NCT Ten Makes Bold Comeback with ‘STUNNER’: A New Chapter in His Solo Career
NCT’s Ten is set to captivate fans with his second mini-album ‘STUNNER’, releasing today (24th). This comeback marks a significant milestone in Ten’s solo journey, showcasing his growth as an artist and his willingness to push creative boundaries.
Album Highlights
- 7 diverse tracks, including Korean and English versions of the title song ‘STUNNER’
- Full album release at 6 PM on major music platforms
- Music video premiere on SMTOWN’s YouTube channel
‘STUNNER’: A Blend of R&B Pop and Ten’s Unique Style
The title track ‘STUNNER’ exemplifies Ten’s artistic evolution:
- Genre: R&B pop with groovy rhythms and synth sounds
- Vocal range: From rhythmic and delicate vocals to chic rap and whispers
- Lyrical depth: Korean version explores growing attraction, while the English version celebrates self-empowerment
Upcoming Concert Tour: Solidifying Ten’s ‘Artistic Performer’ Status
Ten’s first solo concert tour kicks off in Seoul (April 12-13) and extends to major Asian cities:
- Venues include Bangkok, Shanghai, Osaka, Fukuoka, Tokyo, and Nagoya
- Promises sophisticated music and unique performances
- Aims to reinforce Ten’s reputation as a versatile and captivating artist
This comeback and tour signify Ten’s commitment to artistic growth and his desire to connect with fans through diverse musical experiences.
Q&A about NCT Ten’s second mini-album ‘STUNNER’.
Q. It’s been about a year since your first mini-album ‘TEN’ released in February 2024. How do you feel?
A. After gaining a lot of experience with my first solo album, I prepared this album thinking about what I want to do next and what areas I need to fill more over the past year. If ‘TEN’ was an album where I pondered what genre of music to do, ‘STUNNER’ feels a bit more organized in terms of genre. I think a good album has been made, and I hope the fans who have been waiting for my new album will like it.
Q. What did you focus on the most while preparing for this album?
A. I think the previous title track ‘Nightwalker’ had a minor feel. This time, I wanted to create a feeling between minor and major without being too light, and I wanted to try something new while maintaining my color. It took a lot of courage to challenge fast rap with ‘BAMBOLA’, singing rap with ‘Sweet As Sin’, and Korean ballad with ‘Butterfly’, but I think the results are great.
Q. Please introduce the most ‘STUNNING’ (attractive) part of the title track ‘STUNNER’.
A. Since ‘STUNNER’ has both Korean and English versions, you can hear my various voice tones in different languages. It’s also interesting that the lyrics of the two songs are different. There’s a behind story of ‘STUNNER’ – originally, ‘STUNNER’ wasn’t the title track! Another song that’s not included in this album was the title track, and ‘STUNNER’ was supposed to be a couple song, but as I kept listening, I thought ‘STUNNER’ was closer to being a title track. I suggested changing the title track because I felt ‘STUNNER’ was the song that was in the middle line between minor and major, which was the most important aspect I considered while preparing this album!
Q. When we think of NCT Ten, we can’t leave out the performance. What’s the point of the ‘STUNNER’ performance?
A. The choreography for ‘STUNNER’ has many parts that look intense and hip, yet relaxed. I discussed a lot with the choreography team about the performance, and we continuously came up with ideas and made modifications in various aspects including the chorus part, movements, gestures, and the overall mood of the choreography. I think a better performance was created by gathering opinions together rather than thinking alone.
Q. What’s the most memorable thing during the work process for this album?
A. It took a long time to gather all the songs for this album. I listened to so many demo songs and paid a lot of attention to the track order, so there are many parts that are different from what we initially discussed with the staff. (laughs) I’m especially grateful to the A&R team members who listened to my opinions a lot and supported what I wanted to do, while also honestly telling me when there were better directions.
And ‘Butterfly’ is the first song where I sang a full Korean lyrics ballad. There were parts where pronunciation was difficult, so it took the longest recording time among the songs in this album, but I think my understanding of Korean ballads has improved. I learned a lot as much as the recording was difficult!
Q. Which song from this album would you recommend the most?
A. I carefully chose all the songs myself so I like them all, but the song I listen to the most is ‘Waves’. When I listen to ‘Waves’, I feel the free and relaxed atmosphere of the beach that I like, and it feels like everything is flowing slowly, which calms my mind. Also, when I listened to ‘Waves’ after finishing the recording, it was the first time I thought, ‘Oh! My voice tone is pretty?’ So I think fans will like it too.
Q. You’re planning to start your first concert tour from Seoul on April 12-13. Can you give us a little spoiler about the tour?
A. I did a fan-con tour right after releasing my first solo album, and this time too, I’m excited and looking forward to doing my first concert tour soon after releasing the new album. I can’t tell you in detail yet, but we plan to change the choreography of the songs we showed on the fan-con tour stage, and we’re preparing the stage setup and lighting in a way that fans can enjoy the performance more. You can look forward to it a lot!
Q. What meaning do you hope this album will have for fans?
A. These days, I think it’s important to spend each day happily and in a good mood, so I hope fans feel good and experience new emotions when they listen to this album. And I want to create good memories and spend happy times together through comeback activities. Oh, new fans are welcome too! If you come to like me through this album, I’ll take good care of you. (laughs)
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