Experimentation on NCT 127’s ‘Sticker’
In high school a good friend of mine sent me a list of music she was currently spinning in her spare time. One of the recommendations was a band by the name of Xiu Xiu. I turned on the track “Sad Pony Guerrilla Girl” and I was completely blown away by how strange the music was. The lyrics, the choice of instrumentation, and the sometimes-grating added static, and yelling makes absolutely no sense.
And I loved it.
Experimentation is arguably hard to come by in K-pop, an industry primarily focused on popular trends and pleasing massive fanbases. You can find quite a lot of songs in K-pop that are just okay: unoffensive, uninteresting, and forgettable.
You could never say that about NCT 127 or their recent title track “Sticker.”
Upon first listen I knew the song would be divisive, there’s a lot of risks. There was a vocal filter, a small soundscape (which is off trend for the group following the likes of “Superhuman” and “Punch”) and the infamous flute. Some will hear these elements and absolutely hate it. I however was immediately on board for the seeming miss of harmony. Dem Jointz, responsible for songs like “Kick It” and “Obsession,” along with the other producers of “Sticker,” seemed much more interested in what might result if you tried to piece together a group of impressive vocalists and talented rappers with musical elements that shouldn’t work together.
And in my opinion, it worked. For others however, it will sound just as jarring and unlistenable as Xiu Xiu might be to the average consumer. Still, there is something to be said for boldly daring to release a song like “Sticker” in a genre that is largely not interested in experimental music.
That said, even if you dislike “Sticker,” there’s something for everyone on the remainder of the album. Highlights include the vocal powerhouse R&B ballad “Magic Carpet Ride,” a return to the house musical roots on “Breakfast,” the deeply sensual “Focus,” and of course the fun end of concert celebration song, “Dreamer.” I also can’t forget “Far” because of how classic 2nd generation K-pop it feels with a fresh update.
NCT 127 has already broken a pre-order record, so there’s no use further debating the talent and legacy of the subunit. But for me, ‘Sticker’ as a third album solidifies the group as a one to watch as they continue to evolve musically without fear or stagnation.
