\t\t\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/lazyload-fallback.gif\")
<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
See latest videos, charts and news<\/p>\n
\n\tIn reality, the idiosyncratic NCT rapper\u2019s return wasn\u2019t out of the blue, as these teaser photos<\/a> for his debut LP WYLD would seem to suggest \u2014 of course, it\u2019s the product of meticulous planning. Yet they do wonders to illustrate how the homecoming feels. Say goodbye to monotonous and pedestrian concepts; one of K-pop<\/a>\u2019s genuine eccentrics is back.<\/p>\n \n\tIt\u2019s been a long time in the making. Rather than enforcing a strict two-year break from his primary job, serving in the military band gave TAEYONG even more time to think about music; during leaves, he squirreled himself away to write song lyrics. Upon discharging last December, the now-30-year-old immediately set out to show that the effort paid off, that he had leveled up from previous EPs SHALALA and TAP.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cBack then, I never thought that my music skills were at all complete,\u201d TAEYONG tells Billboard over Zoom. \u201cDuring the time I stopped all music promotions, I reflected on what the problems were and what I was better at these days. As a trainee, I dreamt of the artist I hoped to be someday.\u201d He pauses. \u201cI think I\u2019m closer to that dream now than ever before.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tThe comeback lands at just the right time, too. As NCT celebrates its tenth anniversary in 2026, the sprawling boy band, once conceived as having ever-expanding membership, looks to have officially hit its ceiling in that regard. This April, NCT 127<\/a> and NCT Dream<\/a>\u2019s pivotal player MARK left the group, while WayV<\/a>\u2019s superstar dancer TEN parted ways with SM Entertainment. (Likewise, following the debut of NCT WISH in 2024, there are reportedly<\/a> no more new sub-units on the way.)<\/p>\n \n\tBut trust TAEYONG to rep for the Neos. Throughout WYLD, he nods to game-changing moments from his team\u2019s history: The title track alone both seemingly interpolates \u201cINTRO: Neo Got My Back\u201d \u2014 iconic opener of NCT\u2019s 2018 album EMPATHY and a fandom touchstone \u2014 and cribs a key move<\/a> from the choreography of NCT 127\u2019s signature hit \u201cKick It.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tAs a founding father and the de facto group leader of NCT, he\u2019s long proven particularly adept at understanding its \u201cneo\u201d sound. (How many can truly say they rocked with the \u201cSticker\u201d flute upon first contact<\/a>?) Suggest this to TAEYONG and he demurs, but those fingerprints \u2014 abrasive textures, swerving beats, odd little one-liners that stop you in your tracks \u2014 are all over his latest project.<\/p>\n \n\tBecause he had a hand in making each track, WYLD offers a peek at the inner workings of TAEYONG\u2019s weird and wonderful brain. Even on songs that are generally what they say on the tin (\u201cHypnotic,\u201d \u201cFeeling Myself\u201d), delightful quirks abound. He drops bars about bug scientists; his flow often pinballs off in directions impossible to predict.<\/p>\n \n\tAs a prelude to this new and improved era, he also fittingly kicked things off in March with the rap-heavy Anderson .Paak<\/a> collab \u201cRock Solid,\u201d which all but eschews typical pop song progression.<\/p>\n \n\tThough the credits are thinner than ever, TAEYONG is quick to give his collaborators their flowers. Since self-production has become K-pop\u2019s most marketable buzzword, there tends to be some tricky sleight of hand surrounding the extent of idols\u2019 creative input \u2014 so it comes as a welcome change of pace to hear him shout out a music video director or buddies he\u2019s made music alongside since his SoundCloud days by name.<\/p>\n \n\tBelow, TAEYONG discusses how this joint effort \u2014 on top of his relentless work ethic while in the Navy \u2014 shaped WYLD into what the NCT leader believes is his most evolved work yet.<\/p>\n \n\tWhen did you start working on WYLD?<\/p>\n \n\tWhile I was in the military, I prepared for the album bit by bit. The plans for after the military were still up in the air, but I like making music, so I kept making songs. The title track, \u201cWYLD,\u201d was made right before discharge, around last December, in a final push to make something. Fortunately, it was selected by the company and became the title.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tDid serving in the military band influence the way you think about music at all?<\/p>\n \n\tIn the military, we use live sessions. So my understanding of instruments increased a lot. I\u2019m not sure how those experiences helped in my music-making process\u2026 But I had a lot of time to organize my personal thoughts about music, and I think that was really helpful.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tWhat was the idea behind the concept?<\/p>\n \n\tThe original concept was \u201canimal.\u201d After being discharged from the military and entering my thirties, I had the thought to change my image. Something more manly, more adult, more sexy, was what I had in mind.<\/p>\n \n\tIn the album teasers, you\u2019re muzzled and trapped in various kinds of cages. What inspired those visuals?<\/p>\n \n\tAfter the two of us worked together for the \u201cSHALALA\u201d and \u201c501\u201d music videos, I think that [\u201cWYLD\u201d MV] director Lafic<\/a> had a much deeper understanding of me. He put a lot of thought into what would suit me best and didn\u2019t hold back.