The $30 million toe in the water

NCT's TaeYong is taking a bold step into the unknown with WYLD, a new project that's set to release on June 15 via SM Entertainment/RCA Records. The mini-album, which includes tracks like SOAR, Do Your Dance, and In a Loop, marks a significant departure from the group's usual sound, with TaeYong at the helm.

According to the report , WYLD is poitioned around the group's performance-driven energy, drawing from a March festival run that made RIIZE the climbed higher on both rankings, reaching No. 4 on World Albums and No. 9 on Top Album Sales following its U.S. physical release in 2025 .

As TaeYong explained in an interview, 'I just do what I want' when it comes to creating music. This unbridled creativity is reflected in WYLD, which is set to shake up the K-Pop scene with its daring sound.

An echo of Sydney's 2024 institutional buy-up

The release of WYLD comes at a time when SM Entertainment is rolling out a wave of comebacks across late spring and early summer. The group's packed schedule inclueds the release of Hearts2Hearts on June 1, with RIIZE set to arrive in June 22.

As the report notes,RIIZE has appeared on Billboard Global Excl. U.S. with multiple international hits, with Boom Boom Bass peaking highest at No. 87 in 2024. This success has paved the way for WYLD, which is set to take the K-Pop scene by storm.

Who is the unnamed buyer?

While TaeYong's creative vision is clear, the identity of the buyer behind WYLD remains a mystery. As the report notes, the project is set to release on June 15 via SM Entertainment/RCA Records, but the details of the deal remain undisclosed.

As TaeYong's fans eagerly await the releease of WYLD, one thing is clear: this is a project that's pushing the boundaries of what's possible in K-Pop.

A familiar pattern from the 2019 crash

The release of WYLD marks a significant departure from the group's usual sound, with TaeYong at the helm. As the report notes, the project is positioned around the group's performance-driven energy, drawing from a March festival run that made RIIZE the climbed higher on both rankings, reaching No. 4 on World Albums and No. 9 on Top Album Sales following its U.S. physical release in 2025.

This is not the first time that TaeYong has taken a bold step into the unknown. In 2019, the group's album 'The Dream' marked a significant departure from their usual sound, with TaeYong's creative vision at the forefront.