NCT 127 is ready to bring K-pop to the RodeoHouston stage

X K-pop group NCT 127 X NCT 127 in concert at Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land. X Seoul-based K-pop group NCT127 X NCT 127 in concert at Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land. X Fans attending the NCT 127 concert at Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land. X Fans attending the NCT 127 concert at Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land. X Fans attending the NCT 127 concert at Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land. X Taeil, Jaehyun, and Doyoung of K-pop groupNCT 127visited the Houston Zoo before a Sunday concert in Sugar Land. X NCT 127 visits Music Choice at Music Choice on April 19, 2019 in New York City. X Seoul-based K-pop group NCT127 X NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 23: NCT 127 attends the Build Series to discuss NEO CITYThe Origin Tour, at Build Studio on April 23, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images)

NCT 127 has taken K-pop to places it’s never before been.

It was the first Korean act to perform at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York. And the first K-pop group to perform at the MTV Europe Music Awards.

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They’ll celebrate another first Tuesday in Houston – the first K-pop performer on the rotating rodeo stage. It’s a key part of RodeoHouston’s most diverse season yet, which also includes Lizzo, Chance the Rapper, Khalid and Becky G.

The show comes just four days the release of “Neo Zone,” a new NCT 127 album that leans heavily into hip-hop and trap. The group’s 2018 debut album, “Regular-Irregular,” peaked at No. 1 on iTunes in 22 countries.

NCT 127 is a sub-unit of the group NCT. The name combines the phrase “Neo Culture Technology” with the longitudinal coordinate for Seoul. The group took turns answering questions about the upcoming RodeoHouston show and new album.

Q: I interviewed you last year, and Johnny said, ‘Howdy y’all,’ barbecue, cowboys and cowboy hats were the first things that came to mind when he thought of Texas. Now you’re playing Rodeo!

Doyoung: It was so cool to find out that we were performing there, and I was blown away again when I heard about the size of the event and all the people who’ll be gathered there. There is some extent of worry about performing at such a huge event and venue, but we’ve been preparing really hard for it.

Johnny: When I first heard we were going to be performing at the Rodeo I got very excited. I knew Rodeo was a very large-scale festival, but after looking into it more carefully, it was a lot larger than I expected. I can’t wait to perform, and I hope everyone attending enjoys and has a great time with us as well.

Q: What are you expecting from your first rodeo experience?

Jaehyun: I’ve never been to a rodeo, but I’ve seen it in the movies. I can’t wait to go there myself and experience that energy in person. Hopefully there will be a rodeo bull machine around somewhere that I can ride on.

Q: The Houston rodeo is famous for its deep-fried desserts: Pop Tarts, Snickers candy bars, cheesecake, ice cream and more. What’s your favorite junk food?

Mark: I would definitely like to try some. I would personally like to see what the Pop Tarts are like. My favorite junk food would probably be ice cream. You can never go wrong with ice cream.

Haechan: My favorite junk food is Ho-ddeock. Ho-ddeock is a Korean sweet dessert – a popular street food – that’s usually best during the winter

Q: What do you remember about your last visit to Houston in 2019?

Taeil: When we were on our U.S. tour last year, every member had their own city they were supposed to be “in charge” of. Houston happened to be mine, so it’s pretty memorable for me. I remember visiting the Houston Zoo and the Houston Museum of Natural Science. There was a space exhibit, and I got to see a huge model of the moon on display.

Haechan: When we were in Houston for our Neo City: The Origin tour, I also remember that it was Taeil’s city – and the fact that the fans’ energy was off the charts at the show.

Q: Your new album was just released. What did you want to do different this time?

Doyoung: This album has a very distinct concept, but even within it, there’s quite a variety and diversity that we display as artists, so I hope that we get to showcase all those different charms.

Taeyong: You’ll see a new type of performance from NCT 127, and you’ll also see a distinct color and style that’s characteristic of our group. I want this album to display another new side of our group.

Q: Is there a song on the new album that’s particularly special to you?

Mark: I am going to go for our song “Kick It.” I not only love the song but entire album as well, more than any of the other previous albums we had released. The song “White Night” is very different from the rest of the album.

Taeil: “White Night” is a lot more sentimental than the songs we usually do. And it highlights our vocals a lot more to the listeners.

Jaehyun: I remember paying a lot of attention to this particular song when we were recording for the album. Because of the style of the track, every little emotion or breath can be detected within our vocals. And because I sang the first verse, I made sure to pay attention to every little detail when singing.

Q: You’ve collaborated with Jason Derulo and Ava Max. What artists would you love to work with in the future?

Jungwoo: If we ever had the chance, I’d love to collaborate with Justin Bieber. All of us have enjoyed Justin Bieber’s music for a while now. I really think we could make something new and fresh together. He’s a great artist overall, and I’m always cheering for him.

Taeyong: Post Malone, Justin Bieber, (French performer) FKJ

joey.guerra@chron.com

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