Reposted from Tumblr on 1/4/2026.
I have such serious and torturous thoughts about "Punch" by NCT 127 that I don't think I can live with them in my head anymore so I'm sharing them here. I made a whole blog for it. Below the cut
I'm a rather late nctzen, so I wasn't there for this song's release. All I heard was that people had trouble remembering how it went. This to me was kind of insane because I don't think I have ever heard a more insane synth riff in my entire life. However, having considered the release of "Kick It" just before, and having listened to The Rest Of The Song, I can see where "Punch" sort of failed to live up to itself.
Even that feels like a harsh statement to me, because like... compared to most K-pop songs that make it onto international radio, the song is incredible. But, again, I feel like "Punch" very conspicuously holds itself back. In my opinion, it could absolutely compete with or surpass "Kick It" in certain ways. But "Kick It" is structurally sound and balanced; it doesn't falter. "Punch" pauses.
Okay. Exhibit A
Music speaks Chanyeol instagram post etc etc
I can get why people had trouble remembering this song - this part is dense, and feels very much like a pale imitation of "Kick It". But I enjoy the revving up of energy halfway through, and really appreciate the consistency of the riff. The riff is always there and it always belongs.
[Side note: I really wish this approach was taken in "Wish" by NCT Wish. I personally was utterly enamored by its weird, shout-chorusy, jazzy (?) hook, which immediately led into a rather normal song.]
So then Taeyong starts whispering in your ear and it's all fine. I love Mark's beat-drop rap to death. I love this beat so bad. I would die for this beat.
Red flag number one... why did we bookend this rap with a single vocal line - and one that ends so sharply with the word "championship"? Why halt the flow like this? It sounds like someone zipped Haechan's mouth shut.
Begin prechorus:
Why are we hesitating. Such a misplaced void would be strange in any other song, but in a song literally called punch it makes me think that it was a mistake, that Doyoung fell asleep in the studio and Jungwoo had to run in and finish his line. I cannot imagine that part fitting into the vision of this song; it is as though the gap was unfixable so the composers went "Good enough."
I find it interesting that the concept of "ballin'" was reused in "Ay-Yo" - makes me wonder if "Ay-Yo" functioned as a "Punch" redo. The instrumental in the chorus is fantastic, though I hear a little dissonance
(I might be imagining things)
I'm not opposed to the idea of this part... the instrumental is once again beautiful, suiting the tender nature of the lyrics. I just wish I could hear what the hell Jungwoo was saying over the "oh weeeeeeeee baaaallllin'" in the back. Were the adlibs thrown in to distract from Jungwoo being off-beat (even though that had to be purposeful)? Was there a need to extend the energy of the chorus into the verse? (To me, there was not. It's a 127 song; we don't need to apologize for changing up quickly like this. We already know you guys are balling. It's fine.)
The succeeding rap is just as impactful, if not moreso, than the first. The synth riff underscores it in a gritty low register... again music speaks
This verse's ending feels more powerful; since the song's whole thing is gradually building up toward the end of a long phrase, it's nice that Mark gets to like. Finish his rap. I wouldn't want to copy and paste that ending onto the first verse though, since to say "Punch" in the same context twice in one song would be less impactful.
(*doyoung voice* ballin'!)
This part was another one of the song's big turnoffs. I am not saying that every song has to adhere to the format of "second chorus sans-postchorus into bridge", but it's incredibly jarring to interrupt the very unified chorus in such a weird spot. If this was a purposeful, to me it feels ill-advised.
Doesn't help that I don't like the bridge's instrumental nearly as much as I do the rest of the song's. Too often I feel like a good NCT song is stopped in its tracks by an less-engaging bridge (cough 90s love cough)
This is not to say the bridge's instrumental is bad... God knows nothing Dem Jointz makes is bad. It doesn't even feel out of place. It just lacks the elements that make the rest of the song work. Why are we abandoning this cold, futuristic, forward-moving beat to grind to an almost sentimental halt?
ALSO we have awkward pauses again:
"...i bit arae kkumkkuneun deuthae [pause for random guitar moment] / tteugeoumi meomchuji ankireul deo weonhae [pause that is brief but somehow still awkward] / One more time one more time..."
Does this bother anyone else like it bothers me...?
Nothing much to say about this except I really like Doyoung, and also his government-appointed high note at "my show goes onnnn" lacks luster in comparison to the "huhwe eopshi nan ssaweobollae" right before.
Ummm I don't like the dance break either, for similar reasons to why I don't like the bridge. It feels like an out-of-place copy of the structure of "Kick It".
I've hit the fucking audio limit - so what I DO like is how you can hear the guitar in the final chorus:
"Hey we ballin' (hey we ballin') [wreeeeeew]..."
The final chorus is all I could have asked for from this song. We hear Yuta sing for like the first and only time. My final gripe is "Hey we ballin'" plays again after the final chorus ends, as if the last "Hey we ballin'" wasn't enough? The composers were really trying to make "Hey we ballin'" a thing. It's not going to be a thing!!!!
So ummmm final disclaimer that I really love this song so bad and I only want better for it. And also I did not mean to be condescending in my tone. Please talk to me about this if you disagree at any point.
Can we get "Punch 2: The Punchening" on NCT1272026 please Mr. Jointz....
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