2 Baddies
2 Baddies | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | September 16, 2022 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 42:22 | |||
Language | Korean | |||
Label | SM | |||
Producer |
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NCT 127 chronology | ||||
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NCT chronology | ||||
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Singles from 2 Baddies | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [3] |
NME | [4] |
2 Baddies (Korean: 질주; RR: Jilju; lit. Speeding) is the fourth Korean-language studio album (fifth overall) by South Korean boy band NCT 127. It was released on September 16, 2022, by SM Entertainment, and contains 12 tracks in a variety of genres, including the lead single of the same name.
The album received positive reviews from critics, who praised the versatility of the tracks that range from hip hop to R&B.[5]
Background and release
On August 8, 2022, NCT 127 announced that they would release a new album in September.[6][7] On August 18, 2022, SM Entertainment confirmed that the release date of NCT 127's new album would be September 16.[1] 2 Baddies was later confirmed to contain 12 tracks, including the lead single of the same name.[8] On September 15, 2022, the music video for "2 Baddies" was pre-released. On September 16, 2022, the album was released physically and digitally worldwide.
Composition
The opening track, "Faster", is a hip-hop dance song with strong bass and a minimal hook.[9] The eponymous lead single, "2 Baddies", is an intense hip-hop dance song. With lyrics describing achieving success by running toward one's goal regardless of the judgment of others, the song combines vocal chants with an addictive synths.[10] "Time Lapse" is a mid-tempo R&B song whose lyrics express feelings of longing for a lover who alternates between reality and dreams.[11] "Crash Landing" is a UK drill-style hip-hop and R&B track depicting someone crash landing into their own love story.[12] "Designer", a hip-hop and R&B song, describes a lover's desire to become a designer in order to make their partner look even more beautiful.[11]
In the middle of the album is a three-part love story: "Gold Dust", "Black Cloud" and "Playback".[13] "Gold Dust" is an emotional R&B song that features a vocoder and lyrics comparing one's feelings toward a lover to a golden ray of light. "Black Clouds" is a mid-tempo R&B song with sad vocal and guitar melodies. Its lyrics express the moment two lovers accidentally reunite in an achromatic landscape of dark clouds on a rainy day, like the protagonist of a black-and-white film. Rounding off the love story, "Playback" is an uptempo pop song with a trap beat, 808 bass and an edgy keyboard sound. Its lyrics depict a tug-of-war of the heart between the narrator's lover and his ex.
"Tasty" is a hip-hop song that instills confidence with heavy synth bass and energetic singing about killing villains in nightmares effortlessly.[9] "Vitamin" is a 90s-style hip-hop song in which the narrator promises to be like a vitamin in another's life and stay by their side through hard times.[14] "LOL" is a neo soul pop song with jazz guitar riffs and 808 beats that create a bright atmosphere and convey a message of comfort, support and encouragement to laugh out loud when one feels tired. The final song of the album, "1, 2, 7 (Time Stops)" is a funky 90s groove-based up-tempo pop song.[12] The title and lyrics reference the group's name, NCT 127, and the song is dedicated to their fans with a message describing the sensation of time stopping when you are with the one you love.
