In the years since making their bombastic debut,
NCT 127 have carved out a distinct place for themselves in the saturated Korean pop market. Heavy bass lines. Intense swagger. Powerful choreography. And also a strong emphasis on hip-hop, which permits rappers Taeyong and Mark room to flex while the 10-member group's criminally underused vocalists are given room to soar on the bridge. However the group's latest release, the polished "Highway To Heaven," is nothing that we've come to expect from confident ensemble — and that's precisely what makes it so remarkable.
The shimmering synth-pop song sounds more like a
Carly Rae Jepsen B-side than anything in NCT's discography. (Even the simple black-and-white visual they
debuted on the U.S. Leg of their Neo City tour is uncommon NCT.) "Highway To Heaven" is structured almost entirely around the group's vocalists — the layered vocals on the hook make it feel massive — and even the rap verses are more melodic than anything we've heard on previous singles. The dreamy track keeps expanding as you listen; by the time vocalist Haechan delivers his heart-stopping note on the bridge, your head is already in the clouds. It's the sort of euphoric pop song that's brilliant for long drives on summer nights, windows down and singing at the best of your lungs. If this is what NCT 127's
We Are Superhuman era has to allocate, then I'm all in (and willing to purchase a vehicle just so I can listen to this on repeat). —
Crystal Bell