NCT DREAM has once again proven their status as the ‘Performance Master’ through their stage of the new song ‘Beat It Up’.
Starting with their comeback showcase on November 18 (Korean time), NCT DREAM has been showcasing the ‘Beat It Up’ stage across various channels including Spotify performance videos, KBS2’s ‘Music Bank’, MBC’s ‘Show! Music Core’, SBS’s ‘Inkigayo’, and choreography practice videos, demonstrating explosive energy and stage dominance. The process of building a new repertoire while alternating between music broadcasts and online content is capturing the attention of their global fandom.
The performance of ‘Beat It Up’ is receiving particularly high praise for its concept and choreography completeness. The bold kick movements, heavy bass, energetic beats, and lyrics conveying the message of ‘breaking limits’, combined with choreography reminiscent of a boxing match, maximises the audiovisual pleasure. The dynamic structure, where the density of movements and formations explosively rises in the latter half of the song, impressively elicits reactions from viewers that ‘the level of performance has risen again’.
The stage design is crafted to highlight both teamwork and individual capabilities simultaneously. The structure allows for solos and units to flow freely, showcasing each member's unique gestures and signature moves, while also demonstrating a seamless unity when they rejoin as a complete group. Notably, the intro performances on music broadcasts present new versions each time through different member combinations and choreography arrangements, generating buzz among fans who say, “Just collecting the intros is a performance in itself.”
Through unit live content, they are expanding their musical spectrum not only in performance but also in vocals and rap. On November 24 (Korean time), the ‘GQ Live’ released on GQ Korea’s YouTube channel featured Mark, Jeno, Jaemin, and Jisung performing the hip-hop track ‘Tempo (0 to 100)’ live. The tight rapping and mood-making that elevates the energy of the song reinforced the presence of the rap line within the team.
Additionally, on the Vogue Korea YouTube channel, the ‘8PM CONCERT’ scheduled to be released today (25th) at 8 PM (Korean time) will feature Renjun, Haechan, and Chenle performing the acoustic pop ballad ‘Butterflies’ live. The harmonious layers built upon the sweet melody are expected to showcase a different emotional peak compared to the intense performance tracks. The vocal line within the team is set to lead the entire song, further strengthening the impression that NCT DREAM is evolving into a ‘complete live group’ beyond just performers.
In this way, NCT DREAM is broadening their activity scope with a strategy that organically connects team, unit, and solo stages around the powerful performance track ‘Beat It Up’. While attempting different configurations for each stage, they maintain a consistent concept and energy, leading to the evaluation from the global fandom that “NCT DREAM’s performance is no longer just an ‘idol stage’ but a genre of performance in itself.”
