''Glitch Mode'' is the second studio album by South Korean boy band

NCT Dream NCT Dream () is the third sub-unit of the South Korean boy band NCT (group), NCT, formed by SM Entertainment in 2016. They were initially intended to be the teenaged unit of NCT with an admission-and-graduation system, in which members would l ...

, released on March 28, 2022, by

SM Entertainment SM Entertainment Co., Ltd. () is a South Korean multinational entertainment agency established in 1995 by Lee Soo-man. It is one of South Korea's largest entertainment companies and has been responsible for fostering and popularizing the car ...

through Dreamus. Following their previous album ''

Hot Sauce Hot sauce is a type of condiment, seasoning, or salsa (sauce), salsa made from chili peppers and other ingredients. Many commercial varieties of Mass production, mass-produced hot sauce exist. History Humans have used chili peppers and other ho ...

'' and its repackaged version ''Hello Future'', ''Glitch Mode'' is NCT Dream's second record to feature seven members after

Mark Mark may refer to: In the Bible * Mark the Evangelist (5–68), traditionally ascribed author of the Gospel of Mark * Gospel of Mark, one of the four canonical gospels and one of the three synoptic gospels Currencies * Mark (currency), a currenc ...

's return to the lineup and the termination of their age-based graduation system. The repackaged version of the album, ''Beatbox'', features four new tracks, including the lead single of the same name, and was released on May 30. ''Glitch Mode'' is a R&B, pop and

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

record containing eleven tracks that evoke a "comforting" atmosphere. It was commercially successful in South Korea, debuting at number one on the monthly Gaon Chart with 1,646,949 copies sold. In the United States, the album became NCT Dream's first entry on the ''Billboard'' 200, debuting at number 50.

Background

''Glitch Mode'' came nine months after NCT Dream released their first studio album ''

'', which was met with commercial and critical success, and its reissue ''Hello Future''. In January 2022, SM Entertainment confirmed in a statement to the South-Korean newspaper ''MyDaily'' that NCT Dream would release a new album in March. ''Glitch Mode'' is NCT Dream's second album to feature a seven-member lineup following

's return and the termination of the age-based graduation system.

Composition and concept

''Glitch Mode'' is a R&B, pop and

record. On it, NCT Dream strays further away from their original "high-teen" concept and

bubblegum pop Bubblegum (also called bubblegum pop) is pop music in a catchy and upbeat style that is marketed for children and adolescents. The term also refers to a more specific rock and pop subgenre, originating in the United States in the late 1960s, th ...

music in favor of a more "mature" image and hip hop sound. While the album opens with more "experimental", "loud" and "animated" tracks, it mainly comprises "fairly lowkey" songs. During the ''Glitch Mode'' press conference, Mark stated that through the album and lead single of the same name, they wanted to express how "everyone's abnormal". He revealed that the Korean crime-comedy film '' Attack the Gas Station'' heavily inspired the album and music video for the lead single, saying that the concept "popped in my mind after listening to 'Glitch Mode'".

Songs

The opening track, "Fire Alarm", speaks of NCT Dream's ambition to surprise the world and features an "energetic" chorus, which incorporates a

clapping A clap is the percussive sound made by striking together two flat surfaces, as in the body parts of humans or animals. Humans clap with the palms of their hands, often quickly and repeatedly to express appreciation or approval (see applause), bu ...

sample and a siren sound refers to the film ''Attack the Gas Station''. The lead single, " Glitch Mode", is a hip hop

dance Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

song featuring a

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

guitar interlude that contrasts an introductory narration with a "dynamic" 808 bass and chanting chorus. Its lyrics, with rap verses co-written by

, express how someone freezes "as if buffering" when they see someone they like. "Arcade" is a hip hop dance song with "powerful" beat, whose lyrics follow

arcade game An arcade game or coin-op game is a coin-operated entertainment machine typically installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are presented as primarily game of skill, games of skill and in ...

motifs and project a message of confidence. A mid-tempo pop song, "It's Yours" is anchored by

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...

and

electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external electric Guitar amplifier, sound amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar. It uses one or more pickup (music technology), pickups ...

