(singing in foreign language)
♪ Baby touch me ♪
(singing in foreign lauguage)
(synth music)
- From karaoke joints, to quirky shops, to Korean barbecue,
Koreatown is quickly becoming
one of L.A.'s most popular neighborhoods.
So I'm here hanging out with--
- [Unison] NCT 127!
♪ I'm the biggest hit ♪
♪ I'm the biggest hit on the stage ♪
- [Rich] This is NCT 127, Korea's new hottest K-pop band.
- I'm Taeyong. - Haechan.
- Mark. - Jaehyun.
- I'm Winwin. - Doyoung.
- Taeil. - Johnny.
- I'm Yuta. (blows kiss)
- And my name's Rich.
In case you didn't know, NCT 127 is a big deal.
Not only do they have millions of fans all over the world,
they are number two on Billboard's Social Chart.
That's above Bieber and Beyonce.
They live together, travel together, and rehearse together.
They even hang out together.
We decided to meet to have Korean barbecue
at Quarters on 6th Avenue.
(rock music)
So I'm originally from London,
and I didn't even know what Korean barbecue was.
- Wait, this is your first time eating--
- It's like my third time. - Oh, your third time.
- This is pretty much how it looks like in Korea as well.
- You can't change it much, right?
It is what it is. - It is what it is.
- Yeah.
- It's just meat, and you barbecue it. (laughs)
- Yeah, you just grill it.
This is my first time eating it with cheese, though.
- Americans love cheese, cheese on everything.
(rock music)
- Oh, this is, do you know what kinda water this is?
- [Rich] What?
- [Mark] It's like tea.
- Oh, it is?
- I think it's called boricha.
- Cheers, everyone.
- [Unison] Cheers.
- Water cheers, water cheers.
(cheering and laughing)
- [Rich] So what're we gonna have?
(speaking in foreign language)
- Wanna just order a large, or a combo?
- Whatever you guys want.
Are you guys hungry, or not really?
- Hungry!
- [Rich] The guys ordered grilled bulgogi,
pork chow, kalbi beef, and a hundred other things.
So what are all the things we've got here?
- This is, like, a pancake.
- [Rich] Kimchi pancake.
- With vegetables and kimchi.
It's actually really traditional.
- All right, so I'll try some.
I'm really bad with chopsticks.
I'm really bad with chopsticks,
I might need to ask for a fork.
(all laugh)
- I don't even know how to do it.
- I'll cut. (all laugh)
- Show me how to do it.
Oh, you do the spread? - Yeah.
(poppy synth music)
- Thanks, man.
- [Mark] You should ask for a fork, though.
- No, I'm gonna persevere, I'm gonna try it.
(poppy synth music)
- Oh, it's good.
- He says that he can really make that well.
- You can do this well?
Yeah, you're gonna flip them?
Nice. (all laugh)
So what do you think has, like, made K-pop as big as it is?
'Cause it's just getting bigger and bigger and bigger.
(singing in foreign language)
♪ Cherry bomb ♪
- America itself is accepting K-pop
more and more comfortably now.
K-pop, like, the NCT music is actually really similar
to pop music in America as well.
- Yeah. - The beats and stuff.
And there are actually American writers
who write our songs as well. - Oh, that's cool.
- And so I think the listeners are more familiar
with the beats if they like American music as well,
'cause they always like what's familiar to them.
- Yeah.
And your fan base is NCTzens?
- [All] Yeah! (cheer)
- Yo, you did some research.
(rock music) (fans cheering)
- [Rich] It's not being cooked at all?
- [NCT Member] So good.
- Yeah?
This is raw meet with raw egg.
That is a lot, that is a lot.
Do I need that?
Oh my God.
(cheering and applause)
It's good.
- [Unison] Good?
- Mm.
(synth music)
Next up was ice cream at Bumsan Milk Bar on Western Avenue.
Not only does this place specialize in organic ice cream,
but you can customize your own cone designs and toppings.
It's pretty cool.
(cheering in surprise)
- [All] Whoa!
(speaking in foreign language)
- Your choice. - The pink.
- Pink? You like pink?
- [Mark] Yes, I like pink.
- Okay, I like pink. - Nice, nice.
- [All] Whoa!
- This looks good.
Mark!
- [Off-Camera] Jimmy Neutron, Jimmy Neutron!
- [All] Whoa!
(cheering)
- [All] Whoa!
(applause)
- Why'd I get this?
They look so much better.
- Yay!
- [All] Whoa!
- Money.
- [Off-Camera] Money, money.
- Who wants to pay?
- [Unison] Rock, paper, scissors, shoot.
(cheering)
- Okay, okay, money.
- So we all did rock-paper-scissors, he lost,
and so now, he was supposed to pay for all our ice cream.
He's gonna do something cute right now, and if it appeals
to the people who work here, then it works.
- So, wait, this needs to be worth about $100.
- $100 worth of this.
(laughing and applause)
- [Off-Camera] Johnny, Johnny!
(mystical music)
- [All] Aw!
(applause) (speaking in foreign language)
- As we were enjoying our ice cream,
a crowd began to form outside.
Word had got out that the band was in town.
I took this opportunity to ask the guys
some tough questions.
(dramatic music) Cats or dogs?
- [Unison] Dogs.
- You're a dogs band.
- [Off-Camera] He's cats.
- Chocolate or vanilla?
(speaking in foreign language)
- [Unison] Chocolate.
- Oh.
One more, Beyonce or Rihanna?
(all yelling)
- Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.
- [Unison] Beyonce.
♪ All the single ladies, all the single ladies ♪
- See you tomorrow.
(fans cheering)
(mellow music)
(upbeat poppy music)
- The next day, I met them at their hotel,
where they had just finished rehearsing.
They were getting ready to perform at the Hollywood Bowl.
These guys are famous for their dance moves,
so I asked to learn a trick or two.
Jump. - You didn't jump.
- [Unison] And, jump.
- Okay, this time, you gotta get your feet together.
- It's harder than it looks.
- This, then you wanna bring them together.
In, feet together, jump.
(cheering and applause)
You got it, you got it, you got it
- We should change Johnny, okay?
(laughing)
- [Rich] Then it was off to the Hollywood Bowl.
- [Fan] I love you!
- [Rich] On the way to the Hollywood Bowl, they sang a bit.
(singing in foreign language)
And then they slept a bit.
Finally we arrived, and I was struck by
how casual and calm the whole band were.
They were about to go onstage in front of a huge audience,
but they just took it in their stride.
Needless to say, they killed it.
(pop music) (crowd cheering)
♪ Cherry bomb feel it yum ♪
♪ I'm the biggest hit ♪
♪ I'm the biggest hit on the stage ♪
♪ I'm the biggest hit ♪
♪ I'm the biggest hit on the stage ♪
♪ I'm the biggest hit ♪
♪ I'm the biggest hit on the stage ♪
♪ I'm the biggest hit ♪
♪ I'm the biggest hit on the stage ♪
(singing in foreign language)
♪ I'mma do my thing ♪
(singing in foreign language)
♪ Hands up in the air ♪
♪ We back get away ♪
(singing in foreign language)
♪ Everywhere ♪
(crowd cheers and screams)
(applause)
- [Rich] K-Town is pretty awesome,
and so are you, NCT 127.
(pop music in foreign language)