NCT Dream

NCT Dream (Korean: 엔시티 드림) is the third sub-unit of the South Korean boy band NCT, formed by SM Entertainment in 2016. Initially intended to be the teenaged unit of NCT, they re-branded in 2020, shifting away from their youthful image once all members became legal adults in South Korea. The sub-unit debuted on August 25, 2016 with the single “Chewing Gum” and a lineup of seven members—Mark, Renjun, Jeno, Haechan, Jaemin, Chenle, and Jisung—whose average age was 15.6 years old. Commercial success of their 2019 extended play (EP) We Boom made NCT Dream into one of the top 10 physical sellers domestically in 2019 and earned them Bonsang awards at the 34th Golden Disc Awards and 2020 Seoul Music Awards.

Although the sub-unit was supposed to follow an age-based admission-and-graduation system, in which members would leave after reaching age of majority (20 in Korean age reckoning, 19 internationally), SM Entertainment announced in 2020 that the system would be removed. Upon the return of previously graduated member Mark, NCT Dream continued promoting as a seven-member, flexible-style group. Their first release since their concept shift was their fourth Korean-language EP, Reload (2020), which was pre-ordered over half a million times. They achieved major commercial success with the release of their first studio album, Hot Sauce (2021), whose pre-orders surpassed 1.71 million copies. It went on to become the best selling album on the Gaon Chart in the first half of 2021 and was named Best Album at the 31st Seoul Music Awards.

Since their debut, NCT Dream have released four EPs, six singles and two studio albums and headlined one tour in Asia. Known for music reflecting youth and adolescence, growth, and the transition from innocence to rebellion, the sub-unit has been recognized internationally as one of the most notable teenaged artists of their time. They are the first and only Asian artist to appear three consecutive times on Billboard’s “21 Under 21” list for their industry impact on sales, streaming and social media, placing at numbers 20, 13 and 19 from 2018 to 2020. NCT Dream were also included on Time’s list of the “25 Most Influential Teens” of 2018.