Hasan Beyaz
Photos by SM ENTERTAINMENT
For NCT WISH, the future has always been something to wish for. As the final unit of the NCT universe, the six-member group have built their identity around the idea of making dreams a reality through music and connection, pairing the franchise’s experimental NEO sound with a warmth and optimism distinctly their own. Since debuting, SION, RIKU, YUSHI, JAEHEE, RYO and SAKUYA have continued to establish themselves as one of K-pop’s most promising new-generation acts, translating their youthful energy into a musical identity that feels increasingly recognisable with every release.
Their fourth mini album, I SPY, marks another step in that evolution. Released six months after their first full-length album, Ode to Love, the six-track project explores a broader range of sounds and emotions without losing sight of the bright, refreshing charm that has become synonymous with NCT WISH.
From the title track’s heavy 808 bassline, sleek synths and shifting dance-pop production to the hip-hop textures of "We Own This Street" and the boundary-pushing electronic sound of "UPGRADE", the album finds the group experimenting with different approaches to their signature sound. Elsewhere, "Super Major" channels an infectious sense of youthful optimism, "Hubble Time" explores a smoother, more mature R&B sensibility, and "Like A Dream" reimagines The Carpenters’ classic "(They Long to Be) Close to You" through dreamy instrumentation and heartfelt reflections on cherished memories.
At the centre of the project is the curiosity that comes with discovering something, or someone, new. On "I SPY", the excitement of falling for someone becomes an invitation to look closer, learn more and bring them into your world. It is a sentiment that extends beyond the music video’s imaginative digital setting of WISH LAND, where the members embark on a journey alongside their fans, WISHzen, discovering new sides of themselves along the way.
In this track-by-track commentary for tmrw, the members take us inside I SPY, sharing their first impressions of each song, the sounds and lyrics that caught their attention, and the tracks they are most excited to bring to the stage. From the addictive hooks of the title track to the album’s more introspective moments, SION, RIKU, YUSHI, JAEHEE, RYO and SAKUYA offer a closer look at the ideas, instincts and individual perspectives that bring their latest release to life.
SION The title track of our fourth mini album, “I SPY,” is about that feeling when you start to like someone and you can't help looking at them and wanting to know more about them. Then, toward the end, the whole vibe suddenly gets a lot more powerful. So I feel like it’s a song that really shows off a lot of different sides of us, all in one track.
RIKU When I first heard the demo for “I SPY,” the chorus really stood out to me. It’s so catchy that you can’t help but sing along after hearing it just once. I think it’s a great song to listen to when you want to boost your energy and have some fun.
YUSHI One thing I really like about “I SPY” is how the sound and vibe keep changing throughout the song. It doesn’t stick to just one mood, and there are these unexpected shifts that keep things interesting every time you listen. The outro really stands out to me, so I hope everyone listens all the way through.
JAEHEE I loved the bass sound from the very first listen, and I think you can really get a sense of “I SPY”’s unique sound right from the intro. The post-chorus melody especially stood out to me. It was so catchy that I could sing along almost immediately. I think it’s the kind of song that people can easily remember and sing along to after hearing it just once or twice. That’s how addictive it is.
RYO When I first heard the demo, the verse was my favorite part. The more I listen to it, the more I discover things I like about the other parts too, but the verse has remained my favorite since the very first listen.
SAKUYA When I first heard the song, I thought the beat and all the sounds in the background were really cool. If you listen to it on big speakers or with headphones, you can pick up on the beat and all those little details much better. I think that really helps you appreciate everything “I SPY” has to offer.
SION I loved the sound that comes in at the start of the first verse, and it was what stood out to me most when I first heard the demo. It really grabs your attention right from the beginning, and I found myself naturally getting drawn into the song.
RIKU The whole song just sounds really beautiful, and listening to it almost feels like watching a movie. I especially love the chorus, and I remember thinking it would be so nice to sing that part together with our NCTzens at a concert someday.
YUSHI I really like how well the lyrics and the sound go together. The whole song flows really naturally from beginning to end, and it’s just so easy to listen to. Whenever I listen to it, I feel like it kind of puts me at ease.
JAEHEE I really love the overall sound of the song, and the bass and electronic sounds especially stood out to me. The more I listen to it, the more I find myself paying attention to those little details.
RYO When I first heard the demo, I really loved the moment the first verse kicked in. It made such a strong impression on me that I kept thinking about that part even after the song ended.
SAKUYA I love the melody right at the beginning of the song. It also feels like the perfect song for a clear, sunny day, so I hope you give it a listen when the weather’s nice.
SION Right from the intro, there’s a line that goes, “The robots back again,” and it instantly reminded me of our song “Videohood,” which I thought was really fun. I liked how there’s this little throwback to something we’ve done before right at the beginning of the song.
