Ten years into their career, NCT 127 have built a legacy defined by bold music, ambitious concepts, and talent-forward live performances. Amid updates to the group’s lineup and staggered military enlistments, Johnny, Taeyong, Yuta, Doyoung, Jaehyun, Jungwoo, and Haechan have explored solo music and individual projects over the past couple of years, experiencing the highs and challenges that come with forging their own paths. But even as they continue to grow as individuals, in this milestone year as NCT 127, the members emphasize the importance of the team and their appreciation for what they have built together.

Now, as they return with their seventh studio album, Blingy, the members of NCT 127 are ready to carry their legacy into its next chapter. They’re marking their return by taking over major cities around the world with “Did You Miss Us?” billboards in their signature “neo” green, and an extensive album rollout featuring pop-up shops, a dedicated 10th-anniversary web hub, and a new tour kicking off in Seoul next month. 

In conversation with Rolling Stone, Johnny, Taeyong, Yuta, Jaehyun and Haechan reflect on what’s changed — and what hasn’t — over the years, why being recognized for their live skills remains a point of pride, and how Doyoung and Jungwoo have continued to cheer on the group from the sidelines while completing their military service.

This year marks a major milestone for the group: NCT 127’s 10th anniversary. What are some standout moments when you look back?

Haechan: I’m not sure if it’s because we’re in L.A. right now, but I think back to our first North American tour. We spent a month traveling around on a tour bus, and at the time, I remember thinking it was really tough. But looking back, I realize I have so many special memories from that time.

Yuta: For me, it’s when we did a cover of a Celeb Five song. That sticks out to me most. Our manager told us that we would become successful if we did it, so we went for it. We were supposed to rotate our arms together like this[[demonstrates] but Johnny couldn’t do it right[[laughs].

Jaehyun: Mine is when we performed at Mickey Mouse’s birthday party. We danced to “Regular” with Mickey Mouse. Maybe it’s because we’re in America right now, but I’m reminded of that. 

Johnny: For me, similar to Haechan, during our first tour, not just America, but also in Japan, I learned a lot from being able to visit so many cities. Two days ago we did a fan signing and there was a fan that said, “Please come to Phoenix” — but we’ve been![[Laughs.]

Taeyong: They thought we hadn’t been?

Johnny: Right, we’ve been coming to America a lot since the early days and have been to so many cities. It made me think of how great it would be to be able to go again. We’ve been to San Diego, too …

Taeyong: We’ve made the rounds in a lot of different cities. For me, Miami Beach comes to mind. It was really hot and we were all holding lemonades … Some of my fondest memories come from moments of spare time during tour … And I also remember how passionately our fans support us.

What would you say is the biggest difference between NCT 127 now and NCT 127 10 years ago? 

Jaehyun: For what has changed … we used to be really boring. Fans would call us “No fun CT” when watching our content[[laughs]. I think we’ve become more fun. 

What do you think changed there?

Jaehyun: I think age and experience. Becoming more comfortable in front of the camera.

Johnny: We’ve become a lot more comfortable and natural in front of the camera. We’re able to show more of who we are now, and over the years, we’ve become more comfortable expressing our personalities.

And on the other hand, what would you say has stayed consistent over the past 10 years?

Yuta: We’re together now with new NCT 127 music for the first time in two years, so it’s been a while, but when we’re in a green room, for example, when we get together and just chat, it makes me realize we haven’t really changed much from when we first debuted. In a good way.

Which member do you think has grown the most over this time?

Yuta: I think we’ve all grown. That’s only natural. Throughout all of the experiences we’ve had.

Johnny: If we’re talking about internal growth, I think Yuta’s right. But as for the member that I’m most surprised by when I come across an old video, it would be Haechan.

Haechan: [[Laughs.]Really?

Johnny: It comes up on my feed sometimes, like early days of you in NCT Dream or when we first debuted. He’s really become an adult now. I really get surprised when I see videos from 10 years ago. 

Haechan: Of course, because I debuted when I was still growing a lot. Compared to the other members it could be more visible. But when we’re together, since we see each other every day, it’s hard to notice. There are moments when it hits me that it’s been 10 years. 

What do you think NCT 127’s legacy is?

Taeyong: I think performance-wise, when we do a live performance, not just at our concerts, but at performances alongside other artists, year-end ceremonies, things like that, hearing compliments about our live performances are the ones that make us most happy. When we hear that and see it generate buzz or become a topic of conversation, it makes me feel like all the preparation and practice was worth it. I want us to continue getting positive reactions from fans and be known as a group that delivers great live performances.

To that point, your KCON set was so great. NCT 127 has experimented with a variety of genres, concepts, and styles over the years. I’m curious to know if you have a favorite album or theme from your career. I personally loved “Walk.”

Taeyong: Oh, thank you. We worked hard on it. My favorite is our Blingy era. 

Haechan: For me … The poison dart frog imagery …? [[Note: NCT 127’s debut EP and newest album feature parallel artwork, with a camo pattern based on a map of Seoul that resembles the colors of a poison dart frog.] From the album cover to our outfits, I think it’s become a trademark of NCT 127.

Johnny: For sure. That was our start. 

Yuta: For me, it’s right now. Blingy. I like intense and bold things. And we don’t have any pure or innocent members now — it’s a concept that we’re able to do only at this moment in our careers. 

Haechan: I’m innocent.

Yuta: Right, you’re the most pure within the group.

Johnny: That’s the problem[[laughs]. I’d say 2 Baddies! I think to Taeyong’s point earlier, we really practiced our live performing skills at that time — fans started to talk about it more and it was a turning point for us, a turning point for our fans. 

