Hot Sauce

Hot Sauce is the first studio album by South Korean boy band NCT Dream, the third sub-unit of the South Korean boy band NCT. It was released on May 10, 2021, through SM Entertainment. Following their previous EP, Reload, this album marks NCT Dream's first release to feature back as a seven-member unit following the return of Mark from the termination of the age-based graduation system that was operated in the group. Hot Sauce is one of the best-selling albums in South Korea. The album was repackaged as Hello Future on June 28, featuring 3 new tracks including the lead single of the same name. Background and release On May 10, NCT Dream released their first studio album, Hot Sauce, which marked the group's first full album release as a 7-member unit since 2018 and the group's first full-length album after nearly a five-year career. Composition The title track "Hot Sauce" is described as a hip-hop song laid over an afrobeat. The contrast of the unique chanting in the chorus helps the otherwise minimalist track to stand out. The album's first b-side track, "Diggity" is a pop dance song with a groovy beat and a refreshing chorus. In addition, "Dive Into You" is a song featuring band instruments with an attractive contrast between an emotional melody and a sense of speed. As a sound-based mid-tempo R&B pop song, the lyrics express the relationship between "me and you" in relation to the whale and the sea, vividly expressing the desire to fall deeply into your arms as a whale swims in the sea. "My Youth" is an upbeat R&B pop song that harmonizes the members' lyrical chorus with a tempo-sensory 8-beat rhythm. The lyrics expressing gratitude for the beautifully shining season are impressive, recalling the pure emotions and memories generously given to each other. "Rocket" is a retro pop song with an attractive atmosphere created by the funky rhythmic Rhodes keyboard and organ sound. The lyrics expressed as 'Dream Rocket' contain the aspiration to take a bigger leap forward using the universe as a stage. "Countdown (3, 2, 1)" is a pop dance song that stands out with an intense 808 bass and an addictive trap beat chorus. The lyrics describe suppressed dreams exploding out of the world becoming bigger impressive dreams. NCT Dream's "ANL", with its unique refreshing charm, has a popping lead synth sound and brass. It is a synth pop song with a harmonious session.