This week has held big news for NCT DREAM. The K-pop boy group released their second full-length album, Glitch Mode, on March 28. They also hit numerous milestones with their recent comeback with record-breaking pre-order numbers and album sales. With lots of comeback content and celebrations, NCT DREAM’s main vocalist Renjun topped off the week with a gift. On April 2, Renjun dropped two cover music videos: “Destiny” and “Serious Snow.”

On “Destiny”

Renjun initially teased his solo song covers in a fansign in late February. He told the fan that he planned to release two songs in different languages. And, he delivered. 

One song he chose was the 2005 ballad “Destiny” by Korea’s “National Diva,” Lee Sun Hee. The ballad was featured in film, The King and the Clown. Renjun’s version takes on a more simple sound— only his vocals and a piano shine throughout. The simplicity of it really highlights his airy and emotive vocals, creating a tender atmosphere.

The emotional performance is topped with an equally simple and sentimental music video. Renjun wore whites and a cream-colored cardigan, where he sings in a room decorated by greenery by himself. His facial expressions are heart wrenching and perfectly illustrate the sorrow conveyed by the song. At some points, it truly looks as though he is ready to burst in tears— a true mark of his acting abilities.

On “Serious Snow” 

In addition to “Destiny,” Renjun covered the 2006 R&B single, “Serious Snow,” by Chinese singer-songwriter, Joker Xue. Renjun enlisted Kun to arrange the solemn track. The duo created a modern breakup ballad, boasting Kun’s composition skills and Renjun’s delicate voice. For the performance video, Renjun wore a similar outfit—a cream turtleneck—and used a natural living room set.Even so, he continued to capture the emotional essence of the single with his spot-on acting. 

Kun shared a heartwarming message on LYSN’s bubble service. He thanked fans for the positive response to his first ballad arrangement and complemented Renjun’s interpretation of the hit. 

Initially both singles were supposed to be released on Renjun’s birthday on March 23, but they came out a little late. On LYSN, Renjun dedicated both songs to NCTzens, NCT’s fans, as a gift. He was also sure to thank fans and ask fans to give NCT DREAM’s latest release lots of love.

NCT DREAM Surprise Live 

Later on in the day, NCT DREAM surprised fans with an Instagram live after their Inkigayo recording session. They discussed various topics, including their Inkigayo performance, Renjun’s “Glitch Mode” heart, and their latest Hanteo Chart milestone. In the brief live, they also did not forget to mention Renjun’s latest covers.

On the topic, the members shared their support for Renjun’s latest endeavors. Jisung shared that he watched it immediately and loved Renjun’s acting. On a humorous note, Jeno joked that he looked like he was promoting their NCT DREAM friendship rings. In the Instagram live, Haechan asked Renjun which cover he liked best. Renjun kept it humble and replied that his favorite was the “Glitch Mode” stage they had earlier.

Past Covers and Hopes for the Future

These two covers are Renjun’s first solo covers since his rendition of Troye Sivan’s “Fools.” In between, he participated in group covers with Xiaojun for “Unbreakable Love” and Doyoung, Jungwoo, and Chenle for “12얼 24일.” All covers highlight his dreamy vocals and ability to deliver a sentimental performance.

Earlier this week, Renjun and Jeno shared that they previously practiced a song together and recorded themselves singing a cover song. In a fansign, Jeno revealed they covered Dynamic Duo and Chen’s “nosedive” single. However, the duo have yet to plan any official release. Fans can only hope that the duo really will pair up as they discussed in their latest “Dream VS Dream” video.

With “Glitch Mode” out, NCT DREAM have kicked off promotions earlier this week. Fans are excited to see the content to come both from Renjun and NCT DREAM as a whole.

Want more on Renjun? Check out our Dream Week piece on his individual skills here.