Exciting news for American K-pop fans: More of your faves are getting Western mainstream exposure.
Ahead of their “Regular-Irregular” album drop, boy group NCT 127 are making multiple appearances in U.S. media. NCT 127 is a subunit of South Korean K-pop giant SM Entertainment’s ambitious NCT project, launched in 2016. NCT, an acronym for Neo Culture Technology, embodies SM’s attempt to globalize K-pop. The numbers represent Seoul’s longitudinal coordinates.
NCT 127 released an English version of “Regular” on Monday. The Korean version drops this Friday.
NCTzens, the official fandom, are in for a treat with not one but three events scheduled: a Mickey Mouse special, an Apple Music highlight and an American Music Awards appearance.
On Saturday, the group participated in ABC’s “Mickey Mouse’s 90th Spectacular” celebrating the character’s birthday. The special is set to air Nov. 4 on ABC. On top of that, Apple Music chose the 10-member unit as its October “Up Next” highlight. The “Up Next” mini-documentary series spotlights up-and-coming artists monthly. According to Billboard, their collaboration includes a short film, a choreography video and a new Beats 1 interview.
“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” will host the group’s first late-night show appearance and sold-out mini concert on Monday. Fans will get a final chance to see them in person during the red carpet ceremony at the American Music Awards on Tuesday — only the third K-pop act to make an appearance.
NCT 127 saw success in America prior to their upcoming promotions. Their last single, “Touch,” peaked at No. 11 on Billboard’s U.S. World Digital Songs chart in March, and second mini-album “Limitless,” reached No. 1 on the World Albums chart back in January of 2017.
Three other units fall under the NCT umbrella. SM Entertainment recently announced a new Chinese unit, NCT China. All of the members will be Chinese and will focus on promotions in China. They’re expected to debut by the end of this year.
