NCT Dream Paints a K-Pop ‘Dreamscape’

Depth, desire and disco encapsulate the themes of “Dreamscape,” the latest album from K-pop boy group NCT.

The 11-track album, coincidentally released Nov. 11, treads similar territory to the group’s previous work, focusing on feel-good tunes and fleeting young love. Unlike their similarly-titled “Dream()scape,” released earlier this year, “Dreamscape” sounds less like the screwball stylings of NCT songs and is more akin to mainstream, harmony-heavy K-pop.

NCT is a unique K-pop group. Comprised of 25 members from South Korea, Japan, China, Thailand, Canada and the U.S. over six subunits, NCT’s become synonymous with a dissonant and disturbing sound. The subunit NCT Dream, formed in 2016, originally featured seven teenaged members, but rebranded as they became adults.

“INTRO” launches listeners into a “new world” overgrown with soft, sweet melodies. Main vocalist Haechan’s signature falsetto shines strong, just like it does throughout the album.

Lead single “When I’m with You” begins with a record player’s needle crackling over vinyl. Bold, bumping beats take charge on the electronic pop track, culminating with a bridge from main rapper Mark.

Leaning into the album’s dreamy ambience, “Flying Kiss” introduces flowy harp strums set to romantic lyrics and raspy vocals.

“Like a fantasy, not reality, I know,” Haechan sings.

“i hate fruits” describes hating the tooth-rotting, sweetness of romance. Stripped-down guitar contrasts with strong vocals to produce a layered, lovesick hit.

Members open up about mental health struggles in “No Escape.” The beep and clash of instrumentals add to the song’s brooding presence, peaking with the bridge’s whispered breakdown.

“Anxiety keeps coming for me / 악몽 같은 내 현실은 no escape,” Haechan sings.

“Best of Me” is a relatively lackluster track offset by the catchy, ‘80s-inspired “YOU.” The piano and chord progression make “YOU” sound like the end credits of a coming-of-age movie — wistful, but brimming with wonder.

“Heavenly” is a catchy, choir-like showcase of every member’s talents. The group sings the chorus in unison, rhyming “더멀리” (romanized “teo meolli,” meaning “far away”) with “heavenly” so naturally the two barely register as being in different languages.

Ninth track “Night Poem” returns to the relaxed, but bubbly style of R&B characteristic of K-pop, followed up by the shoulder-shimmy-inducing groove of “Off the Wall.”

Concluding the album, the optimistic “Rains in Heaven” stakes new ground for the group as a track sung entirely in English. English-only K-pop songs have risen in popularity as the genre has expanded across the globe as part of the Korean Wave, or hallyu — Korean for “Flow/Wave of Korea.”

“We are all the same, but heard different / I have heard you cry, ‘It rains in heaven’ / I won’t let you fall down / Unless you’re in my arms / Only in my arms,” the group sings.

Listen to “Dreamscape” on all major streaming platforms.