NCT WISH is riding high with their first mini-album Steady!

Set to release on September 24 at 6 PM, the mini-album will also feature the music video for the title track "Steady," available on the SMTOWN YouTube channel.

As of September 23, the album has already surpassed 800,000 pre-orders, smashing their previous record of 630,000 for the Korean and Japanese versions of "Songbird." This showcases NCT WISH's amazing growth!

The title track "Steady" is a dance song blending house, UK garage, and Jersey club beats with a stylish melody. It captures the pure wish to keep a special relationship forever in a lively and open way, fitting their title as "the icon of Gen Z" and highlighting their unique charm.

Alongside "Steady," the album includes six more songs: "Dunk Shot," "3 Minutes," "On & On," "Supercute," "Skate," and the Korean version of their pre-debut song "Hands Up," all reflecting a vibrant "refreshing & neo" style.

To celebrate the release, NCT WISH will hold a showcase on September 24 at 8 PM at the Blue Square Mastercard Hall in Yongsan, Seoul, where they will perform "Steady" live for the first time. Fans can watch the event online via the YouTube and Weverse NCT WISH channels, as well as TikTok.

Physical copies of Steady will also be available starting on the 24th.

Source [1]

The new OTT series Newtopia has faced mixed reactions, with BLACKPINK’s Jisoo's acting and a slow storyline making viewers question if the show can survive.

Released on the 7th, Newtopia on Coupang Play promised to offer something fresh in the K-zombie genre. The drama follows an unlikely couple, Lee Jae-yoon (played by Park Jung Min), a late-blooming soldier, and his girlfriend Kang Young-joo (Jisoo), as they fight to survive in a zombie-infested Seoul.

The mix of zombies and romantic comedy sounded like an interesting twist, but the show hasn’t exactly hit the mark.

Jisoo’s second lead role after Snowdrop in 2021 was highly anticipated. But many fans and critics have been concerned about her acting, especially after she received some backlash for her unclear pronunciation and awkward expressions in her previous project.

Director Yoon Sung-hyun, aware of the concerns, said at the press preview, “Since Jisoo hadn’t acted for a long time after her last project, I was also initially worried, thinking, ‘Will she be okay?’ But Jisoo dedicated herself, doing script readings four days a week. She worked hard, and as a result, I had no doubts or difficulties. By episode 8, you'll feel that only Jisoo could have portrayed Young-joo. She did an amazing job.”

Despite his words of praise, Jisoo’s performance still left fans worried. While she showed some improvement, her portrayal of Young-joo seemed inconsistent, lacking the calmness expected from the character. However, her "girl crush" image, with her background as a "campus goddess," did add some intrigue to her role.

The main issue, however, wasn’t just Jisoo's acting. Newtopia also struggled with its pacing. While other recent hits like Trauma Center or Trigger grab attention right from the start, Newtopia spent too much time in the first episode on Jae-yoon’s military life and Young-joo’s personal struggles, making it feel like a waste of time. The show failed to showcase the humor and zombie elements it promised, leaving many viewers unimpressed.

On top of that, some characters came off as annoying, like Jae-yoon’s colleague, Line Ho (Im Seong Jae), and the "unlikable" senior character Seojin-wook (played by Kang Young Seok). Even Park Jung-min didn’t do much to help the show move along, making the 57-minute episode feel even longer.

Thankfully, the show picked up pace in episode 2, finally diving into the zombie chaos. But will that be enough to save Newtopia? With the first episode still fresh in fans’ minds, the jury’s still out on whether this K-zombie drama can find its footing and deliver the thrills viewers are hoping for.

The remaining six episodes of Newtopia will air every Friday at 8 PM, with one episode released per week. Stay tuned to see if the series can bounce back!

Source (1)