, as well as rap verses written by members Mark, Jeno, Jaemin and Jisung. "Teddy Bear" is an R&B

pop ballad A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner. Ballads ...

focusing on the members' "sweet" voices. "Replay" is a mid-tempo R&B pop song that combines instrumentation ranging from old-school instruments to

hi-fi High fidelity (hi-fi or, rarely, HiFi) is the high-quality reproduction of sound. It is popular with audiophiles and home audio enthusiasts. Ideally, high-fidelity equipment has inaudible noise and distortion, and a flat (neutral, uncolored) ...

synths A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis an ...

and deep bass. Mark, Jeno, and Jisung participated in writing the lyrics, which express longing for happy moments after a breakup. Performed by Mark, Jeno, Jaemin and Jisung, "Saturday Drip" is a '90s hip hop-inspired track with repeating synths and rap flow that depicts a Saturday night. "Better Than Gold" is a

synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s b ...

song with a

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...

y rhythm and upbeat bass line. Its lyrics express how moments spent together are "more precious than gold". With lyrics intended to comfort those who are struggling and weary, the production of "Drive" centers on acoustic piano and guitars. "Never Goodbye" is an R&B ballad that combines "restrained" percussion with a "gentle" Rhodes keyboard and chimes. It conveys the sentiment of "always waiting in the same place", much like the

North Star Polaris is a star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Minor. It is designated α Ursae Minoris ( Latinized to ''Alpha Ursae Minoris'') and is commonly called the North Star or Pole Star. With an apparent magnitude t ...

. Mark, Jeno, Jaemin and Jisung each interpreted the concept differently while writing the lyrics, resulting in different ideas shining throughout the song. The final track of the album, "Rewind", is a "lively" mid-tempo R&B pop song with a light beat. The lyrics reminisce the memories the group members have shared, conveying their desire to stay together forever as "7Dream". The repackaged version of the album features four additional tracks: " Beatbox", "To My First", "Sorry, Heart" and "On the way". Lead single "Beatbox" is an

old-school hip hop Old-school hip hop (also spelled old skool) (also known as disco-rap) is the earliest commercially recorded hip hop music and the original style of the genre. It typically refers to the music created around 1979 to 1983, as well as any hip hop t ...

dance song featuring

beatboxing Beatboxing (also, and sometimes, called beat boxing) is a form of vocal percussion primarily involving the art of mimicking drum machines (usually a Roland TR-808, TR-808), using one's mouth, lips, tongue, and voice.Haechan and Chenle, "Sorry, Heart" features

jazz guitar Jazz guitar may refer to either a type of electric guitar or a guitar playing style in jazz, using Guitar amplifier, electric amplification to increase the volume of acoustic guitars. In the early 1930s, jazz musicians sought to amplify their ...

and lyrics about feelings of regret towards the person that one loves. "On the Way" is a R&B pop song with synth keyboards and lyrics that express the members' desire to always be together.

Release and promotion

On February 28, after SM Entertainment confirmed a March release window for NCT Dream, the album title ''Glitch Mode'', written in different "old-school computer-themed" fonts and colors, was revealed in a video teaser. On the same day, SM announced the release date and opened pre-orders. Beginning on March 14, SM released five sets of photo teasers, in which the members were depicted wearing different outfits, from black suits with futuristic bike helmets to hot pink outfits, in various locations, including an abandoned house and a gas station, to convey the "unusual charms" of the lead single "Glitch Mode", whose concept centers around "errors". The images were accompanied by a set of video teasers with a glitch effect featuring individual members. On March 25, NCT Dream teased all eleven tracks with a mashup video uploaded to the group's social media platforms. ''Glitch Mode'' was officially released on March 28, alongside a music video for the lead single. The group held two live broadcasts on

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

on March 28 and 30 to celebrate the release, where they performed "Glitch Mode" for the first time. From March 31, they performed "Glitch Mode" alongside the b-side "Arcade" on various South Korean music shows, including ''

M Countdown ''M Countdown'' () is a South Korean music program broadcast by Mnet from the CJ E&M Center Studio in Sangam-dong, Mapo District, Seoul. It features appearances by popular music artists who also perform live on stage. First hosted by Leeteuk ...

