Biography
NCT 127 is the first fixed and second overall sub-unit of the South Korean boy band NCT, formed and managed by SM Entertainment. The current lineup consists of nine active members: Taeil, Johnny, Taeyong, Yuta, Doyoung, Jaehyun, Jungwoo, Mark, and Haechan. NCT 127 are known for their experimental hip hop-based music, which they refer to as "neo music", while the majority of their album tracks are R&B with pop and ballads. They are also noted for their vocal and rap abilities, as well as their choreographs and performances. After debuting in 2016, they broke into the domestic mainstream in 2017 with "Cherry Bomb", now recognized as one of their signature songs, and received greater international attention following the release of "Kick It" in 2020.
NCT 127 released their first single "Fire Truck" on July 7, 2016, with an original lineup of seven members: Taeil, Taeyong, Yuta, Jaehyun, Winwin, Mark, and Haechan. Their debut extended play (EP) NCT #127 (2016) was a commercial success upon release, winning them the Best New Artist title at several South Korean music award shows. Members Doyoung and Johnny joined the unit in December 2016, ahead of their second EP Limitless (2017) and its title track of the same name; Jungwoo, the final member, was introduced in September 2018 for their first studio album Regular-Irregular (2018). As of January 2023, NCT 127 has released four studio albums with counterpart reissues, and four extended plays in the Korean language thus far. They have also ventured into the Japanese music scene with the release of a Japanese version of their second single "Limitless", an EP, and a studio album.
In April 2019, NCT 127's increasing global popularity prompted SM Entertainment to sign marketing and distribution deals with Capitol Music Group and Caroline Distribution, respectively. The unit subsequently released the EP We Are Superhuman that year and their second Korean studio album, Neo Zone, in 2020, the latter becoming their first top-five entry on the US Billboard 200 and their first release to sell over one million copies. In 2021, NCT 127 released their third Korean studio album, Sticker, and its repackaged version Favorite. With a combined 3.58 million copies sold, it broke the record for the best-selling album of all time by an act under SM Entertainment and earned the group the Daesang award at the 31st Seoul Music Awards. Sticker debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, becoming the longest and highest-charting K-pop album in the US in 2021. In 2022, NCT 127 released their fourth Korean studio album 2 Baddies, which sold 3.2 million copies and made them the second K-pop act to have three albums debut in the top five of the Billboard 200.
