First things first, how does it feel to be back together in the recording studio after a couple of years away?

TAEYONG: I’d been counting down the days until we could be together as NCT 127 again. I genuinely loved the whole process of working on the album with the members, and it made me realise that I feel most like myself when I’m with the group. After being away for a few years, making an album and getting back onstage together felt more meaningful and precious than ever.

JAEHYUN: I’d been waiting for this moment for a long time, too, so I really enjoyed making the album with the members. When we were apart, time felt like it was moving so slowly, but once I finished my military service and came back, everything suddenly went by so fast. I kept thinking, ‘How has this much time passed already?’ Since this year is also our tenth anniversary, we made this album hoping it could feel like a gift to NCTzen who have been with us all this time. I hope they can feel that when they listen to it.

What can you tell us about this album’s concept?

JAEHYUN: This is our seventh full-length album, and it arrives in time for our tenth anniversary. The message behind ‘Blingy’ is that what shines brightest is already within us, and I think the album as a whole really reflects the confidence we have and how we feel right now. It includes songs the members helped write and covers a lot of different sides of NCT 127, so I hope people enjoy the whole journey from beginning to end.

JOHNNY: For me, this album is really about going back to where we started. I thought about that a lot while we were preparing the performances. It had been a while, and I really wanted us to get back onstage with that strong, powerful energy that feels like NCT 127. In a way, this album brought us back to the energy and passion we had when we first started.

What feels different about ‘BLINGY’ compared to previous releases?

YUTA: Maybe it’s because we’re celebrating our tenth anniversary, but this album feels like the end of one chapter and the beginning of a new one. We’ve tried so many different sounds and concepts over the past ten years, and I think all of those experiences have come together to make NCT 127 who we are today. This album feels like it naturally brings all of that together and shows who we are right now.

Did any of you get a chance to write on this album? What were you bringing to the studio?

JOHNNY: TAEYONG and I worked on the lyrics for ‘I Mean, It’s About Time.’ There’s a line that goes, ‘There are things that stay the same, like a book you read again.’ You know how you can read the same book ten years later, and it can feel completely different? A lot has changed for us over the past ten years, but there are also things that haven’t. We wanted to talk about time passing and all the feelings that come with that.

HAECHAN: I think all of us were very involved throughout the recording and review process. We had a lot of conversations like, ‘Maybe we should add a dance break here,’ or ‘This part could hit a little harder.’ We were constantly sharing ideas like that.”

Who were you working with on this album? Were they new collaborators or familiar faces?

TAEYONG: We worked with a really varied group of producers and songwriters. Some were people we’d worked with before, while others were completely new to us. Every song had a different team and came from a different genre, so they all had their own distinct feel. It was interesting to hear how they naturally came together as one NCT 127 album once we added our voices.

Were there any sounds/genres you were able to explore that you hadn’t before? The last track has a lot of spoken word, which felt new for NCT.

HAECHAN: I think ‘Piñata’ is one of the first times we’ve done a song with such a strong rock sound. YUTA has always really loved rock, and his voice fits that kind of sound so well. When I heard his recording, I remember thinking, ‘Wow, this really suits him.’ I think that helped make the song even better.

The group’s reaction to hearing ‘Sticker’ for the first time was hilariously viral – what did you think of ‘Blingy’ at first?

JOHNNY: Since it had been a while since our last full album, I thought NCTzens would really want to see us come back with something powerful, both in the music and the performance. When I first heard ‘Blingy’, I felt like it was exactly that. It made a really strong first impression on me.

The final track is called ‘I mean, it’s about time’, which feels quite cheeky – was that a deliberate nod to how long it’s been since your last group comeback?

TAEYONG: Yeah, that was definitely part of it. There’s also a line in the song that goes, ‘Have I changed? Is that a bad thing?’ In a way, it’s also a question we’re asking ourselves. A lot has changed for us over the past ten years, and a lot around us has changed too. But all of those changes are part of who we are now. So we wanted to talk about the time that’s passed, the changes we’ve gone through, and who NCT 127 is today.

Almost all of you have explored solo projects in your time between group releases – was there anything you’d learned from those releases that you wanted to bring back to the group?

HAECHAN: Making a solo album was a great experience because it allowed me to fully express the music I love and the ideas I wanted to share. But carrying an entire song from beginning to end and filling the stage on my own was more daunting than I expected. After experiencing that, I came back to the group with a much clearer sense of my role. I learned a lot about how to lead the performance when I’m in the centre and what kind of energy I need to bring to my own parts. It also gave me more confidence.