'', ''

Music Bank ''Music Bank'' () is a South Korean music program which airs every Friday at 17:15 KST on KBS2. the show is also broadcast in more than a hundred countries through KBS World. Episodes are filmed at the KBS New Wing Open Hall in Yeouido-dong, Ye ...

'', ''

Inkigayo ''Inkigayo'' (; English title: ''The Music Trend'', previously ''Popular Song'') is a South Korean music program broadcast by SBS. It airs live every Sunday. The show features some of the latest and most popular artists who perform on stage. ...

'', ''

Show Champion ''Show Champion'' () is a South Korean music television program broadcast live by MBC M every Wednesday at Bitmaru Broadcasting Center in Ilsan. Hosts * Shindong (February 14, 2012 – December 25, 2012) * Hahm Eun-jung (January 30, 2013 – ...

'' and ''

Show! Music Core ''Show! Music Core'' (), or simply ''Music Core'' is a South Korean music television program broadcast by MBC. It airs live every Saturday at 15:30 (KST). The show features some of the latest and most popular artists who perform live on stage. I ...

''. However, Chenle had to limit his participation in the stages due to an ankle injury. On April 14, they performed the B-side track "Never Goodbye" on ''M Countdown'' as a gift to fans. On March 7, SM announced NCT Dream would hold their second online concert, "Dream Stage: Glitch Mode", in support of the album on April 5. On May 9, SM Entertainment confirmed that the repackaged version of the album, titled ''Beatbox'', would be released on May 30. The repackage version of the album uses packaging certified by the

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and was made with

environmentally friendly Environment friendly processes, or environmental-friendly processes (also referred to as eco-friendly, nature-friendly, and green), are sustainability and marketing terms referring to goods and services, laws, guidelines and policies that c ...

techniques and materials, such as

UV coating A UV coating (or more generally a radiation cured coating) is a surface treatment which either is cured by ultraviolet radiation, or which protects the underlying material from such radiation's harmful effects. They have come to the fore because ...

and

soy ink Soy ink is a plant-based ink made from soybeans (''Glycine max''). Soy-based ink is environmentally friendly and provides precise colours. However, it is slower to dry than other organic inks. History In the late 1970s, the News Media Allianc ...

. It consists of two versions, the photobook version and the

digipack Optical disc packaging is the packaging that accompanies CDs, DVDs, and other formats of optical discs. Most packaging is rigid or semi-rigid and designed to protect the media from scratches and other types of exposure damage. Jewel case A ...

version, which was created with the help of the members, who contributed in designing the album cover, CD, and booklet. Starting on May 14, teaser images were released through the group's social media platforms. On May 30, ''Beatbox'' was released alongside a music video for the lead single of the same name. The group held two live broadcasts on various social media platforms on May 30 and 31 to talk about the record. To promote the release, the group planned to perform the lead single "Beatbox" on the Japanese television show ''Venue 101'' and on various South Korean music shows, including ''M Countdown'', ''Music Bank'', ''Inkigayo'' and ''Show! Music Core''. However, on June 3 it was announced the group would halt all remaining activities since members Jeno and Chenle had tested positive for

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

Pop-up store

A pop-up store in Seongsu-dong, Seoul opened from April 1 to May 29 to commemorate the release of ''Glitch Mode''. The arcade-themed store included a photo zone that reproduced the music video's shooting location and an entertainment zone with 8-bit games inspired by the album artwork. Other products and attractions included balloons with the members' signatures and handwritten letters. The store recorded an average of 500 visitors a day and attracted a total of 46,000 people over the course of two months.

The Dream Show 2: In A Dream

Critical reception

Rhian Daly of ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...

'' said that ''Glitch Mode'' "feels like a balancing act", where "fairly lowkey" tracks are alternated with NCT Dream's typical experimental songs. She commented positively on the album's more "animated" tracks, while she noted that tracks like "It's Yours" and "Drive" are not memorable. Conversely, Jung Soo-min of ''

IZM ''IZM'' () is a South Korean online magazine that publishes pop music Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom.S. Frith, W. Straw, and J. Stre ...

