DREAMSCAPE

NCT DREAM has always been the most whimsical of NCT’s many subunits. Originally conceived around a “graduation” concept that would see the group’s teen members leaving upon maturation, the K-pop group has been singing about the wonders of youth since their fresh-faced debut in 2016. By 2024, the vocal stylings and thematic explorations of the now fixed-member group have matured along with its seven members. MARK, RENJUN, JENO, HAECHAN, JAEMIN, CHENLE, and JISUNG are no longer singing about “Chewing Gum,” but rather the complexities of searching for something better. NCT DREAM’s fourth album, *DREAMSCAPE*, is an ’80s-inspired, fairy-tale-like follow-up to *DREAM( )SCAPE*. If *DREAM( )SCAPE* explored the pains and anxieties of contemporary early adulthood, then *DREAMSCAPE* wonders what possibilities await those who are able to escape those burdens. Like with so many pop music discographies, that escape often comes in love. Tracks like “When I’m with You” and “Flying Kiss” have members singing about the temporary relief a connection can bring. While the album may end with the previously released English-language single “Rains in Heaven,” the penultimate pop track “Off the Wall” gives a more disco-driven celebratory end. In *DREAMSCAPE*, utopia remains aspirational, but NCT DREAM’s boundless energy makes searching for it seem oh so fun.