Review: Why NCT 127's 'Sticker' is a an ambitious disaster

When Sticker came out a few weeks ago, I decided to give it some time to see if it would improve with age, or utterly collapse as time rolled on.

For those reading in the distant future, Sticker's launch ended up being one of the most divisive for the group since its debut. Some loved it, praising it as one of the most avant-garde and experimental A-list releases across the globe in years, while others panned it, calling it a disaster lacking any solid melody, or even production. Reactions were quite across the board, and things don't seem to be calming down in any way.

Since its launch, the NCT project has been acclaimed for its willingness to experiment. Thousands of K-Pop groups, many seeking to grow a fandom, follow the group's releases, particularly NCT 127's minimalist hip-hop. However, as the sub-unit sounds have largely merged in recent years, NCT has faced accusations of lagging output, with critics calling more recent releases out for not doing enough new, such as their 2018 era hits.

Clearly, Sticker is an attempt to try something new. It still is the minimalist hip-hop of NCT, however is different in various ways. Perhaps the biggest difference in Sticker is the absolute lack of drums. For the percussion, there is a clapping synth appearing at a half-time pace.

Nothing even replaces the drums and proper percussion till the bridge, leaving the song feeling quite empty. This could actually work really well. Several early classics from across the world never used percussion. However, the song here feels oddly empty, making each element even more essential.

Throughout the first verse, only four things are used. A future bass loop, a flute sample, the vocals of NCT 127, and an occasional piano. Of these four, the first three largely form the base of the track. On their own, each element works well enough. However, together, they all appear extremely disjointed.

The bass is quite repetitive. This would normally not be a bad thing, as it could function as an anchor to the track. However, it is thrown into the melody near-exclusively during off-beat moments, leaving it as a counter-anchor to an anchor-less track. This does nothing much, good or bad.

Onto the flute. On its own, the infamous flute sample is quite fun. In fact, its high-pitch tune would work great if used in moderation. However, it is not. During nearly every other line, it appears, once again, off-beat, countering something non-existent. It is often paired with a wacky 'yeah yeah yeah' sample, which ends up quite obnoxious.

The flute would have been fine still if it was given some variation. However, it was not. Instead, only two flute samples are used throughout the entire track. Of those two, the main, infamous one's uses far outnumber the other one. This repetitiveness dooms the sample. Even worse is how it is thrown as a counter-melody over the vocals, distracting one from the other.

Finally, among the three main elements, come the vocals. Minus Taeyong's highly processed introduction (an uncalibrated mess, without any rhyme or rhythm. A segment that misuses Taeyong's ability), the vocals are extremely clear throughout the song. Compared to their previous rapper-focused material, Sticker lets their highly competent vocalists lead. Each hook is strongly written. However, without an anchor, it comes off as well-belted ad-libs rather than an actual melody. The weird 'yeah yeah yeah' sample harms this too among the chaos.

The pre-chorus does introduce some synths to create a creeping feel, along with some real ad-libs in the back to provide some much-needed drama, all culminating in a gun-shot noise. However, all this drama feels like a catch-up effort, an attempt to revive the song.

It all is for naught, though. The chorus combines all four main elements of the song so far into a half-baked product. Some may say this half-baked sound is purposeful, and this indeed could be the case. However, each element feels quite drawn-out, with the flute sample completely distracting the listener from the flow. The song also adds jazz elements. However, if one removes the flute, it sounds like generic minimalist hip-hop just pushed to its limits.

The central melody here is driven by a call-and-response between a sung line, and the spoken 'like a sticker' line. However, each line is quite unbalanced, and lacks an anchor, leaving it all very weak. The real issue here is that the hook lacks any punch. Instead, it is rather stale and generic. This would normally not be too bad. But here, without any instrumental cover, it is incredibly frustrating.

Now might be a good time to talk about the lyrics. Written by Yoo Young-Jin, a songwriter known for his highly mixed output as far as lyrics go, writing everything for SM, ranging from TVXQ's O-Jung-Ban-Hap to SHINee's Ring Ding Dong. As far as his works go, Sticker is about dead-center. Some lines work well, such as 'On Earth we call it L.O.V.E', slyly suggesting the lover's otherwordly beauty and love. However, other lines are typical Young-Jin nonsense, such as the bridge's 'Roll up to the party, roll up roll up!'. Taeyong and Mark write fine lines for their raps, even if it is nothing spectacular.

The second verse, admittedly, is an improvement from the first. Mark's opening rap largely uses the new flute sample, and it works great with Mark's voice. Save already showed that this combination could work, and Sticker expands on this proof-of-concept. Admittedly, the central segment of the second verse is just as bad, if not worse than the first, but the introduction and pre-chorus are vast improvements.

This time, with the basic melody already established, the members get to play around a whole lot more for the pre-chorus. Doyoung and Jaehyun belt a bit in their delivery, fading in and out from the central melody. This little playfulness is a golden opportunity for the song and provides a nice little spark. However, we are soon back into the monotonous chorus.

For the bridge, all the elements fade to focus on the vocals. However, it is hard to notice, as the production was already so faded, it is barely noticeable. The hooks are also terribly pitched, coming off as half-baked to a new level.

The rest of the bridge, however, does do something interest. Despite the bad aforementioned lyrics, it opts to rework the basic minimalist melody with a heavy, EDM production. The result is something that actually provides a high level of interest before instantly fading back into the basic minimalism for the final chorus, minus a few, yet strong, ad-libs.

Sticker clearly is trying to be avant-garde. It is ambitious and is often trying something new, such as with its jazzy hip-hop chorus, or the infamous flute. However, none of these experiments have a base, or land, to operate.

In many ways, it is surprising this song has been produced and arranged by legendary songwriter Yoo Young-Jin. Quite notably, his prior releases have been experimental, while still being grounded in a proper melody. A perfect example of this would his 16-year-old classic, TVXQ's Rising Sun. That track never does not have a surprise hidden behind a corner. However, it functions as a much better track.

There are several reasons for this. Quite notably, from moment one, the exact instrumentation of the chorus is revealed, providing an expectation that the song knows how to live up to. It also grinds each and every turn inside a melody. The rock riffs, which appear throughout the song, are mixed in well, never over-powering the vocal moments. In many ways, the rock riff is what the flute sample should have been.

To continue, the bridge instrumental switch-up has a precedent, with the song pausing completely with a high note to tell you that a shift is coming. And perhaps most importantly, the song's melody is set at the very beginning, with a strong industrial instrumental loop to ground each left-of-center turn.

These are lessons Yoo Young-Jin himself has taught, and it is quite surprising to see him absolutely fail at them. Of all the producers in pop music, he would be one of the last I'd expect to create a failed Rising Sun-esque experiment. However, this song has done that. NCT with Young-Jin are perhaps the only combination that could successfully live up to the aforementioned track, but this is not it. Perhaps their next attempt might succeed where this failed.

In many ways, Sticker is closer to perfection than many other tracks. It tries something new and weird, and is not afraid to dump expectations. However, without any base or anchor, these skills turn out to be an Achilles' heel, leaving the track dead in its tracks.

Rating: 4.5/10

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