RIKU I feel like this song would be really cool to see on stage. It has a lot of catchy parts and so much energy, so I feel like it would be even more fun when you see it live. When I was listening to it, I kept imagining what kind of choreography would go well with it and how we could bring it to life on stage.
YUSHI The beat hits a lot harder than some of our other songs, so it’s the kind of track that just makes you want to move as soon as you hear it. I can already imagine the adrenaline we’d get from singing and dancing to it, so this is definitely one I really want to perform live.
JAEHEE I really liked the rap part at the beginning, and I remember hoping that whoever took that part would really do it justice. The post-chorus melody was another part I liked, and the “Yeah, you know what time it is” at the end really caught my attention too.
RYO The first thing that came to mind when I heard this song was how cool it could look on stage. I could already picture us performing it, so it made me even more excited to see how it would all come together.
SAKUYA I feel like this song shows a different side of us on this album. And just like RYO said, it’s already fun to listen to on its own, but I think it’ll be even more exciting when you see it together with the choreography.
SION If I had to describe this song in one word, I’d say “youth.” The melody is really easy to listen to, so it’s one of those songs you can just keep playing without getting tired of it. It naturally puts me in a good mood, and I feel like it gives you a lot of positive energy.
RIKU From the first listen, I loved how bright the song felt, and I could already tell it would work really well with our voices. I feel like it’d be the perfect song to play on a drive when the weather’s nice.
YUSHI This song is just full of positive energy. It feels so bright and upbeat that whenever I listen to it, I almost feel like I could fly. I’d definitely recommend it for those moments when you need a little mood boost.
JAEHEE Right from that little ringing sound in the intro, the whole song feels really bright and refreshing. As soon as I heard it, I felt like this kind of vibe really suited NCT WISH.
RYO I immediately thought it would be really nice to listen to while riding a bike in the morning. I hope our fans can start their day with it too and get some good energy from it.
SAKUYA The instrumental is really beautiful, and I love how it goes with the positive message in the lyrics. Both the sound and the lyrics just make you feel good, so to me, it’s a really beautiful song overall. I hope people can just relax, enjoy it, and take some positive energy from it.
SION I’d say this is probably the grooviest song on the album. I personally really like this kind of vibe, and when you really pay attention to the lyrics written by KENZIE, there’s something really romantic about them that I love.
RIKU I feel like this is one of the songs on the album that really shows a different side of us. It has a more mature feel compared to what we’ve done before, so I’m excited for people to hear that side of NCT WISH. The chorus is super catchy too—it’s the kind of song that makes you want to play it again as soon as it ends.
YUSHI For some reason, this song makes me picture us in suits. I feel like it would really suit a more mature, cool side of us than what we usually show. The lyrics really stood out to me too, so I think you’ll appreciate the song even more if you pay attention to the lyrics as well as the sound.
JAEHEE The groove was what really caught my attention when I first heard the song, and I remember thinking a lot about how I could bring that out in my vocals when we recorded it. I liked the song from the start, but it’s definitely one that I’ve grown to love even more the more I listen to it.
RYO My first thought was actually, “Can I pull this off?” It felt pretty new and different for me, so I spent a lot of time thinking about how I could make it work with my voice and really bring out the feel of the song.
SAKUYA “Hubble Time” is a really groovy R&B track. There were some parts that were a little challenging to record, but that made me want to do an even better job. Now that I’ve heard the finished version, I think it turned out really well, so I hope everyone gives it a listen.
SION This song samples The Carpenters’ “Close to You,” which is a song I already really liked. I love how naturally the sample fits into our song, and the whole track is just really easy to listen to from start to finish. There were also a lot of lyrics I could relate to, which made the song feel even more personal to me. I feel like it’s one of those songs I’ll keep coming back to for a long time.
RIKU I recognized the melody in the chorus from the original song, so I was really surprised and excited when I first heard we’d be using it in one of our songs. The whole song has such a calm, relaxing feel, so I’d recommend listening to it before you go to sleep.
YUSHI This is probably the closest thing to a ballad on the album, and the melody has a really emotional feel to it. When you listen to it quietly, you kind of just get lost in the mood of the song. I’d say it’s perfect for listening to before bed or when you’re just having some quiet time by yourself.
JAEHEE There’s something really familiar and comforting about the melody, and the whole song is just so easy to listen to. The melody stuck with me right away, and it’s one of those songs I can just keep playing over and over.
RYO I’d heard the original song before, so the melody felt really familiar as soon as I heard this one. It was really nice hearing a melody I already knew come back in a new way through our own song.
SAKUYA I loved the melody right away, and the whole song has this really soft, easygoing feel to it. It’s the kind of track I can listen to over and over without getting tired of it. Out of all the songs on this album, this one is definitely my favorite.