And looking toward the future, what other goals or dreams do you have for NCT 127?

Johnny: For me, it’s to perform in front of larger audiences … What’s the record these days? I think I just, I don’t want to dream too big, but like something we haven’t achieved yet. Get more attendees. Larger venues. To make our own records, and break the records.

Moving onto Blingy, can you share any fun behind-the-scenes stories from the preparation process?

Jaehyun: I don’t know if this counts as fun, but because it’s an album we put together as five, and it’s been two years since the last NCT 127 album, we thought about what our fans would like, and what music would portray our current selves best. We wanted to put together a performance that we can do well as five, and put a lot of work into choreography. Every time we practiced, we would sweat a lot and think “Is this right?” The choreo is really challenging and requires stamina. I’m happy we put together good performances for both “Blingy” and “Piñata.”  

Yuta: Full disclosure, as of right now, we’ve only run through “Blingy” from start to finish twice. We’ve been practicing it in parts.

Johnny: It’s that hard. 

The jet concept photos and video had really positive reactions online. How was that shoot?

Johnny: The photos you see are the completed result, but for us, it was like a little seat that they told us to sit in, and they said to pretend you’re in a jet. It was all green screen. At first it was a little odd and the props felt like toys, but the results came out so well. We were surprised too. 

You just recently revealed the video for “Piñata,” which also got a lot of positive comments for Yuta, especially due to the rock vibe of the song. Have you been keeping up with the fan reactions?

Yuta: We were just talking about this too. Before it went live, our manager told us it came out really well. And after it came out, we all had the same thought. Seeing the fans agree makes me happy.

Johnny: A lot of people have been pointing Yuta out, but I also had thought to myself, if Yuta wasn’t in this group, would we have been able to pull off a song like this? 

Jaehyun: Another reason I think this song is special and has been well-received so far is that the hook has all of us. It’s not just one person, but all of our vocals are layered, so it has more energy. I think people are responding well to that. 

For “I Mean, It’s About Time,” Johnny and Taeyong participated in the lyrics. Are there specific lines you really like?

Jaehyun: [[Looks to Johnny.] You don’t remember, huh?[[Laughs.]One of Johnny’s lines that he wrote has an analogy about books …

Johnny: “Like a book you read again.”

Jaehyun: That line, “like a book you read again,” being used to describe our team stuck with me. When recording my part, it made me realize, “I guess you could think of our team that way.” 

Johnny: The meaning is about how you can read the same book after 10 years. It’s the same book, but the story can resonate so differently. 

Taeyong: For me, there’s a line where it’s like I’m asking our fans, “Have I changed?” For those who have seen us over the past 10 years, there are ways in which we have changed, and I have to imagine there are probably a lot of people who might feel a little disappointed or bittersweet. “Have I changed/Is that so bad?” I’m curious what fans will think of that.

Members Doyoung and Jungwoo are on the track “127 Million Miles” within this album, but I’m curious to know if they’ve heard the rest of Blingy or have reacted to any of the creative that has come out so far.

Jaehyun: We have a group chat, and while we prepare for this release, content gets sent in for review and monitoring, like practice videos, choreography videos … I noticed Jungwoo has been watching them all and keeping tabs of what he likes, what he thought looked cool.

Yuta: Doyoung has come by the practice room on his days off too and bought us food, checking in on us and coming to hang out, asking if we’re working hard and doing well.

Over the past few years, a handful of the members have done solo music and various activities. How is it being together as a group after doing solo activities? What do you love most about doing things together as NCT 127? 

Taeyong: I love it so much. I thought about it when doing solo activities too, but I definitely feel more like myself when I’m with the team, and performing as a team is mentally more comfortable. I wanted to return to them quickly. Practicing is hard, but it’s worth it, and when seeing fan reactions these days, I’ve been thinking a lot about how grateful I am that we’re able to perform.

Haechan: Something I’ve felt a lot during my solo activities was, of course, it’s nice to pursue and perform music that contains my personal thoughts and opinions, but it felt like I was briefly away on a trip. Being on my own isn’t always comfortable, and there were definitely moments when I felt anxious. It made me realize just how much I wanted to quickly get back to promoting with the group.

Johnny: For me, I was able to meet fans quite often during this time. … Through YouTube and such, out and about. I might be the only member who was able to really see that fans miss us and are waiting for us. I tried to approach this upcoming album with that energy and attitude and want to properly thank the fans who waited for us. 

Last question, you and Jaehyun recently did an interview with Matt Damon and Charlize Theron during their trip to Seoul for The Odyssey. How was that?

Jaehyun: We really prepared hard for it. We watched the movie to prepare for it and really enjoyed it. After liking it so much, to hear the behind-the-scenes stories directly from them, like how they used the IMAX cameras and such, made it resonate with me even more. After the interview we were talking about how we want to see it again. I loved it.

Taeyong: I was so jealous.

Johnny: We’re not interviewers, and they knew that and knew what we do. I think they found us cute and found it endearing if we didn’t do well or seemed nervous, making the atmosphere really comfortable. I was really thankful to them for that. 

Yuta: I haven’t seen the movie yet, but I saw their interview. 

Haechan: I want to watch it so badly in IMAX, but up to the day we came to the U.S., tickets were basically sold out. 

I saw it from the third row, and my neck was hurting. So I don’t recommend sitting close.

Haechan: [[Laughs.]Ah, I need a seat in the back.

Johnny: I saw photos people took from the front and the view is really skewed.[[Laughs.]

From Rolling Stone US.