Korean media described the return of NCT 127 with “2 Baddies” as a “blessing in disguise.” Keep reading to find out why.
From what was initially criticized as a “failure”, the return of NCT 127 creates a lot of exploits
On September 27, Korean media outlet JTBC published an article describing how NCT 127 raised the status of their recent return as a “hidden blessing.”
In particular, when their fourth full-length album “2 Baddies” was presented on the 16th, it initially caused a lot of problems and criticism.
Firstly, the physical album was badly beaten due to the lack of an image of Doen on the back cover of his digipack version.
After the protest, SM Entertainment fans immediately addressed the issue and quickly apologized. They also acknowledged that it was an error caused by an error during the review of the cover design process, and testified compensation to fans who received albums with defects.
The misfortune did not stop there, and SM Entertainment was criticized again after the disorganized return of the group.
On the same day the album was released, NCT 127 held a show to celebrate their return in the 7th hall of the 2nd KINTEX Exhibition Hall in Ilsan with 10,000 people. They were ridiculed for not being able to fill all the seats, and had just sold about 8,900 seats.
The show itself also led to chaos because the venue consists of standing rather than designated seats, and thousands of people flocked to the front of the stage every time NCT 127 appeared, causing inconvenience to the public. Presumably, 4,000 people can fit only on the site.
Even NCT 127’s title track “2 Baddies” was called a “failure” due to the fact that it failed to reach the top of the local charts, especially in the category of male groups.
NCT 127 turned the table with a high initial sales record, a “Billboard 200”
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But it seems Utah is working as a mascot for NCT 127, who said through his bubble:
“This time the song became a hit. I feel like there’s nothing I can do if this song isn’t a success.”
Despite a shaky start, “2 Baddies” have achieved significant results and raised their status as a group and the entire K-pop industry.
As of September 22, NCT 127’s fourth full-length album recorded initial sales of 1,547,595 copies based on the Hanteo chart. This is the band’s highest record, surpassing the achievement of its previous album “Sticker”.
This is also the highest score among SM Entertainment artists.
In addition to their domestic exploits, NCT 127 also reigned in the world charts as a whole.
JTBC reported:
“NCT 127 was also a success, reaching number 3 on the Billboard Mainstream Albums chart in the US. In addition, they entered the top 50 of the ARIA chart, the official music chart of Australia, topped the national weekly records chart, received two awards in the pie chart and topped the top 100 charts in both Japanese music albums and songs.”
As if counterattacking the people who laugh at them during the showcase, NCT 127 proved their influence and strength by confirming their participation in the main Olympic stadium at the Jamsil Sports Complex in Seoul, the largest concert hall in Korea.
The reason why this is a huge achievement is that only artists with a first-class and huge fandom among K-pop artists, such as BTS, EXO and IU, can enter the main stadium.