We Are Superhuman
{{Use American English|date=November 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox album
| name = We Are Superhuman
| type = EP
| cover = NCT 127 - We Are Superhuman.png
| border = yes
| alt =
| caption = Digital cover
| artist = NCT 127
| released = {{start date|2019|05|24}}
| recorded = 2018–19
| genre = *electropop
| length = 18:26
| language = {{hlist|Korean|English}}
| label = *SM
| producer = Lee Soo-man
| prev_title = Awaken
| prev_year = 2019
| next_title = Neo City: Seoul – The Origin
| next_year = 2019
| misc = {{Extra chronology
| artist = NCT
| type = EP
| prev_title = Take Off
| prev_year = 2019
| title = We Are Superhuman
| year = 2019
| next_title = We Boom
| next_year = 2019
}}
{{Extra album cover
| type = EP
| cover = WeAreSuperhumanPhysicalCover.jpg
| border = yes
| caption = Physical cover
}}
{{Singles
| name = We Are Superhuman
| type = EP
| single2 = Superhuman
| single2date = May 24, 2019
| single1 = Highway to Heaven
| single1date = May 14, 2019
}}
}}
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = Consequence of Sound
| rev1Score = B+{{cite web |url=https://consequenceofsound.net/2019/05/album-review-nct-127-we-are-superhuman/ |title=K-pop Act NCT 127 Goes Galactic on We Are Superhuman Mini Album |last=Dzubay |first=Laura |work=Consequence of Sound |date=May 28, 2019 |access-date=June 7, 2019}}
}}
We Are Superhuman (stylized in all caps as NCT #127 WE ARE SUPERHUMAN) is the fourth Korean extended play (fifth overall) by South Korean boy band NCT 127. Originally confirmed concurrently during the release of their first Japanese studio album Awaken earlier in April 2019, it was released on May 24, 2019 by SM Entertainment and Capitol Music Group.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/k-town/8507493/nct-127-japanese-album-awaken|title=NCT 127 Drop New Japanese Album 'Awaken': Listen|magazine=Billboard|last=Herman|first=Tamar|date=April 16, 2019|access-date=April 18, 2019}} Adrian McKinnon, Tak, 1 Take, Social House, Vedo, Léon Paul Palmen, Jihad Rahmouni, Roel Donk, Sean Machum, Gaelen Whittemore, Michael Foster, Rykeyz, and others contributed both lyrics and production. Described as an electro-pop record with R&B influence, the extended play saw a "stylistic" shift from the unit's usual "experimental hip hop" direction to a "futuristic, funkier" approach.
Upon its release, the "genre-fusing" extended play received positive reviews from music critics for its "catchy pop and pitch-perfect production value." We Are Superhuman became the group's fourth chart-topper on the Gaon Album Chart and their second to be Platinum-certified by KMCA. It also debuted and peaked at number 11 and number 64 on the Billboard 200 and the Canadian Albums Chart, surpassing their previous achievement on the former and being their first entry on the latter chart. The extended play also made its debut on several component digital charts as well.
Background and release
The song for pre-single track "Highway to Heaven" was released as a pre-release single on May 14, 2019, alongside its music video.{{cite web |url=https://entertain.naver.com/read?oid=112&aid=0003163525 |title=NCT 127, 새 미니앨범 컴백 카운트다운 돌입..14일 낮 12시 음원 선공개 |language=ko |trans-title=NCT 127 Announces Comeback Schedule for New Mini-Album |date=May 13, 2019 |website=Naver |access-date=May 14, 2019}} Two singles were released for the EP, including the lead single "Superhuman" on May 24, 2019 and the second single "Highway to Heaven" on July 18, 2019.{{cite web |date=April 18, 2019 |title=NCT127, 美 방송 출연에 북미투어까지..5월 월드와이드 컴백 [공식입장] |url=http://www.osen.co.kr/article/G1111124203 |access-date=April 18, 2019 |website=Osen |language=ko}} The lead single went on to achieve moderate success in their native country, being their third entry on the Gaon Digital Chart. To promote the album, the group appeared and performed on several television shows such as Good Morning America and The Late Late Show with James Corden, further embarking on their first expanded world tour Neo City – The Origin, starting from January 2019.
