A while back, I gave nicknames to all the debuted NCT units.

NCT U will never see them again

NCT 127 members to keep track of

NCT Dream of getting bigger than EXO someday

I was wrong. (Sort of.)

NCT U just reappeared on SM Station.

Although it’s great to see them back again, I don’t love the song. SM has been doing a lot of thin, light compositions lately. Sometimes they work well, like Red Velvet’s “Peek-a-Boo.” Other times, not so much. This is one of those times. I think it’s because the melody is quite monotonous–not in the sense that it repeats, but in the sense that it hovers around the same note. Taylor Swift does this a lot too.

I appreciate the aesthetics of the music video, although I question the heavy use of filters. The moody lighting and the botanicals are so very delightful. I would like a carpet that is a bed of moss.

All that said, SM Station is the delivery vehicle for one-offs. That means NCT U probably isn’t coming back any time soon. But really, the vocal-centric NCT U is essentially the NCT 127 vocal line so…whatever. We’ll see them again. The rap-centric NCT U is where it’s at but I suspect they are gone for good. :’-(

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In other news, apparently various NCT members are in the Ukraine filming a new MV.

Mark, Doyoung, and Jaehyun are in Ukraine. I think that’s Taeil behind them. And then we have Taeyong and some rookies, Lucas and Jungwoo. I don’t pay attention to SM Rookies, TBH, but it looks like we’re going to get some new debuts.

Jaehyun took a leave of absence from NCT Night Night (Red Velvet’s Wendy is filling in), but Johnny did not.

Johnny, Yuta, and Haechan participated in the Idol Athletic Championships so obviously they’re not participating in whatever’s going on in the Ukraine.

I was hoping against hope that rap-centric NCT U (rap) would be making a comeback, but alas. Ten seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth, which also dashes my hope for a Ten-centered NCT unit based out of Thailand.

Maybe we’re getting NCT U-kraine. Hah.

The K-drama Black Knight was recently filmed in Slovenia, now NCT is filming in the Ukraine. Interesting micro-trend.