'' wrote that the first half of the album doesn't express the "individuality" of NCT Dream, while she commented positively on the "nostalgic" second half of the album and highlighted songs like "Better Than Gold" and "Drive". Jung thought the album was not on par with ''Hot Sauce'' due to "the obsession" with the "neo" concept that has been established for all NCT units, since it doesn't allow NCT Dream to explore more "hopeful" themes, which she believes are the group's strong suit. The album was featured in ''

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

''s list "The Best K-pop Songs and Albums of 2022 So Far".

Commercial performance

''Glitch Mode'' surpassed 2.03 million pre-orders on the day of release, the second-highest ever for an act under SM and exceeding NCT Dream's previous career high of 1.71 million pre-orders for ''

''. The album sold 700,000 copies on its first day after release. As of April 3, ''Glitch Mode'' recorded sales of 2,100,339 copies within one week, breaking the group's previous personal record of two million copies sold in 16 days for ''Hot Sauce''. On the day of its release, it was announced that ''Beatbox'' surpassed 1.4 million pre-orders. On June 13, 2022, it was reported that ''Beatbox'' had sold 1.52 million copies. Combining ''Glitch Mode'' and ''Beatbox'', the album has sold 3.61 million copies. ''Glitch Mode'' debuted at number 50 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 dated April 9, 2022, having sold 15,000

album-equivalent unit The album-equivalent unit, or album equivalent, often shortened to just unit, is a sales metric in the music industry that defines the number of streaming media, songs streamed and music download, songs downloaded equal to one Record sales, tradi ...

s, becoming NCT Dream's first entry on the chart, as well as number two on the ''Billboard''

World Albums The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, p ...

chart.

Accolades

''Glitch Mode'' won the Album Bonsang at the

37th Golden Disc Awards The 37th Golden Disc Awards () was a award ceremony held on January 7, 2023, and broadcast through various television networks and streaming platforms in various countries. The ceremony was hosted by Sung Si-kyung, Lee Da-hee, Nichkhun, and Park ...

. It won Album of the Year at the

Genie Music Awards The Genie Music Awards () is a music awards show that is held annually in South Korea and organized by Genie Music together with their partner network. The award winners are selected based on chart data from the Genie Music Genie Music () ...

, an award show which selects its winners mainly based on the chart data gathered from the

Genie Music Genie Music (), a subsidiary of KT Corporation, is a South Korean company that specializes in the production and distribution of music content. Its music streaming service is the second most used in South Korea with 2.5 million subscribers as ...

platform. NCT Dream also won Singer of the Year at the ceremony, earning two out of the three daesang that were awarded. The result was contested, since the group won over South Korean

trot The trot is a two-beat diagonal horse gait where the diagonal pairs of legs move forward at the same time with a moment of suspension between each beat. It has a wide variation in possible speeds, but averages about . A very slow trot is som ...

singer

Lim Young-woong Lim Young-woong (; born June 16, 1991) is a South Korean ballad, pop, and trot singer, entertainer, and YouTuber. He signed with Mulgogi Music in 2016 and debuted as a singer with his first single "Hate You". Four years later, he rose to stardo ...

, one of the best selling digital artists of the year. The public raised concerns over SM Entertainment's possible involvement, as the company was already caught up in a similar controversy in 2018 and 2019. Writing for ''Sisa Journal'', cultural critic Ha Jae-geun commented that "there's still a long way to go" to restore awards ceremonies' credibility.

Track listing

Charts

Weekly charts

Monthly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications and sales

Release history

Notes

References

{{NCT Dream 2022 albums 2020s Korean-language albums NCT Dream albums SM Entertainment albums Universal Music Group albums

Background

Composition and concept

Songs

Release and promotion

Pop-up store

The Dream Show 2: In A Dream

Critical reception

Commercial performance

Accolades

Track listing

Charts

Weekly charts

Monthly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications and sales

Release history

See also

Notes

References