One album. One month. Career records broken across the board.
NCT WISH dropped their 1st full album ‘Ode to Love’ and immediately made it clear: 2026 belongs to them.
The sales numbers hit different this time
The album achieved million-seller status within a single day of release — their third consecutive million-seller. But what stands out is the trajectory. First-week sales landed at 1.825 million copies, blowing past their previous personal bests of 1.087 million (‘poppop’) and 1.395 million (‘COLOR’). On the Circle Weekly Chart, they took a double crown — #1 on both the Album Chart and the Retail Album Chart simultaneously.
Streaming followed the physical momentum
Title track ‘Ode to Love’ peaked at #3 on Melon’s TOP100 and hit #1 on the HOT100, while also setting new personal bests on daily (#26) and weekly (#30) charts. Supporting tracks charted alongside the title, signaling an album that works as a complete listen — not just a lead single vehicle.
And then came the music show trophies. For the first time since debut, NCT WISH swept all three major terrestrial broadcast music programs — KBS, MBC, and SBS — claiming #1 trophies across the board.
Global platforms joined the conversation
The reach extended well beyond Korea. ‘Ode to Love’ topped QQ Music’s Korean MV Weekly Chart in China, earned Platinum certification on the platform (surpassing 1 million yuan in sales), and hit #1 on the integrated K-pop Weekly Chart across five Tencent Music platforms. In Japan, the album reached #1 on Line Music’s Weekly Album Chart and AWA’s Real-Time Rising Chart.
The hook that broke the algorithm
The title track samples the iconic humming from The Cranberries’ ‘Ode To My Family’ — instantly recognizable, effortlessly singable, and built for the short-form era. The ‘Ode to Love’ challenge, centered on a simple lip-sweep and shoulder-shrug point choreography timed to the “tu-tururu” hook, spread rapidly across platforms with participation from artists and creators alike. For a group already recognized as Gen Z icons, this kind of organic viral spread felt inevitable.
The TV circuit amplified things further — appearances on tvN’s ‘Amazing Saturday,’ KBS 2TV’s ‘Men Who Do Housework Season 2,’ and ‘Gag Concert’ kept the group in the public conversation throughout the comeback window.
Brands noticed too
NCT WISH’s momentum has extended into the advertising world, with the group landing campaigns spanning beauty, F&B, and fashion — a cross-industry reach that few groups at their career stage can claim. A Seven-Eleven convenience store collaboration marked the album release with NCT WISH-wrapped storefronts at 9 key locations and a range of exclusive products featuring their official characters ‘Wishdoll’ and ‘Witchu.’
NCT WISH continues their music show run this week — KBS 2TV ‘Music Bank’ on the 8th, MBC ‘Show! Music Core’ on the 9th, and SBS ‘Inkigayo’ on the 10th.
One month in. The ceiling is still nowhere in sight.
Image © SM Entertainment. Used for news reporting and informational purposes.