NCT has too many members to keep up with. I thought the point of having so many members was that subunits would the same names for some sort of consistency but I guess not. In this comeback, everyone except Ten from the debut lineup returns. Stepping into his place are three new members which I absolutely can't memorize their names or faces. There's a dude named Winwin though, that's hilarious. Anyway this is their first comeback since the subunit's debut. It'll be interesting to see if the countless other NCT releases have shaped their sound or if they'll stick with something like "The 7th Sense."
Immediately, I'm getting "The 7th Sense" vibes. That deep instrumental is certainly reminiscent of their debut track, as well as Taeyong being the song starter. But then "Boss" seemingly incorporates parts of their other debut song "Without You" too. Doyoung and Jungwoo's prechorus is certainly more in line with the uplifting tunes of "Without You." Of course the chorus doesn't give a fuck and hits you with their hook, one that was definitely inspired by the chanting from "Cherry Bomb." This time around their voices are deeper and almost sound demonic at times. If I wasn't watching the MV with the audio, I'd probably be creeped out. I do think this works in the song's favor, because being "the boss" isn't something to be taken lightly. The ending is also similar to that in "The 7th Sense," where they let the instrumental run free.
Overall, I think "Boss" does a very good job blending the smooth vocals and the harder-hitting rap segments. Lucas did alright for a first impression but the star of the show is still undoubtedly Taeyong. I know everyone talks about the rappers of NCT as the best in all of S.M. and that's understandable. They're definitely impressive and help glue the song together. Some of the harmonies are not appreciated enough and add that extra little kick to "Boss." Since I liked both of the NCT U debut tracks I'm not surprised that this is an enjoyable track for even the most skeptical of listeners.
There are no live performances yet, but the music video gave us glimpses of what's the come (I'm assuming that this song will be performed). We really only get to see the choreography of the chorus but it's a treat. Definitely masculine and powerful in nature, it's fitting for a song of this name. The moves look difficult yet fun, which is a trend I've noticed in most of NCT's dances. Without knowing the whole choreography there isn't much else to say here.
This banner image is fitting for the MV section of the review because (once again) there's nothing spectacular going on. Saying that the MV game in Kpop is stale would be quite the understatement. Between the choreography shots, group moments, and eye candy, you have your baseline boring ass music video. To really get into the meat of these types of videos would require me to know shit about filming techniques, camera angles, etc. I'm just a review guy haha. Honestly I might straight up remove the MV part of reviews if they're the stereotypical video, and only bring it out when a song has a substantial (or even partly substantial) MV.
The trademark methods of an NCT release have been sharp choreography and killer rap moments. While the former isn't a clear case yet (not until lives anyway), the latter continues to be the moneymaker of NCT U. Taeyong is a fierce rapper and Lucas was also impressive for his debut. The song had a mixture of singing and rapping that did not come off as jarring, ad in fact seemed to compliment each other well. If you're not a big fan of the other subunits and their music (like me), you can still appreciate the fine musings of a sleek track like "Boss."
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