Promotion
2 Baddies was teased with a concept trailer titled "Gear Up", released on August 18, 2022, depicting a car with the number 127 on its hood and the album title on its roof and the group members wearing glow-in-the-dark outfits.[8] NCT 127 held a comeback show to commemorate the album's release offline at KINTEX 7Hall and live-streamed via Beyond Live.[15] The group will also hold concerts in Los Angeles and New York to promote the album in North America, as part of their Neo City – The Link tour.[1] Member Mark noted at the album release press conference that the tour setlist would be revised to include songs from 2 Baddies.[16]
Commercial performance
2 Baddies surpassed more than 1.5 million sales in the first week of release, breaking their previous record of 929,516 copies for Sticker[17] In the United States, 2 Baddies debuted at number 3 of the Billboard 200 chart on the first week of release, selling a total of 58,000 units making the album their third Top 10 entry.[18]
Track listing
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Arrangement | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Faster" |
|
|
| 2:50 |
2. | "2 Baddies" (질주; Jilju; lit. Speeding) |
| 3:49 | ||
3. | "Time Lapse" |
| Dem Jointz | 3:34 | |
4. | "Crash Landing" (불시착; Bulsichak) | Kenzie |
|
| 3:24 |
5. | "Designer" |
|
|
| 3:56 |
6. | "Gold Dust" (윤슬; Yunseul) | Lee Chae-young |
|
| 4:08 |
7. | "Black Clouds" (흑백 영화; Heukbaek Yeonghwa; lit. Black and White Film) | Oh Hyun-seon (Lalala Studio) |
|
| 3:38 |
8. | "Playback" | Lee Chang-hyuk |
|
| 3:11 |
9. | "Tasty" (Hanja: 貘) | Jo Yoon-kyung |
|
| 3:34 |
10. | "Vitamin" | Kim Ye-in |
| Jacob Attwooll | 3:04 |
11. | "LOL (Laugh-Out-Loud)" | Lee Hye-yoom |
| 3:38 | |
12. | "1, 2, 7 (Time Stops)" | Park Seong-hee |
| PhD | 3:36 |
Total length: | 42:22 |
Notes
- ^[a] Additional arrangement
Charts
Weekly charts
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Monthly charts
|
Sales and certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Japan | — | 137,414[38][40] |
South Korea (KMCA)[42] | Million | 2,002,317[41] |
Release history
Region | Date | Format | Distributor | Ref. |
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Various | September 16, 2022 | Digital download | SM Entertainment | |
South Korea | ||||
CD |
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United States | ||||
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References
- ^ a b c d Chan, Anna (August 19, 2022). "NCT 127 Is Racing Back With a New Album: Here's When It Arrives". Billboard. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
- ^ Park, Seo-hyun (September 14, 2022). '컴백' NCT 127, 로맨틱 '불시착'+팬송 '1,2,7'까지..다양한 색깔 예고 ['Comeback' NCT 127, romantic 'Crash Landing on You' + fan song '1,2,7'..Various color notice]. HeraldPop (in Korean). Retrieved September 14, 2022 – via Naver.
- ^ Young, Neil Z. "NCT 127 - 2 Baddies Album Review". AllMusic. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
- ^ "NCT 127 – '질주 (2 Baddies)' review: genre experimentalists continue their chaotic streak". NME. September 20, 2022. Retrieved September 21, 2022.
- ^ "Review: NCT 127's '2Baddies' is the Epitome of the Phrase 'Don't Judge a Book by its Cover'". Rolling Stone India. September 16, 2022. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
- ^ Jung, Bit (August 8, 2022). [단독]NCT 127, 9월 컴백...'트리플 밀리언셀러' 영웅의 귀환 [[Exclusive] NCT 127, comeback in September... Return of the 'triple million seller' hero]. Sports Chosun (in Korean). Retrieved August 20, 2022 – via Naver.
