It’s OK not to have a dream or a goal, just remember to suck it up and move on with your life, says NCT Dream, a boy band that seems the least likely to say such blunt statements.

SM Entertainment’s boy band NCT Dream will release its fifth EP, “Dream()scape,” pronounced “dream escape,” on Monday at 6 p.m. with the theme of escaping dreams and the obsession of having them.

“We’ve only shown a bright side of ourselves, but we’re also people who’ve been hurt, felt pain and lost our dreams,” Mark told reporters on Monday during a press conference in eastern Seoul prior to the release of the album.

“So with this album, we really wanted to widen our scope and make something that a wider range of young listeners will empathize with. The great thing about this album is that the title track really captures the idea really well.”

“Dream()scape” comes as the band’s new album since its third full-length album, “ISTJ,” was released eight months ago, last July. Led by hip-hop dance track “Smoothie,” “Dream()scape” is NCT Dream’s message of hope and consolation.

But this isn't a warm, comforting type of consolation.

It's a colder kind that says that "it's OK to not want anything or have a goal." This flavor of "Dream()scape" consolation says that you need to take all the negative words from the world, grind it down into a "Smoothie," suck it up, and move on.


“We’ve been singing a lot about hope, dream and passion,” said Renjun. “But if you think about it, isn’t it OK to not have hope or a dream? We want to give something to people without a clear goal — that’s how the whole album started.”

Staying true to the message of “Dream()scape,” B-side tracks “icantfeelanything,” “BOX,” “Carat Cake,” “Unknown” and “Breathing” were created to help listeners keep moving forward even if they’re unsure of what’s ahead of them.

“This is just the beginning of a new chapter for NCT Dream’s story of dream and youth,” Jeno said. “There are so many things that we can sing about as NCT Dream. We know it’s a change from our music from the past, but this is a beginning that will lead to a wider range of communication.”

NCT Dream is a seven-member subgroup of boy band NCT that debuted in 2016 with its digital single “Chewing Gum.” Its third full-length album, “ISTJ,” sold more than 3.65 million copies in the first week of its release, earning the fifth highest first-week sales figure for a Korean album.

The band is set to kick off its third world tour, “The Dream Show,” in May with a performance in Seoul followed by concerts in Asia, Europe and the Americas. A pop-up store will take place from March 28 until April 3 at The Hyundai Department Store in western Seoul, featuring exhibits and merchandise for fans.

“The concerts for the upcoming tour will have a solid narrative from beginning to end, which I believe is the essence of a good performance,” Mark said. “We tried to prepare something that we haven't shown before, so we took part in every single detail of the production. Our hearts are all in it and we hope that the fans’ hearts are there too.”

To find out more about NCT Dream, visit Celeb Confirmed

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]