Promotion
The band debuted "Superhuman" in a performance on Good Morning America on April 18. They are the third Korean act to appear on the program.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/k-town/8506838/nct-127-to-perform-good-morning-america|title=NCT 127 to Perform on 'Good Morning America'|magazine=Billboard|last=Herman|first=Tamar|date=April 11, 2019|access-date=April 18, 2019}}
Commercial performance
We Are Superhuman debuted at number 11 on the US Billboard 200 with 27,000 equivalent album units (with 25,000 being traditional sales),{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/nct-127/chart-history/tsl/|title=NCT 127 Top Album Sales Chart History|publisher=Billboard|date=May 31, 2019|access-date=June 5, 2019}} becoming NCT 127's highest-charting album in the chart; they became the second highest charting K-pop group in the chart.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8514285/nct-127-we-are-superhuman-number-1-world-albums-chart|title=NCT 127's 'We Are Superhuman' Debuts at No. 1 on World Albums & No. 11 on Billboard 200|magazine=Billboard|last=Zellner|first=Xander|date=June 3, 2019|access-date=June 4, 2019}} The EP also debuted atop the World Albums chart, becoming the group's second number one since Limitless in 2017. Meanwhile, the lead track "Superhuman" debuted at number three on the World Digital Song Sales chart, with one thousand downloads sold, becoming the group's seventh top-ten song on the chart. In Japan, the EP debuted at the sixth spot of Oricon's Weekly Digital Albums with 829 downloads.{{cite web|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/dia/w/2019-06-03/|title=週間 デジタルアルバムランキング 2019年06月03日付（2019年05月20日～2019年05月26日）|publisher=Oricon|date=June 3, 2019|access-date=June 5, 2019}} It debuted in the Weekly Albums Chart at number six with 7,265 copies a week later.{{cite web|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/ja/w/2019-06-10/|title=週間 アルバムランキング 2019年06月10日付（2019年05月27日～2019年06月02日）|publisher=Oricon|date=June 3, 2019|access-date=June 5, 2019}}
Reception
Track listing
{{Track listing
| headline = We Are Superhuman track listing
| extra_column = Arrangement
| total_length = 18:26
| title_width = 23%
| lyrics_width = 27%
| music_width = 31%
| extra_width = 24%
| title1 = Highway to Heaven
| note1 =
| lyrics1 = {{hlist|danke (lalala Studio)|Min Yeon-jae (lalala Studio)|Jeon Ji-eun (January 8th) (lalala Studio)|Hwang Seon-jeong (January 8th) (lalala Studio)|Kim Jeong-mi (January 8th) (lalala Studio)|Cho Mi-yang (lalala Studio)}}
| music1 = {{hlist|Michael Foster (Social House)|Charles Anderson (Social House)|Sean Machum|Gaelen Whittemore|Wilbart "Vedo" McCoy III|Richard Garcia (Audity)}}
| extra1 = {{hlist|Social House|Sean Machum|Gaelen Whittemore|Richard Garcia|Yoo Young-jin}}
| length1 = 3:20
| title2 = Superhuman
| note2 =
| lyrics2 = {{hlist|Park Seong-hee|Lee Seu-ran|JQ (Makeumine Works)|Amelie (Makeumine Works)|Rick Bridges}}
| music2 = {{hlist|Adrian McKinnon|{{ill|TAK (producer)|lt=TAK|ko|한원탁}}|1 Take}}
| extra2 = {{hlist|TAK|Yoo Young-jin}}
| length2 = 3:57
| title3 = Fool
| note3 = {{Korean|labels=no|hangul=아 깜짝이야|rr=Ah Kkamjjak-iya|lit=Oh, I'm Surprised}}
| lyrics3 = {{hlist|Rick Bridges}}
| music3 = {{hlist|Rykeyz|Britten Newbill|Wes Period|Lucky Daye}}
| extra3 = {{hlist|Rykeyz}}
| length3 = 2:41
| title4 = Jet Lag
| note4 = {{Korean|labels=no|hangul=시차|rr=Sicha|lit=}}
| lyrics4 = {{hlist|JQ (Makeumine Works)|Kim Hye-jeong (Makeumine Works)|Mark}}
| music4 = {{hlist|Michael Foster (Social House)|Charles Anderson (Social House)|Sean Machum|Gaelen Whittemore|Wilbart "Vedo" McCoy III}}
| extra4 = {{hlist|Social House|Gaelen Whittemore|Sean Machum}}
| length4 = 3:15
| title5 = Paper Plane
| note5 = {{Korean|labels=no|hangul=종이비행기|rr=Jong-ibihaenggi|lit=}}
| lyrics5 = {{hlist|Oh Min-ju}}
| music5 = {{hlist|Léon Paul Palmen|Jihad "Rock A Tune" Rahmouni (SoundG8)|Roël Donk (SoundG8)}}
| extra5 = {{hlist|Léon Paul Palmen|SoundG8}}
| length5 = 3:44
| title6 = Outro: We Are 127
| note6 =
| lyrics6 =
| music6 = TAK
| extra6 = TAK
| length6 = 1:27}}
Notes
- "Fool" and "Outro: We Are 127" are stylized in all caps.
