Taeyong - Shalala

I. Introduction

Shalala is the debut EP from Taeyong of the boy group NCT. It was released on June 5, 2023 with the title track “Shalala.”

II. Background & Release

The group structure of NCT is unique among K-Pop groups due to the fact the original concept was an ever-expanding group with “unlimited” members. It is also comprised of several individual subunits – there are currently 27 members making up six individual subunits.

Taeyong is one of the main rappers, dancers and centers of the overall group, as well as its leader. He is also the leader and center, as well as one of the main rappers and dancers of the sub-unit NCT 127. He is also a songwriter and producer and has written and/or produced over 50 songs, primarily for NCT and its sub-units. He has credits on some of NCT’s most iconic songs, like NCT 127’s "Regular" and NCT’s "The 7th Sense." He is also one of only two members with his own SoundCloud account, where he posts his original music. Taeyong also began releasing songs on his own YouTube channel.

Although NCT members had released OST songs and songs through SM’s Station project, no member had released a solo album or mini. SM announced Taeyong would release his solo EP on May 14, 2023, marking the first solo album released by any NCT member.

The promotional period begin with Taeyong handing out roses to fans in a Korean amusement park in a play on his official NCT emoji, the rose. During the build-up to the album’s release, short films and teaser photos emphasized the different sides of Taeyong’s personality and reflected his distinctive style through a blend of live-action and custom animation. Additionally, a special showcase highlighted the new tracks, with his members present to cheer him on.

It was announced that Taeyong played a role in writing every song on the album, including lyrics and music. He also has producing credits on the albums. Song on the album included reworked versions of previously unreleased songs, as well as new songs. He partnered with renowned khip-hop producers, as well as collaborators who had previously worked with Taeyong on his solo work.

Shalala was released on June 5, 2023 in 2 versions: Thorn and Archive, as well as smini and digipack versions. It featured seven songs. Two of the songs had been previously released unofficially - Taeyong had sneaked "Move, Mood, Mode" in 2020 on a live chat, while "GTA 2" had been released on Taeyong's SoundCloud in 2021, which would morph into the album's song, "Virtual Insanity."

Taeyong also worked with frequent collaborators who had worked on his previous songs - both released and unreleased - including SQUAR, Royal Dive and Zayson. Most of the lyrics for the album are written solely by Taeyong.

The lead single “Shalala” was paired with the song “Gwando” during Korean music shows. Track videos were also released during promos, including a special video shot for the fans during Taeyong’s work as brand ambassador for Loewe.

III. Tracklist

IV. Spotify Playlist

V. MVs

Shalala MV

Gwando MV

Move Mood Mode MV

Shalala Performance MV

VI. Concept Photos

VII. Reception

It was announced before release that Shalala had over 500,000 preorders. In its first week of release, it had the highest first week sales of a SM solo debut album, 3^rd highest first week sales for any SM solo album and the 11^th highest sales for all Kpop male solo artists. It also topped the charts of iTunes album charts in over 30 regions, including the worldwide chart. It also reached #1 on China’s QQ Music Digital Album Sales chart. It debuted at #2 on the Korean Circle chart and #10 on the Oricon chart. It was Platinum certified for selling 250,000 copies. As of September 2023, it had sold over 500,000 copies.