[@Kpopnoona90]

@@kpopauntie you’re welcome :)

[@Kpopnoona90]

If you feel the way you feel about Candy, watch their MV. Definitely childish and it’s new too. Haha Now Chewing Gum was their debut song so of course that one is childish. Lol

[@bibilibi]

you should also watch nct dream’s 7illin being an iconic mess :3 but for music videos id suggest chewing gum then ridin! you could perhaps do them in the same video as it would be interesting, to me at least, for you to see how they grew up 💚

[@kpopauntie]

Thank you again for the recommendations .

[@josef0009]

NCT Dream is as the name saays more of a dreamy subgroup. Whiel NCT 127 and NCT Wayv are more hard hitting.

[@rfmmike6096]

Yep totally agree with you on the hit or miss, personally my least fav subgroup from NCT due to the kind of youthful concept and although I see a lot of people in the comments saying it's different from cute and light, I think it often ties together imo. But they do have a lot of really great songs and in a lot of their b sides they divert from the concept so sometimes I check those out. Thx for the honesty as well, I feel like a lot of reactors pretend to like everything always refreshing to come across a reactor who can admit when something is a miss for them

[@kpopauntie]

Thank you. We all have different tastes, whether it be in fashion, cuisine, or any number of preferences. Doesn't mean it's good or bad.

[@juniblessing3875]

@@kpopauntiei think for nct dream people focus on their cheerful concepts more so they relate them to that and that explains the song choices for this vid too, but actually their discography is one of the most diverse I have seen in kpop, their bsides really show that they literally can slay any concept.

[@anthonysage1739]

Gidle killing voice please! 🫶🏻

[@kpopauntie]

It's on the list. Thank you for the recommendation!