They don’t get criticized enough for their bad encores and their weak vocals, they can’t even sing live. Honestly, I think NCT WISH is by far the weakest NCT unit vocally, and the gap between them and the previous units of NCT is insane (and I’d also include the generations of other SM boy groups). We went from TVXQ!, SHINee, EXO, NCT 127, NCT DREAM, and WayV to this? I genuinely struggle to understand how the vocal standards have fallen this far. After 2020, the standards have fallen deeply. The problem is not that every member needs to be a powerhouse vocalist, but where is the vocal foundation? Where is the member who can consistently hold his own live and give the group some stability even on encores? Even standing relatively still, their live performances can be underwhelming, which makes it difficult to blame everything on choreography or exhaustion.
Jaehee, for example, might be more comfortable in the studio, but I have yet to be convinced that he is a very great vocalist. The others often sound excessively nasal to my ears, and the overall vocal color reminds me of the criticism people make about ILLIT or LE SSERAFIM. When it’s female idols, you hate them to the core but when it’s male idols, you brush it under the rug. There is a difference between having a distinctive vocal identity and having a group whose voices struggle to blend into something compelling. They didn’t even seem to practice their live vocals as a group either. I am not expecting every SM group to sound like EXO or SHINee, but SM used to have a reputation for developing vocalists, and that reputation is precisely why the comparison is so unavoidable. Even sub vocalists in older NCT units can all out sing them, it’s really embarrassing.
And before anyone accuses me of being biased against male idols, I am not going to pretend Hearts2Hearts is above criticism either. I have my own issues with their vocals and performances. However, it is interesting how much more aggressively female idols get criticized for similar shortcomings, while criticism of NCT WISH can get you nowhere. It is also rooted in misogyny, women can get criticized harshly while men, they could sound like dying whales, no one would care enough. Not a lot of people would agree because they’d defend or baby their idols, and just like that, the standards would go even lower.
You can make a critical post about Hearts2Hearts and receive plenty of engagement, but criticize NCT WISH and suddenly the discussion becomes about protecting the members rather than addressing the actual performance. I even see harsher criticism on RIIZE than them, at least, they have improved, they still have weak vocals, but it’s average. RIIZE got criticized a few years ago, they got better. NCT WISH are even worse than Hearts2Hearts. Sometimes you see posts with tons of views but relatively few likes, and I cannot help wondering whether people genuinely disagree with the criticism or simply do not want to deal with the backlash that comes with expressing it.
In my opinion, they also have even surpassed RIIZE as SM’s weakest vocal group, and I personally find their vocal performances less convincing than those of RIIZE and Hearts2Hearts. That is not me saying RIIZE and Hearts2Hearts are exceptional; it is me saying they should both get constructive criticism (NCT WISH, Hearts2Hearts) to improve. Both shouldn’t get harsh hate comments. BUT I still wonder how could NCT WISH and Hearts2Hearts debut? Unfortunately, the standard I expect from an SM boy group is no longer being met. I am not going to defend a debut simply because the group belongs to a company I have followed for years. Debuting under SM should not automatically make someone immune to criticism, especially when the company has spent decades building its reputation around talented performers.
I also question the direction of the group and the decision to introduce yet another NCT unit. NCT 127, NCT DREAM, and WayV already provided three distinct identities, and I personally think those fixed units were enough, they’re very talented. Each had time to establish its own musical identity, develop its performers, and build a recognizable place within NCT. What exactly does WISH bring to the table that makes another unit necessary? If the answer is a younger, softer image, that is not enough on its own. There needs to be something musically or performance-wise that distinguishes them from the countless other rookie boy groups debuting every year.
Their awkwardness during interactions with the other units also contributes to my impression that they are not fully comfortable in the NCT environment. I understand that they are young and may be shy, and I am not expecting them to become extroverts overnight. Nevertheless, I would have liked to see at least one member who naturally bridges the gap between the group and the rest of NCT. Group chemistry and personality are not the most important criteria, but it is still important in the idol industry.
I also find the comparisons to previous SM generations almost surreal. TVXQ!, SHINee, even SUPER JUNIOR (even if I don’t like them) and EXO established incredibly high standards for vocals and performance. NCT 127, NCT DREAM, and WayV each have members with recognizable vocal colors, they have great vocalists, they also have different strengths, and they perform very well. Obviously, not every member in the groups I’ve named is a perfect vocalist, and nostalgia can make older generations seem better than they actually were. Still, the difference in the overall impression is difficult for me to ignore.
The stage presence is another issue. I do not see enough charisma or individuality to compensate for the vocal shortcomings. There are plenty of talented dancers outside the idol industry, so dancing adequately is not enough to make someone stand out in K-Pop. What makes an idol compelling is the combination of performance, vocals, dance, personality, visuals, aura, and great music. With WISH, I often feel like I am watching a group of trainees who have been put on stage before they have fully developed those qualities.
They can look polished in promotional content without necessarily being convincing performers when the music starts. Honestly, this is part of my broader problem with fifth-generation boy groups. So many of them feel interchangeable to me, and I rarely get the impression that they are pushing the genre forward. However, they have some standouts groups that I could count on a hand so not a lot. NCT WISH especially gives me the impression of a group that could have debuted under HYBE rather than one that immediately communicates SM’s traditional musical identity. That is not inherently an insult to HYBE, but it does make me question what distinguishes the current SM approach from everyone else’s.
I do not hate the members personally, and I am not saying they cannot improve. They are young, and their skills can develop with proper training and experience. But potential should not be confused with current ability, and being young should not mean that every criticism must be dismissed as bullying. If anything, the company should be held accountable for the training, song selection, vocal arrangements, and decisions that put these members in a position where their weaknesses are so apparent.
Ultimately, I think NCT WISH debuted before they were ready to meet the standards I associate with SM, and I know it’s because Lee Soo Man, Yoo Youngjin and others left the company. However, I would rather see the company spend more time developing a smaller number of genuinely distinctive groups than keep debuting new units/groups with below average skills. I know their fans will disagree, and that is fine, but I do not think it is unreasonable to question how a company with SM’s history arrived at this point.
submitted by /u/Acrobatic-Lecture962
[link] [comments]
