Song Review:: Taeong (NCT): WYLD- WYLD

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  • Release date: 2026 May 18
  • Album tracklist: WYLD, Storm, Hypnotic, I'm a Dancing Cactus, Mermaid, 404 Euphoria, Skiii, Hot, Feeling Myself, Run
  • Album runtime: 28 minutes

 Let's do a soloist now. Hello, friend! (And he games with JR, so I am legally required to love him). I imagine that it's been a little difficult for you being the leader of NCT. Hopefully things go a bit more smoothly from now on, flower path and all of that. Ooh! It's a full album! My interest has been piqued, although only two of the ten are over three minutes. One of them is exactly three minutes, but that's not exactly over. 

This is a solid base of an instrumental, and it largely stays out of the way for the vocals. I don't have a lot to say about it because it's perfectly, functionally, supportive. It's got a good flow and some interesting halts and reversals, don't get me wrong, but it's easily dismissible. 

Y'all know I like lower male voices. He gives us that with his rapping as well as some interesting vocal fry. We get a little bit of singing from him as well. I know I'm pickier with the rapping in general, even though I'm specific about my vocals, but I'm not enthused by this. I'm assuming that's a failing of mine. There are a couple of spots where the sound of the rhythm of the words is quite pleasing and it goes on for an impressively long time (he's got some great lung capacity), but this isn't necessarily a song I'd seek out to listen to after this. 

What is with the 95z in NCT? Someone needs to send them some shirts because wow. Also, I'm getting a lot of Key vibes off of this, but I love the physicality of his movements the entire music video. Get this man into acting. Also, I love that he has a song called "Mermaid" on the album, and he got to be a merman in this.

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