NCT Wish - "Steady" + "3 Minutes" + "Dunk Shot" MV Review (+ a short mini album Review)

After releasing "Songbird" (Review) on July 1 (the Japanese version was released on June 25), NCT Wish has made a comeback with their first mini album, Steady. 

"Dunk Shot" and "3 Minutes" were pre-released on September 9 and September 16, respectively. The title track and lead single "Steady" was released on September 24 alongside the mini album.

-The reviews will not be on release order, but in tracklist order-

"Steady"

At first, I didn't like "Steady" much, but I grew to love the chorus, post-chorus and bridge the second time I heard the song. I don't like the "Let's go steady" part, but to be sincere I had similar thoughts with "Songbird" (I even wrote it on my review for that song...), and a month later I was singing "Songbird, Songbird" all the time, lol. Maybe next month I will sing "Let's go steady, yeah!" instead.

I love the instrumental, especially the synth used; it sounds alien-ish, and in some parts reminds me a bit of SpongeBob's "Beep bo bo beep" (even though it doesn't sound similar at all, but the SpongeBob song just popped into my head).

The MV is cute, but I have to say that the intro was so movie-like that when the song started, it gave me whiplash as the intro was too "loud" compared to what had been going on in the music video.

I feel bad for the poor Sakuya because, in the music video for "WISH" (Review), he is an apprentice cupid who falls in love with a human woman that the Wishes are assigned to matchmake, and now in "Steady" he is a normal student that after hurting his hand starts seeing a ghost and falls in love with the ghost, which leaves because of a meteorite and turns into falling stars (?. By the way, that was the best part of the music video (beginning at 3:15).

Style-wise, the outfits are nothing to write home about, but they are not bad, just nothing really caugth my attention. Still, I like how "individual" the school uniforms are and I like the outfits used towards the end of the music video (during the scene mentioned above).

Rating

Song – 7/10

MV – 10/10

Choreography – 10/10

Style – 7/10

Overall Rating – 8.5/10

Song Credits

Release Date: September 24, 2024.

Length: 2 min 59 sec.

Lyrics by: Kenzie.

Music by: Karen Poole, Georgia Ku, Lewis Jankel, and Kenzie.

Arrangement by: Kenzie, No2zcat, and Shift K3Y.

MV Directed by: Lee Youngeum (OGG Visual).

"3 Minutes"

I have a problem with this song ﹘ it's titled "3 minutes" but is only 2:46 smh, but thankfully my anger was subdued after I read the lyrics translatation, which explained that whoever wrote the song was not patient enough to tell their feelings in a whole 3 minute song. 

This is a bit off-topic, but for 5 seconds I thought that this was the tree song that made Aespa cry. 

Anyway, the song is cute but is not the type of song I would go out of my way to listen to.

The MV is as cute as the song. I love the reference to the french movie La Boum. I like the scene where Ryo is restless in the bedroom; the way it was edited goes great with the music. 

I want to thank NCT Wish, who won enough hearts in (under) three minutes to save the Earth from an incoming meteorite that almost doomed us all (Disclaimer: The meteorite in this case has nothing to do with Ghostie from "Steady").

Style-wise, I like the outfits in "3 minutes" more than the ones in "Steady." My favorite outfits are Sion's turquoise cardigan with the matching necktie, Ryo's light blue and white cardigan, and Sion's bomber jacket with the jeans full of patches.

Rating

Song – 8/10

MV – 7/10

Choreography – 10/10

Style – 8/10

Overall Rating – 8/10

Song Credits

Release Date: September 16, 2024.

Length: 2 min 46 sec.

Lyrics by: Paprikaa, Brother Su, and Strawberrybananaclub.

Music by: Brother Su and Paprikaa.

Arrangement by: Strawberrybananaclub and Paprikaa.

MV Directed by: Yoo Sung-Kyun (SUNNYVISUAL).

"Dunk Shot"

"Dunk Shot" is so far my favorite song by NCT Wish. The song is super catchy and genuinely fantastic; I love it. 

The "I go, I go, I shoot the shot and roll" chanting in "Dunk Shot" got stuck in my head from the get-go. I love the pauses in the verses before the pre-chorus, the first one during Riku's part and the second one during Sakuya's part.

The only part I found slightly jarring is when Sion does "Uh mh-mh-mmh" as if he was clearing his throat, but I ended up enjoying it the second time I listened to this song.

The MV is fantastic. The editing is the best part; it is so playful, especially the added graphics that enhance the music video a lot. The illumination during the scenes at the basketball court is so dramatic ﹘ It's great. 

I enjoyed this music video so much, but for some reason, I'm having a hard time writing about it; just know that I loved this music video from the first second to the last one. 

Style-wise, I like the outfits in this music video; I have no complaints. 

My favorite outfits were -of course- the basketball uniforms, especially during the scenes with the bomber jackets, and I also liked Sakuya's plaid jacket.

Rating

Song – 10/10

MV – 10/10

Choreography – 10/10

Style – 10/10

Overall Rating – 10/10

Song Credits

Release Date: September 9, 2024.

Length: 2 min 59 sec.

Lyrics by: Kim In-Hyung (JamFactory).

Music by: Avin, Slay, 536, and Opro.

Arrangement by: Avin, Slay, 536, and Opro.

MV Directed by: Lee Jae-Don and Kim Hyung-Ho.

"On & On"

Length: 3:03.

Lyrics: Somdeff and August Rigo.

Music: Somdeff, August Rigo, and Flexindoor.

Arrangement: Somdeff and Fexindoor.

I don't know if I casually get sleepy every time I'm going to listen to this song or what, but the three times I listened to "On & On," I found it to be boring; in fact, the only part of the song I liked was the post-chorus ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯.

Rating – 6/10

"Supercute"

Length: 2:51.

Lyrics: 3! (Lalala Studio).

Music: Cleo Tighe, Rollo, and Starsmith.

Arrangement: Starsmith.

I also found "Supercute" boring, but not as boring as "On & On." This song just feels slightly more complete in comparison...

Rating – 7/10

"Skate"

Length: 3:19.

Lyrics: John Eun and John OFA Rhee.

Music: John Eun, No Identity, Oiaisle, Stella Jang, and John OFA Rhee.

Arrangement: John Eun and No Identity.

At the beginning of this song, I thought it was going to be as dull as the other two, but I ended up enjoying it a bit more than the other two combined, especially the pre-chorus, which sounds great.

Rating – 8/10

"Hands Up"

Length: 3:14.

Lyrics: Kenzie.

Music: Kenzie, Ludvig Evers (Moonshine), Jonatan Gusmark (Moonshine), and Adrian McKinnon.

Arrangement: Moonshine.

"Hands Up" was originally pre-released in Japanese on October 8, 2023 (almost 5 months before NCT Wish's debut on February 28, 2024), so technically, I had already heard it before. Anyway, all I have to say that "Hands Up" is hands down the second best song in this mini album, tailing right behind "Dunk Shot," which was magnificent. I like how energetic both songs are; they go hand in hand.

Rating – 10/10

Final Thoughts

Steady is a nice mini album whose strongest songs for me where "Dunk Shot" and "Hands Up." The majority of B-sides are very chill, so if you are into that type of music, give Steady a listen.

Overall Steady Rating – 8/10

Photo source: SM Ent.