Asian Junkie Asian pop. Without discretion.
NCT 127 are releasing a new album called ‘We Are Superhuman‘ soon, and they’ve dropped a ‘film’ music video of a pre-release track called “Highway To Heaven“. If the album is anything like this, we’re in a for a hell of a comeback.
NCT‘s songs haven’t yet connected with the Korean public yet, and I have generally echoed their lack of enthusiasm for NCT title tracks even while they’ve drawn lots of praise internationally. I haven’t necessarily found them terrible or anything, but all the elements just never seemed to come together for me. “Highway To Heaven” changes that.
Revolving primarily around the group’s vocalists, they show out here, bringing a surprisingly cohesive and dynamic effort. The song evolves quickly from atmospheric and moody to bursting forth with emotion and energy. It makes “Highway To Heaven” an amazingly appropriate title for the song, as it feels exactly like the type of pop anthem one could cruise down a road to.
The instrumental is centered around percussion hits and guitar chugs to start, but it explodes when the chorus hits, announcing itself with a percussion fill that’s addictive in its own right. Other than the volume, uplifting synths are added to cement the mood of it all, and even some tropical squiggles are scattered throughout. The “highway to heaven” refrain itself is also memorable and easy to groove with.
Mainly, “Highway To Heaven” just exudes polish and its elements work for me on just about every level. It’s serious and mature, yet remains highly melodic and carries a sense of expanse that I always love. The song has off-the-charts replayability, and for me it’s easily NCT’s best effort yet.