Charts
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
=Weekly charts=
{{col-2}}
=Year-end charts=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+Year-end chart performance for We Are Superhuman ! scope="col"| Chart (2019) ! scope="col"| Position |
| scope="row"| South Korean Albums (Gaon){{cite web|url=http://gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/chart/album.gaon?nationGbn=T&serviceGbn=&targetTime=2019&hitYear=2019&termGbn=year|title=2019년 Album Chart|website=Gaon|access-date=January 10, 2020}}
| 20 |
|---|
| scope="row"| US Independent Albums (Billboard){{cite magazine |title=Year-End Charts: Independent Albums |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2019/independent-albums |magazine=Billboard |access-date=December 6, 2019}}
| 24 |
| scope="row"| US World Albums (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2019/world-albums|title=World Albums – Year-End 2019|magazine=Billboard|access-date=December 6, 2019}}
| 9 |
{{col-end}}
Certifications and sales figures
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Sales certifications for We Are Superhuman}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=South Korea|type=album|relyear=2019|title=We Are Superhuman|artist=NCT 127|award=Platinum|certmonth=05|certyear=2019|access-date=October 29, 2021|salesamount=381,051|salesref=Cumulative sales of We Are Superhuman on Gaon Chart (CD+Kihno):
- {{cite web|script-title=ko:2019년 06월 Album Chart|trans-title=June 2019 Album Chart|url=http://gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/chart/album.gaon?nationGbn=T&serviceGbn=&targetTime=06&hitYear=2019&termGbn=month|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200113193946/http://gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/chart/album.gaon?nationGbn=T&serviceGbn=&targetTime=06&hitYear=2019&termGbn=month|archive-date=January 13, 2020|access-date=April 10, 2021|website=Gaon Music Chart|language=ko}}
- {{cite web|script-title=ko:2020년 12월 Album Chart|trans-title=December 2020 Album Chart|url=http://gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/chart/album.gaon?nationGbn=T&serviceGbn=&targetTime=12&hitYear=2020&termGbn=month|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210110100542/http://gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/chart/album.gaon?nationGbn=T&serviceGbn=&targetTime=12&hitYear=2020&termGbn=month|archive-date=January 10, 2021|access-date=April 10, 2021|website=Gaon Music Chart|language=ko}}
- {{cite web|script-title=ko:2021년 03월 Album Chart|trans-title=March 2021 Album Chart|url=http://gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/chart/album.gaon?nationGbn=T&serviceGbn=&targetTime=03&hitYear=2021&termGbn=month|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210408022314/http://gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/chart/album.gaon?nationGbn=T&serviceGbn=ALL&targetTime=03&hitYear=2021&termGbn=month|archive-date=April 8, 2021|access-date=April 10, 2021|website=Gaon Music Chart|language=ko}}}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=album|nocert=yes|artist=NCT 127|title=We Are Superhuman|relyear=2019|salesamount=25,000|salesref={{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/03/arts/music/billie-eilish-billboard-chart-nct-127.html|title=Billie Eilish's Debut Album Returns to No. 1 for a Third Time|work=The New York Times|last=Sisario|first=Ben|date=June 3, 2019|access-date=June 5, 2019|archive-date=June 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604225119/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/03/arts/music/billie-eilish-billboard-chart-nct-127.html|url-status=live}}}}
{{end}}
Release history
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+Release history and formats for We Are Superhuman |
| scope="col"|Region
! scope="col"|Date ! scope="col"|Label(s) ! scope="col"|Format(s) |
|---|
| scope="row"| Various{{cite web|url=https://open.spotify.com/album/15DNWLVXy5ES2USQ1PFnF5?|title=Spotify – NCT #127 WE ARE SUPERHUMAN - The 4th Mini Album|website=Spotify|access-date=November 2, 2021}}
| rowspan="2"| May 24, 2019 | SM | {{hlist|Digital download|streaming}} |
| scope="row"| United States
| {{hlist|SM|Caroline}} | rowspan="2"|CD |
| scope="row" rowspan="3" | South Korea
| rowspan="2" |May 27, 2019 | {{hlist|SM|Dreamus}} |
| {{hlist|SM|Dreamus}}
| Kihno |
| rowspan="2" |October 18, 2021
| rowspan="2" |SM |
| scope="row"| United States
| Picture disc |
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Discogs master|type=album|1629946|name=WE ARE SUPERHUMAN}}
- {{MusicBrainz release group|mbid=5150b157-ea8e-4db7-8bf9-854f3b80ed1a|name=WE ARE SUPERHUMAN}}
- {{YouTube|p=OLAK5uy_mctvQQ4fEyArIcFlBI01Fue6RUS_euUz0|WE ARE SUPERHUMAN}}
{{NCT 127}}
{{Authority control}}