NCT Ten Channels His Inner Romantic in ‘Birthday’

Just another day with a ‘birthday’ song from NCT that stands miles away from the traditional definition of a birthday (not that we are complaining). Highlighting his sensual persona, NCT and WayV’s Ten return to the spotlight with the brand-new single “Birthday.” The track marks the singer’s solo comeback following the release of his August 2021 single, “Paint Me Naked.” 

Released under NCT’s musical archiving project NCT Lab, “Birthday” sees Ten groove to a dark and sensual R&B soundscape, singing about a heated romantic affair in which the protagonist surrenders to the desires of their romantic interest: “I put my hands, hands, hands/ When I know you wanna hold them/ I wanna be in so deep, baby/ Floatin’ like we’re deep inside an ocean.” Produced by Steve Manovski, the track grows on you in a jiffy, wrapping you within its subdued synth and hints of marimba sounds. Further enhanced by Ten’s mellow and sultry vocal delivery, “Birthday” accentuates the singer’s forte as an expressive performer who embodies the intrinsic nature of the sensual number. It is a suitable track for a performer who knows how to effectively channel the passion and intensity required to bring about a dreamy, almost-dizzying effect on his listeners.

Though “Birthday’ is sonically different from his past solo releases – “Dream In Dream,” “New Heroes” and of course, “Paint Me Naked” – the track does not pale in comparison. Instead, it brings us a step closer to watching the singer unlock the full extent of his artistry. 

With “Birthday’s” underlying dance influences, the music video is driven by smoothly choreographed routines against minimalistic backdrops, allowing the audience’s gaze to focus on the performance. Given that dance has always been one of Ten’s strong suits, the manner in which the singer gives life to the lyrics is pleasing to the eyes. Keep them peeled for the gorgeous post-production edit and move in the first verse where Ten mimics the oceanic wave perfectly in sync with the decadent rhythm as he sings, “But I can’t cope/ Walkin’ on a tightrope/ Hangin’ on the tension.” It’s almost as if he is trying to mirror the synchronized oscillations that would run across a tightrope struck by the slightest movement.

Acting as an extension to SM Station (a digital music project curated by SM Entertainment in 2016), NCT announced NCT Lab on January 28th, 2021, promising fans a deeper look into the group’s musicality. NCT Lab aims to release self-composed tracks either as solo or unit songs through SM Station. The tracks released under the project are ones you’d not find on a regular NCT album, giving the artist an alternative avenue to creatively challenge and express themselves. The first track released under this project was “Child” – a self-composed alt-rock single by rapper, songwriter and NCT Dream’s leader Mark. This was shortly followed by the NCT U release “Conextion” on March 20th; Kun, Taeil and YangYang’s “Rain Day” on July 19th; and Jaehyun’s “Forever Only” on August 18th. Ten’s “Birthday” is now the fifth single to be released under the NCT Lab banner. 

Earlier this year, Ten wrapped up his solo schedule in China as a mentor on the dance reality show, Great Dance Crew. This was soon followed by his next schedule as the host of the Thai food program Food Truck Battle. In other news, NCT’s Chinese sub-unit – WayV – are all set to make their long-awaited comeback as a group later this year.