NCT (엔시티) or Neo Culture Technology is a boy group under SM Entertainment. The group structure of NCT is unique among K-Pop groups due to the fact that the original concept of NCT was an ever expanding group with "unlimited" members and it is comprised of several individual subunits. Currently there are 20 members in NCT, making up four individual subunits, but there have been as many as 23 members. A fifth unit is expected to debut in 2023. The limitless expansion was announced as completed in 2023, with no additional members beyond the new unit.
The NCT U sub-unit is a special promotional unit with rotational members. Members are chosen to perform based on the song and concept, and the groups are often heavily performance-driven. In addition to recording and performing in music videos, NCT U groups also perform on music shows and other performances within the same grouping. As of May 2023, all current members of NCT have participated in a NCT U subunit.
II. Career
III. Debut
NCT U was the first NCT sub-unit announced on April 4, 2016. It debuted on April 9 with the single "The 7th Sense" and April 10 with "Without You." "The 7th Sense" was a highly dance-focused and rap-intensive song, featuring Taeyong, Doyoung, Ten, Jaehyun and Mark, while the vocally-driven mid-tempo song "Without You" featured future NCT main vocalists Taeil, Doyoung, Jaehyun and, on the Chinese version, Kun.
Two of the three permanent NCT sub-units launched in 2016, NCT 127 and NCT Dream.
NCT U also released its first OST song, the vocally focused "Stay In My Life," featuring Taeil, Taeyong and Doyoung for the School 2017 OST in August 2017. NCT U returned as part of the digital SMStation project, releasing the single, "Timeless," another vocally-driven song featuring the three main vocalists of NCT 127, Taeil, Doyoung and Jaehyun. It released its next OST, "Radio Romance," featuring Taeil and Doyoung, in February 2018 for the Radio RomanceOST, which was another vocally-focused song.
IIIII. Empathy
After the initial debut, the majority of NCT U songs are released in conjunction with the biennial NCT projects, where all of the sub-units come together to create an album and promote content with cross-unit activities. The NCT U combinations continue to be selected by song, so that a heavily rap-focused track will utilize NCT's strongest rappers across the units and aheavily vocal-focused track will only utilize the group's key vocalists.
NCT launched the NCT 2018 project on March 14, 2018, featuring all NCT members, and debuting three new ones. This project also included the first NCT full album, NCT 2018 Empathy. Each of the NCT sub-units features on songs on the album, although the majority of the songs are the NCT U. For Empathy, the NCT U groups featured re-releases of previous songs "The 7th Sense" and "Without You," as well as new combinations incorporating new NCT members. (Note: The performance-driven song "Black on Black" is not listed as a NCT U song, but rather NCT to indicate the full group.)
The NCT U groups feature significantly in show-stopping year-end performances in Korea, especially during NCT project years in conjunction with the other sub-units.
More SM Station and OSTs
NCT U also continued to release singles as part of the digital SM Station project and for OSTs. In August 2018, it released "New Dream," a vocal-focused track featuring Taeil and Jaehyun, for the Dokgo Rewind OST. In August 2019, it released "New Love , a vocal-driven track featuring Doyoung and Jaehyun, for Best Mistake OST. In October 2019, it released "Baby Only You," featuring Doyoung and Mark, for The Tale of NokduOST. December 2019, it released "Coming Home," a winter ballad featuring only NCT 127's main vocalists, Taeil, Doyoung, Jaehyun and Haechan, for SM Station.
SM Station is a digital music project under SM Entertainment that involves solos or duets from members in existing SM groups, as well as opportunities for singers to experiment in other genres or collaborate with artists inside and outside of SM Entertainment. The project releases a number of singles digitally each year on digital platforms, including streaming audio like Spotify.
NCT launched another all-unit project in October 2020, featuring all NCT members, and debuting two new ones. This NCT 2020 project also included a 2-part NCT full album, NCT 2020 Resonance Pt. 1 and NCT 2020 Resonance Pt. 2and an accompanying TV show, NCT World 2.0. For Resonance, all the NCT U groups and songs were brand new.
The album was released in two parts, so different NCT U groups promoted during each album's launch.
For NCT 2020, NCT U groups performed individually for year-end performances, as well as in a special mash-up song and performance, "Resonance," that incorporated multiple NCT U songs and groups, with each group breaking out to perform their specific portion. The combination song included portions of "Make A Wish," "90s Love", "Work It" and "Raise the Roof." However, although it is a mash-up of NCT U songs, because it included all units, it is technically labelled an NCT 2020 song rather than NCT U.
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In August 2021, NCT U released a digital single "Maniac" under producer Ryan S. Jhun's MAXIS project.
IIV. Universe
NCT launched another all-unit project in December 2021, featuring all active NCT members. 2 members did not participate (Winwin due to competing acting schedules and Lucas due to hiatus), while Ten had partial participation on some elements but not NCT U units/songs. This NCT 2021 project included an album. For Universe, all the NCT U groups and songs were brand new.
The album included two co-title tracks: the NCT U song "Universe (Let's Play Ball)" and the all member track "Beautiful." Because it included all members, "Beautiful" is technically labeled a NCT 2021 song rather than NCT U.
IIVI. NCT Lab
SM announced a new project under SM Station to focus around NCT, called NCT Lab. The project includes solo songs, self-composed tracks and sub-unit work outside of the group's albums. NCT U songs were released beginning in April 2022.
IIVII. NCT 2023 and Departures
NCT 2023 was announced as a full all-unit album with a tentative release in August 2023.
In May 2023, Lucas, Shotaro and Sungchan left the group and NCT.
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Year-end Performances:
Boss (NCT U) + Regular (NCT 127) + Black on Black (NCT U)
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The 7th Sense (NCT U) + Go (NCT Dream) + Boss (NCT U)
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