While there’s no denying America has woken up to the international sensation that is K-pop, a recent media appearance by NCT 127 proves how this phenomenon is, literally, taking over the streets.
Ahead of their appearance at KCON 2018 New York this weekend, the guys of NCT 127 hit Manhattan for an appearance on BUILD Series, the live interview series where fans get to sit with the stars while the talk simultaneously livestreams to the world. Reminiscent to the late ’90s/early ’00s heyday of TRL, fans crowded around the Greenwich Village studio to catch a glimpse of the nine-member boy band as they entered the studio (causing a frenzy when they exited their luxury coach bus) and during the interview (with fans outside reacting in real time to questions). The BUILD studios had a personal feel as the outfit was quite literally surrounded by their supporters and could look up, in front of or behind them to see fans waving banners and photos — a stark difference to seeing the Backstreet Boys or *NSYNC waving down at those huddled outside MTV’s Times Square studio.
Only two dozen or so fans were let in the actual room with the band — with some saying they lined up six hours ahead of the 12:45pm interview — but the studio allowed for the huge line of fans to also watch from the hallway and from seats above the stage. Not that it mattered much: No matter where one watched the intimate chat — led by Billboard News‘ very own Kevan Kenney — reactions came from all over including a particular moment when NCT 127 leader Taeyong described his band mate Mark as a “good rapper” and the crowd outside yelled an affirming, “Yeah!” causing the a surprised crack up from the guys.
Further incorporating the inclusive nature of the show, a group of three fans recorded a question for NCT — thrilling the boys when they saw the video play right in front of them — and Tumblr’s content insights associate Beatrice Vantapool asked a question on behalf of the platform’s community after a Tumblr tweet calling for fan questions received more than 1,600 responses.
While the fan reaction was intense (Billboard was told attendee brought inside the building allegedly “got sick” from excitement), NCT 127 also proved they could easily and coolly hold their own with every member speaking throughout the 25-minute interview. Regardless if they were fluent in English, the nine members all chatted about the concept of their group, visiting New York, the languages they spoke and, in a particularly heartwarming segment, each member shared what they loved most about the guy next to him as Johnny and Mark seamlessly translated for any answers shared in Korean. Concern over language barriers have haunted K-pop’s possible U.S. transition, but the NCT boys proved quite the opposite and caught to even some of the more subtle jokes thrown by Kenney.
When the band exited the building, some fans did their best to run after their bus while others stayed behind performing NCT choreography in the streets, but the lasting impression was undoubtedly the electricity and fervor created from this one media appearance. Could BUILD actually become a legitimate successor to Carson Daly–era TRL? We might need another K-pop act booked to confirm, but NCT certainly proved the days of crowding the streets to get a glimpse of your favorite artist talking are not nearly as nostalgic as one may think.
Watch the full BUILD Series interview and clips below: