[Sportschosun reporter Jung Bit] For 10 years, NCT 127 has stayed on its own trajectory despite the surging easy-listening trend. The music initially left listeners tilting their heads, calling it unfamiliar and difficult, but the time accumulated without compromise ultimately became an unrivaled history that no one could replace: Neo.
NCT 127, which became a milestone in K-pop with music ahead of its time, finally devoured Seoul’s night with the full-throttle firepower of a group tearing through the redline.
On the 20th, NCT 127 met NCTzen (Czennie) at the final night of its fifth solo concert, “NEO CITY : SEOUL – THE REDLINE,” at KSPO Dome in Olympic Park, Seoul’s Songpa District. The Seoul shows, held over three days from the 18th, sold out every seat, including restricted-view seats, and drew 31,500 people, proving the group’s formidable ticket power.
This concert carried special significance because it was NCT 127’s first large-scale solo show after the group underwent changes both internally and externally, including a team reorganization and members’ military service. Despite the absence of key members who had long held the team’s foundation together, the five members onstage—Taeyong, Johnny, Yuta, Jaehyun and HAECHAN—unleashed the “Neo strength” they had built over 10 years from the opening number onward.
The concert opened with the “System Error” section. The members appeared suspended from a web of intricately intertwined Kinesis wires, then overwhelmed the venue with a daring performance in which they tore through the lines trapping them. They performed the intro and “Legacy,” a track from their new seventh full-length album, before racing through the old-school hip-hop vibes of “Step Up” and “Ppigeudeok,” instantly raising the temperature in the venue.
The mood shifted abruptly with the “Escape” interlude video. As the experimental sound of “Simon Says,” the signature track “Cherry Bomb” and the powerful bass of “Lemonade” poured out one after another, the audience erupted in deafening cheers.
The excitement reached its peak in the “Overload” section. During “Punch,” a giant rectangular laser ring measuring 13 meters wide and 10 meters high rose into the air and surrounded the members, creating breathtaking tension. Building on that momentum, they charged nonstop through “Bring the Noize” and “Racing,” the title track from their fourth full-length album, transforming KSPO Dome into a full-fledged festival from the very beginning.
After the storm-like opening, the members, drenched in sweat, shared their feelings and determination on the final day. Taeyong joked, "It’s already the final day. It was so hot from the opening that we might as well have gone straight to the encore," while Jaehyun urged fans, "This moment won’t come back, so you should have fun from beginning to end without regrets."
The heat from the “Overload” section continued from the early part of the concert. After performing “Nonstop” and “IKR” in succession, the members delivered a powerful performance of “Ay-Yo.” In particular, when the parts belonging to Doyoung and Jung Woo, who could not join the concert because of their military service, came up during “Ay-Yo,” footage of the two appeared on the stage screens. Although they could not stand onstage, their presence remained part of the concert.
After a VCR capturing NCT 127’s past 10 years was shown, the members changed outfits and moved into the “Time to Face the Fabricated Truth” section, shifting the mood with more emotional performances of “Not Alone” and “Day After Day.”
Throughout the concert, Taeyong watched the standing-area audience jumping and enjoying themselves and asked, "I hear the people in the back are jumping and having fun. They say they deliberately came to the back so they could enjoy themselves. Is that right?" The fans shouted, "Yes!" Jaehyun responded with a laugh, "It seems to be a new culture unique to NCT 127 concerts."
At that moment, a rice cake decorated with the members’ faces suddenly appeared. It was revealed to be a gift prepared by Doyoung, and Doyoung and Jung Woo, who were on leave, gave crisp military salutes from the audience. The venue was instantly covered in thunderous cheers. Separated between the stage and the audience, the members blew out the cake candles together and savored the moment of a surprise full-group reunion.
The concert’s clear highlight was the final chapter, the “Another Race” section. After a transition video shifted the mood, the members appeared onstage in a large Hummer vehicle covered in NCT 127’s signature poison-frog pattern. With the rough, hip energy of “Pinata,” they instantly transformed the stage into a festival and began a nonstop charge.
The arrangements were particularly impressive. The debut song “Fire Truck” and “Fact Check” were reborn in powerful rock versions and took over the venue. During “Fire Truck,” a performance depicting a blazing city on a massive LED screen was accompanied by powerful water cannons that poured down as if extinguishing the flames. Large foot-shaped air-balloon sets measuring up to 4 meters, along with characters depicting Doyoung and Jung Woo, filled the stage.
A giant arm-shaped Kinesis set for “Fact Check” and an overwhelming dragon VCR for the signature track “Hero” followed in rapid succession, covering KSPO Dome with the roar of a massive singalong. The main set came to an end with the members releasing the concert’s peak energy through “Bling-i,” the title track from their seventh full-length album.
As soon as the storm-like main set ended, the passionate cheers of Czennie shook KSPO Dome. In response, the members ran back onstage and rode paper-airplane-shaped carts through the audience. They made eye contact with Czennie while performing “Paper Plane” and “Touch,” warming up the venue once again before sharing their thoughts on the Seoul shows.
Johnny said, "Seeing the look in the fans’ eyes brought tears to mine and gave me great strength. I’ll have a good tour and come back." Taeyong promised, "I was happy that all the members were together at the venue. We’ll take good care of ourselves, complete our service and have all of NCT 127 on one stage next year. I’m proud that the five of us were able to show how strong we are." Yuta also expressed his pride, saying, "Although it’s difficult to take on different roles at every concert, I feel proud whenever we pull it off. It will be even more amazing when Doyoung and Jung Woo join us next year." HAECHAN shared his gratitude, saying, "I was happy to create good memories with my older brothers despite the tight schedule. It was an even more meaningful concert because there are so many people to thank."
Jaehyun, the last member to take the microphone, calmly opened up about his feelings as the group marked its 10th anniversary. He said, "When I was 20, I often wondered what it would be like to reach our 10th anniversary, but now that I’ve experienced it, it’s nothing special. I learned that the best thing is to pour everything out each day without regrets, and I did that today too." He added, "I love that it’s not just us growing older—we’re growing older together with Czennie. When I hear that fans who supported us during their school days have become adults and accomplished something, I feel a gratitude beyond words. I hope we can stay healthy and share happy times together every day from now on."
After the members finished sharing their thoughts and were about to take a group photo with the audience in the background, Czennie launched a surprise event. The fans began singing in unison, “Let’s learn the meaning of saying ‘I love you.’” The members could not hide their surprise. They soon became deeply moved, gazing warmly at the audience and singing along.
NCT 127 carried that emotion forward by singing “The Day We Meet Again” and sharing a promise about the day they would meet their fans again. But it was not over. The members, who seemed to have left backstage, ran back onto the stage in response to the audience’s passionate cheers. NCT 127 delivered a surprise encore of “Pinata,” “Bling-i” and “Fact Check,” pouring out one final burst of energy that seemed powerful enough to lift the roof of KSPO Dome. It was a perfect finale in which they gave everything they had until the very last moment.
NCT 127 broke through the redline and finally reached full output. Even while facing the challenges of members’ absences and changes both inside and outside the group, the answer they chose was ultimately the stage—their essence and their weapon. With the “Neo strength” accumulated over 10 years, NCT 127 once again proved its irreplaceable presence as the “gods of performance.” Their “race” now continues beyond Seoul and around the world.
Beginning with the Seoul concerts, NCT 127 will embark on a world tour across 10 global locations, including Jakarta, Hong Kong, Singapore, Saitama, Bangkok, Manila, Taipei, Kuala Lumpur and Macau.
Reporter Jung Bit rightlight@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
