NCT Wish is back with exciting second EP 'poppop' and global concert tour

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NCT Wish is back with exciting second EP 'poppop' and global concert tour

Published: 14 Apr. 2025, 08:00

SHIN HA-NEE
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Boy band NCT Wish poses for photos prior to an interview with the local press on April 10 in central Seoul. [SM ENTERTAINMENT]

NCT Wish isn't just back — it's so back and ready for some popping fun.

With all six members finally reunited after Riku’s four-month hiatus, the freshest rising star of the NCT universe is eager to take on the global stage with its second EP, “poppop.”

“It’s been a while since I’ve been on the stage, so I was nervous at first,” member Riku admitted in an interview in central Seoul on Thursday, recalling his long-awaited reunion with fans during the group’s Seoul concert last month — his first performance since temporarily stepping back from all group activities due to health issues in October last year.

“But I was so happy to meet the fans — with all six of us on stage, I had so, so much fun.”

Boy band NCT Wish poses for photos prior to an interview with the local press on April 10 in central Seoul. [SM ENTERTAINMENT]

NCT Wish took the K-pop scene by storm with its debut on Feb. 21 last year, quickly bagging accolades, including Rookie of the Year at the 39th Golden Disc Awards, Next Leader at the 2024 The Fact Music Awards and Best New Artist at the Asia Star Entertainer Awards 2024, among others.

NCT Wish, the youngest and “final” subunit of SM Entertainment’s NCT umbrella, greeted its fans “NCTzen Wish” during the “2025 NCT WISH ASIA TOUR LOG in” concert. The Seoul leg of the tour ran for three days, starting March 21.

Now fully reunited with Sion, Riku, Yushi, Jaehee, Ryo and Sakuya in perfect sync, the group feels stronger than ever.

“When we monitored our performances during tour rehearsals, it felt right to see all six of us on stage,” Ryo said. “So I thought, ‘This is NCT Wish, all six of us together.’”

Boy band NCT Wish “2025 NCT WISH ASIA TOUR LOG in Macau” concert held at the Broadway Theatre in Macau on April 4,5 and 6 [SM ENTERTAINMENT]

Jaehee, the group's main vocalist, believes their synergy never sounded better.

“I’ve always felt our voices blend in really well together,” Jaehee said with a grin. “And now we’re all back together, it’s like the songs became even more perfect.”

NCT Wish kicked off its very first solo tour on Nov. 3 last year, which will run through June 7 — spanning cities across Japan, Korea, Macau, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Indonesia and Thailand.

Boy band NCT Wish “2025 NCT WISH ASIA TOUR LOG in Macau” concert held at the Broadway Theatre in Macau on April 4,5 and 6 [SM ENTERTAINMENT]

The group just wrapped up the three-day Macau leg of the tour on April 6, followed by a stop in Manila on Saturday. The members are also preparing to take the stage at the “SMTOWN Live 2025” concerts, set to take place in Mexico City and Los Angeles in May.

“Aside from Ryo, none of us have been to the United States before,” said Sion. “So we’re excited not just for the concerts but also for the whole experience.”

Yushi also shared his excitement, bubbling with anticipation to meet with “Cznnies” — an affectionate nickname for their fandom NCTzens — all around the world.

Boy band NCT Wish [SM ENTERTAINMENT]

The schedule for NCT Wish's ongoing tour “2025 NCT WISH ASIA TOUR LOG in” [SM ENTERTAINMENT]

Boy band NCT Wish performs at the “SMTOWN Live 2025 [The Culture, The Future] in Seoul” held at the Gocheok Sky Dome in western Seoul on Jan. 11 and 12. [SM ENTERTAINMENT]

“I’m really excited to visit countries I’ve never been to before — and also to connect with Cznnies there,” said Yushi.

Now back in Seoul, the group has been gearing up for the release of its second EP, “poppop,” on Monday, which comes four months after the release of its first Japanese album, “Wishful,” and six months since its first EP, “Steady” dropped in Korea.

The latest album features six tracks: the title track, “Melt Inside My Pocket,” “Design,” “1000,” “Silly Dance” and “Still 3PM.”

The title track, “poppop,” is a rhythmic and energetic dance pop tune with what Sion described as “fairy tale-like lyrics” that capture the magical moment of falling in love — a concept that NCT Wish has never failed to deliver with their youthful charm.

As the group recently celebrated its one-year debut milestone, the members say they’ve grown significantly in musical capacity over the past year.

Boy band NCT Wish [SM ENTERTAINMENT]

“I could hear how much we’ve grown when recording the B-side tracks compared to our previous album,” Sion said. “So, I’m really excited to hear what the fans think.”

The ongoing tour has also boosted the members' performance skills by a huge leap, something that BoA, the first-generation K-pop star and the group’s producer, has taken note of.

“When we first began our Japan tour last year, she told us that she wanted us to make the audience cheer and hone our live performance to learn what it feels like to connect with fans,” Sion shared with reporters.

And after its recent Seoul concert, BoA praised the group’s growth for the members' more dynamic live performance, the leader said with pride.

Boy band NCT Wish “2025 NCT WISH ASIA TOUR LOG in Seoul” concert held at SK Handball Gymnasium in southern Seoul on March 21, 22 and 23 [SM ENTERTAINMENT]

Sion recalled her latest feedback: “After reviewing our performance video [for ‘poppop’], BoA told us that she was genuinely impressed, and thought that we were really cool,” Sion said, adding that such praise left the young stars in awe.

NCT Wish had a hugely successful run in 2024 and is ready to hit even more milestones this year.

“We were honored with rookie awards last year, so this year, we wish to become a leading artist,” Sion said with a shy smile.

NCT Wish’s new EP “poppop” is set to be released at 6 p.m. on Monday, with the first live performance of the title track slated for Tuesday in Incheon.

BY SHIN HA-NEE [[email protected]]