- ^ a b Rowley, Glenn (August 8, 2022). "NCT 127's Next Album Is Arriving Sooner Than You Think". Billboard. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
- ^ a b Park, Se-yeon (September 7, 2022). NCT 127, 더 없이 강렬한 '질주' [NCT 127, the most intense 'sprint']. Naver. Maeil Business Newspaper. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
- ^ Gwang, Hyun-su (September 5, 2022). NCT 127, 강렬한 힙합곡 '질주' 들고 컴백 [NCT 127, comeback with intense hip-hop song 'Run']. Naver. YTN. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
- ^ a b Lee, Yu-na (September 6, 2022). NCT 127, 재현·정우·마크 티저 이미지 공개 [NCT 127 releases teaser images for Jaehyun, Jungwoo, and Mark]. Naver. YTN. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
- ^ a b Park, Seo-hyun (September 14, 2022). '컴백' NCT 127, 로맨틱 '불시착'+팬송 '1,2,7'까지..다양한 색깔 예고 ['Comeback' NCT 127, romantic 'Crash Landing on You' + fan song '1,2,7'.. Various color previews]. Naver. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
- ^ Park, Seol-yi (September 8, 2022). NCT127, 정규 4집 '질주'에 담을 3색 러브 스토리 [NCT127, a three-color love story to be included in the 4th regular album 'Fast']. Naver. YTN. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
- ^ Park, Seo-hyun (September 13, 2022). NCT127, 정규 4집 '비타민'·'LOL' 힐링송 예고..긍정 에너지 [NCT127, 4th regular album 'Vitamin' · 'LOL' healing song preview... Positive energy]. Naver. Herald Pop. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
- ^ Hwang, You-mee (September 2, 2022). "[Today's K-pop] NCT 127 to host showcase to mark return". The Korea Herald. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
- ^ Cho, Jae-yong (September 16, 2022). "NCT 127 "월드투어, 세트리스트 변경·추가 무대 있을 것"" [NCT 127's world tour to change setlist and add new stages]. Single List (in Korean). Retrieved September 17, 2022.
- ^ "NCT 127 Becomes Artist With 3rd Highest 1st-Week Sales In Hanteo History". Soompi. September 22, 2022. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
- ^ "BLACKPINK Returns to No. 1 on Artist 100 Chart, Thanks to 'Born Pink' Debut". Billboard. September 27, 2022. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – NCT 127 – 2 Baddies - The 4th Album". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – NCT 127 – 2 Baddies - The 4th Album" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – NCT 127 – 2 Baddies - The 4th Album" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
- ^ "2 Baddies – Week 40, 2022" (in Croatian). HDU. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
- ^ "Lescharts.com – NCT 127 – 2 Baddies - The 4th Album". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – NCT 127 – 2 Baddies - The 4th Album" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
- ^ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2022-10-03" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
- ^ "Oricon Top 50 Combined Albums: 2022-10-03" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
- ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Albums: 2022/09/28 公開". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved September 28, 2022.
- ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – NCT 127 – 2 Baddies - The 4th Album". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
- ^ "Circle Album Chart – Week 39, 2022". Circle Chart (in Korean). Retrieved September 22, 2022.
- ^ "Spanishcharts.com – NCT 127 – 2 Baddies - The 4th Album". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
- ^ "Veckolista Album Fysiskt, vecka 40" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – NCT 127 – 2 Baddies - The 4th Album". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
- ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
- ^ "NCT 127 Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
- ^ "NCT 127 Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
- ^ "NCT 127 Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
- ^ "NCT 127 Chart History (World Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
- ^ a b 月間 アルバムランキング 2022年09月度 [Monthly album ranking September 2022]. Oricon. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
- ^ "Circle Album Chart – September 2022". Circle Chart. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
- ^ 月間 アルバムランキング 2022年10月度 [Monthly album ranking October 2022]. Oricon. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
- ^ Cumulative sales of 2 Baddies on Circle charts:
- "Circle Album Chart – September 2022". Circle Chart. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
- "Circle Album Chart – Week 41, 2022". Circle Chart (in Korean). Retrieved October 13, 2022.
- "Circle Album Chart – Week 42, 2022". Circle Chart (in Korean). Retrieved October 21, 2022.
- "Circle Album Chart – Week 43, 2022". Circle Chart (in Korean). Retrieved October 28, 2022.
- "Circle Album Chart – Week 44, 2022". Circle Chart (in Korean). Retrieved November 3, 2022.
- "Circle Album Chart – October 2022". Circle Chart. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
- ^ "South Korean album certifications – NCT 127 – 2 Baddies" (in Korean). Korea Music Content Association (KMCA). Retrieved November 10, 2022.
- ^ 앨범 정보 – 질주 (2 Baddies) - The 4th Album [Album Information – 질주 (2 Baddies) - The 4th Album]. Melon. Retrieved September 16, 2022.