K-pop boy band NCT Dream’s first studio album “Hot Sauce” sold more than 600,000 copies and debuted at No. 1 on music charts.
With “Hot Sauce,” NCT Dream broke their own record as it generated 1,716,571 copies in pre-orders as of May 9, or an increase of 243 percent compared to their last album “Reload,” according to SM Entertainment.
Korea’s Hanteo Chart revealed that “Hot Sauce” sold 671,396 copies on the first day of release on May 10, surpassing the first-week sales of 412,458 copies for “Reload,” which also sold 374,165 copies on the first day of release.
On Gaon Music Chart, “Hot Sauce” sold 481,044 copies on May 10 and secured the top spot on the daily retail album chart.
During their press conference for the album on May 10, NCT Dream members talked about their growth as artists especially now that they have become adults.
"As NCT Dream, our priority was showcasing concepts like growth and youth, but now we've all become adults. We thought it was important to show how we've matured over the past years and put on a performance that only NCT Dream can pull off," said Haechan, according to Yonhap News.
Jisung said recording “Hot Sauce” was different, saying, "We were more relaxed compared to when we were minors. And since we've gained experience, we also have know-how.”
According to Jeno, "When we first debuted, we were young, that was the biggest factor. If I compare it to taste, we had just one flavor as a team. But now we've added on more flavors.”
Mark said because they are now adults, they can do more work at night.
"By law, now we can film until after 10 p.m. We can film our music video well into night, which is very good," he said.
While the pre-orders of 1.71 million are impressive, Mark said, "The fact that all seven of us could take part in this album is precious. Our biggest ambition was to not waste time and focus on the days we are together, and so far we've done well. Our priority is keeping this pace."
"More than charts and numbers, my aim is to stay happy and fun while focusing on this album. Being happy, having fun and doing your best -- those things are what matters the most," said Renjun.