<\/p>\n \n\tIn the military, I was essentially trapped for almost two years. The thirst and desperation I felt during that time are reflected in [the visuals]. I wanted to shatter my old self and emerge as a new artist, a new me.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tWhy was it important for you to write or co-write the lyrics to every song on WYLD?<\/p>\n \n\tSM gives me a lot of opportunities and trusts me. So, for me, writing my own music has become the expectation. I think the company thinks that, since it\u2019s TAEYONG\u2019s story, it\u2019s only right to use TAEYONG\u2019s lyrics.<\/p>\n \n\tYou mentioned<\/a> that you enjoy incorporating brand names into your songwriting, but SM advised against that. What other feedback did the company staff give you?<\/p>\n \n\tThere was a lot of feedback and many changes. In the song \u201cHot,\u201d there\u2019s a part where I do a sort of hip-hop homage. Originally, they wanted that whole part cut, but I made my case and got to keep it in.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tThere were some really unexpected references on \u201cSkiii.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tHonestly, my producer friend [PixelWave\u2019s] Squar and I made this song just for fun. The company rejected it at first, saying it\u2019s too difficult to absorb, that there are too many beat changes. But after seeing the reaction it got during the concert, it was undeniable. I think this song was a moment where I got more recognition from the company.<\/p>\n \n\tI had to do some Googling, especially for the line, \u201cBut I protect the environment like a Fabre.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tAll Koreans likely know about [nineteenth-century French entomologist Jean-Henri] Fabre since elementary school because there\u2019s this picture book written about him. [Laughs.] I included that line because I see him as someone close to and in tune with nature.<\/p>\n \n\tThis is surprising. I didn\u2019t realize some people wouldn\u2019t know him.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tHow does WYLD\u2018s \u201c404 Euphoria\u201d connect to the other two songs in the \u201c404\u201d series from SHALALA and TAP?<\/p>\n \n\tWhile I was in the military, I would come home during leave. Each time I was home alone, seeing myself laundering the same clothes, I felt empty. I tried to capture that feeling in this song. Originally, 404 wasn\u2019t part of the title. But as I worked on the song, it became deeper and more of a reflection of my inner self, making me add 404 to it. At the time, meeting fans and having concerts [in the military band] was like a sort of euphoria.<\/p>\n \n\tOn all three projects, you\u2019ve worked with a core group of producers: PixelWave, Royal Dive, Zayson. How influential has it been to collaborate with the same people?<\/p>\n \n\tI\u2019ve known them for a long time. When I first started making music, I knew nothing. It\u2019s not easy to work with someone like that for six, seven years. But we also got closer as people, and started sharing our dreams and problems. The company has suggested different producers and collaborators, but the reason I chose to work with this team [on \u2018WYLD\u2019] is that, rather than someone who is good at producing beats, I think music is meant to be made with people who know me well, who I can share my emotions with.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tWhat have you learned from them?<\/p>\n \n\tI haven\u2019t learned anything. [Laughs.] They grew with me. Back then, even they weren\u2019t as good as they are now. We used to chastise each other, saying we have to make things like this, we have to do it like this. Maybe it\u2019s because they also weren\u2019t perfect that we became close.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tYou also reunited with frequent NCT 127 producer Dem Jointz<\/a> for \u201cRock Solid.\u201d How was that?<\/p>\n \n\tIt was so hard. The instrumental demo wasn\u2019t one that used an ordinary rhythm. There was a lot to learn and for me to improve on, whether it was the method of production or vocalization.<\/p>\n \n\tThere was this debate<\/a> in the studio about whether that song needed a more traditional chorus so that its structure would be recognizable to K-pop fans. You ultimately decided against it, but did you feel that tension while making WYLD, as well?<\/p>\n \n\tI just do what I want, what I feel drawn to make. Making music is where I feel happiest and most at peace. If I were constrained in any way, I think I would lose a lot of the desire to make music at all.<\/p>\n \n\tSo we make whatever we want to make at that moment, spontaneously. Even if it\u2019s [just recording] nonsense whistles or a chanted melody, we make music in a variety of ways.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tI heard you were having stress dreams while touring. Are those still happening?<\/p>\n \n\tYes, even recently, I keep having nightmares. I think I only have nightmares these days. There was one where I had a piece of glass stuck in my foot. But in Korea, we say, \u201cDreams are the opposite of reality.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tOh, interesting. The dream you talked about was of fans saying your performance wasn\u2019t good, so I\u2019m sure the opposite will likewise pan out in reality.<\/p>\n \n\tI\u2019m relieved you think that, too.<\/p>\n
![\"Billboard](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2HpFicp.png\")