“Perfume” is the debut mini-album for NCT DoJaeJung, a sub-unit of SM Entertainment’s K-pop boy group NCT. The sub-unit consists of a trio of the group’s main vocalists – Doyoung, Jaehyun and Jungwoo. It’s a K-R&B album, trading NCT’s characteristic futuristic dance-pop sound for silky-smooth love songs and ballads that really allow the singers’ vocal chops to shine.

The mini-album released on April 17 and has already reached No. 1 on iTunes in 16 countries.

Perfume

“Perfume” is the album’s title track, and it’s fantastic. Catchy, bouncy and still able to capture each vocalists’ unique charms, it is just so good. The falsettos and harmonies are a treat for the ears.

It also has a stylish music video that has already racked up over five million views in its first 24 hours and another video featuring the song’s elaborate choreography. Get ready to see the dance all over your social media, as the “Perfume Challenge” is already becoming a trend over on TikTok.

Kiss

An upbeat R&B offering, you don’t have to know Korean to get the gist of the song’s meaning. I mean, the chorus literally goes “I wanna kiss your lips” in English. I would call this the cheesiest song on the album, but it’s still solid.

Dive

Apologies in advance for Genius translating one of the lines as “It’s smudging and moisty.” We’re all adults here, right?

“Dive” is another R&B-pop fusion track with smooth, jazzy vocals accompanied with a pop-influenced instrumentals. There are more of the lovely falsettos and harmonies that were present in “Perfume.”

Strawberry Sunday

Definitely the album’s most cheerful song, “Strawberry Sunday” talks about the sweet times spent with a partner. It is solidly a pop song, with bright chorus vocals and candy-pop instrumentals. You won’t be able to help but cheer along during the peppy chorus when they shout “Monday! Tuesday!”

Can We Go Back

This is the only song on the track list that fans have heard before. The trio performed it during NCT 127’s “Neo City – The Link” world tour back in late 2022 and early 2023.

The song is a rhythmic tune with a catchy guitar motif throughout the song. It has a very classic “boy band” sound to it; think Backstreet Boys but leave out most of the cheese. The song is about recovering from a breakup and reminiscing about the good times before the split.

Ordinary

The ending track “Ordinary” is a cozy, toned-down ballad set to silky piano and the sound of rainfall. Its lyrics talk about the pressure of wanting to ask someone out on a date but being afraid that might lead to their relationship becoming more distant, rather than getting closer.

It has almost a Christmassy sound, and it is truly a beautiful song. It’s an excellent closer for the album, as its stripped-down instrumentals give the singers one last chance to showcase their talents.

Overall, the album is a welcome reprieve from NCT’s usual rap-heavy, experimental sound. It also allows these three members to shine and show their vocal individuality, a highly difficult feat when you’re in a group with over 20 members.

My one criticism: it’s all entirely too short. Title track “Perfume” clocks in at under three minutes, and none of the songs go over four minutes. I was personally left craving for more after each song, and you can only repeat an album so many times.

While all songs are in Korean, you don’t have to know the language to get into the songs’ vibes. The powerful vocal performances are enough to convey the emotions in each song, and this album can be an excellent introduction into K-pop for the uninitiated. If you really want to know the meaning behind the lyrics, Genius has translated the entire album into English.

“Perfume – The 1st Mini Album” is available to stream through all major music streaming services.