The NCT sub-unit’s third mini album is a smorgasbord of cheerful bops

NCT’s brightest, bubbliest sub-unit returned in 2025 with their third mini album. NCT WISH’s COLOR is a smorgasbord of cheerful bops. Even when exploring the concept of longing brought about by an absent lover on “Baby Blue”, the Japanese-based K-pop team stays sonically upbeat. On the album’s electropop title track, the six young members encourage listeners to “bring out the colour” over cascading synths and shifting rhythms. “Surf” sees NCT WISH at their funkiest, rolling listeners along on waves of brass-driven retro funk in its exploration of summer love. COLOR leans into R&B for its final tracks: “WICHU”, a fan tribute that samples Chris Brown’s “Wish You”, and “Reel-lationship”, a sweet, Gen Z-coded song about a romantic connection sparked by the sharing of viral cat reels.