JAEHYUN: My solo album gave me a chance to explore a much wider vocal spectrum and really work on my versatility as a vocalist. I think that helped me experiment more with my voice on this album, too. Especially with five of us recording this time, we needed a lot of vocal variety, so I was able to bring what I’d learned from my solo album into this one.

With the members rotating while you’re all completing military service, it definitely feels like some members got to shine a little more on this album – there’s a lot more JOHNNY and YUTA than usual! What was it like for you guys stepping to the front?

JOHNNY: My voice naturally sits pretty low, but with DOYOUNG and JUNGWOO away, I ended up singing more parts in a higher range than I normally would. That was something new for me, and definitely a challenge too.

YUTA: I got to take on a wider range of parts this time, so there were more opportunities for me to show different sides of my voice. But I didn’t really think of it as trying to fill someone else’s place. It was more about figuring out how the members who were here could make the best NCT 127 music together. Through that process, I discovered some new sides of my voice that I didn’t even know I had. So for me, this album was really meaningful in that way.

This album’s artwork is the same as the debut mini album’s (in green instead of red), are there any moreconnections between your debut release and this one?

TAEYONG: Just like our debut album, the cover features a map of Seoul, but this time we added the ‘NEO’ green that people associate with NCT 127. Since it’s our tenth anniversary, we wanted to look back on everything we’ve done, but at the same time, go back to the mindset we had when we first debuted and start this next chapter with that same energy.

There’s a song on this album called ‘Legacy’ – looking back on the last ten years, what do you consider NCT 127’s legacy to be?

HAECHAN: I think our albums are our legacy. Over the years, we’ve tried a lot of new things with our music, fashion and concepts, and I think all of those experiences helped create a style and identity that feels uniquely NCT 127. So when I look back at our albums, I feel like they really show who we are and the path we’ve taken.

Ten years together is a massive milestone as a group. What have been some of your proudest moments in that time? How about the hardest moments?

JAEHYUN: So many moments come to mind, but I think what I’m most proud of is who we are right now. We’ve spent ten years taking on different challenges and growing together, and when I look at the members – and at the fans who have continued to support us – I feel really proud of how far we’ve come.

Looking back, I think the beginning was probably the hardest. We were trying different kinds of music and concepts while still figuring out our own direction and what made us NCT 127. Personally, I was also trying to figure out what kind of music I wanted to make and what side of myself I wanted to show. Going through all of those experiences helped me understand myself better, and now I think I have a much clearer idea of what I want and what our identity is as a group.

It feels like NCT 127 really opened the door for more industrial, experimental sounds across K-pop – have you recognised your own impact on the industry?

JOHNNY: I think we’d be a little hesitant to say ourselves that we started a certain trend, but we’re really grateful if people see it that way. We’ve always just focused on making music that we find exciting, and that feels like NCT 127, and being confident in what we do. I think all of those different things we’ve tried over the years eventually became our sound. If that’s inspired other artists to try something new with their music, too, that would make us really happy.

You’re seniors to a lot of amazing groups now. Have any younger idols told you they look up to you?

HAECHAN: NCT WISH have told us they look up to us, and we’ve also seen other younger artists mention us on livestreams. Sometimes we’ll meet them backstage after performing at an awards show or festival, and they’ll tell us how much they enjoyed our stage or that they really admire us. It always makes us feel proud and grateful.

There have been so many iconic NCT lyrics over the years. What are some of your favourites!

YUTA: There’s a line in my part in “Kick It” that goes, “No more trauma for me.” I’ve always loved it because it feels hopeful but also really confident. I also love the line from “Blingy” that translates to, “Under bursting fireworks, feelin’ real blingy.” It has this powerful sense of wanting to shine as brightly as fireworks, which I really like.

JAEHYUN: There are so many, but if I had to pick one from our older songs, I’d say “Make Your Day” from our second repackaged album. The lyrics are about wanting to be there for every day of someone you love. Now that we’re celebrating our 10th anniversary, I feel like that’s also something we want to say to NCTzen, so I’ve been thinking about that song a lot lately.

How would you describe the NCT universe to someone who’s never heard the group before?

YUTA: I don’t think the NCT universe is something you can really explain in words. You just have to listen and experience it for yourself. Don’t think too much, just feel it!

When you guys played SMTOWN live in London last year, it really felt like there was a huge appetite for an NCT 127 show in the UK again. Is there any chance of a European tour again?

JAEHYUN: TAEYONG and I were serving in the military at the time, so we weren’t able to join the show. We both really love London, though, and we’d definitely like to come back to the UK on our next world tour.

NCT's album 'BLINGY' is out now.