Hello lovely admins Caitlin & Nikki,

July 1st marked more than just the start of a new month, the grand opening of a great TCG, or the midpoint of 2018. July 1st was the celebration of the birth of a dear boy named Lee Tae Yong (source: http://twitter.com/NCTsmtown/status/1013074684152242176).

We may know Lee Tae Yong (better known as Taeyong) as the crazy part-robot science experiment of SM Entertainment, but he is so much more than that. Believed to have been born July 1st, 1995, Taeyong has grown into one of the pillars of K-Pop group NCT that is quickly taking the world by storm (source: http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8446903/nct-first-k-pop-act-to-hit-no-1-emerging-artists-chart, http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8283629/bts-exo-nct-k-pop-social-50-charts, insert various Western validation links here). How is he a pillar, you ask? Well, Taeyong's role in the group is so much more than just member of a +18 person group. He is center, visual, leader, main rapper, main dancer, and occasional vocalist of every sub unit he has graced his presence with (NCT U, NCT 127).

Taeyong entered the K-Pop scene as SM's next big rapper, debuting his own rap video 2 years before debut (source: http://youtu.be/wZD0mTW7Ys0). Boasting an impressive amount of lines and screen time as rapper, his contributions are unavoidable when listening to NCT (source: http://78.media.tumblr.com/e428b5c27e2c7f6c009b5bb8dc62f571/tumblr_inline_o6pu5nI6aV1ttm9ih_540.jpg, http://78.media.tumblr.com/44b6f6008fb0bcfa5c7ee427e66b1d73/tumblr_inline_okamkw5pcY1ttm9ih_540.jpg). He and other NCT rapper Mark Lee are known to write their own lyrics, which at the time was rare as a rookie group at such a large protective agency (source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YHyF_GKH3c). His skill as a rapper shows in his impressive live performances (source: http://youtu.be/TCJGpXemHdw?t=52s).

Outside of rapping, Taeyong is best known as the visual and face of NCT. No words can describe how his face makes others awestruck (source: http://youtu.be/f2Z5JRYU5lQ). Yes, that is an 8 minute video of people calling Taeyong handsome, including his own group members. He was recently interviewed about all his different styles and looks since debut, noting that he can pull off so many hairstyles and concepts effortlessly (source: http://www.allure.com/story/taeyong-nct-k-pop-beauty-interview). As the writer states, "His confidence to pull off so many looks is apparent in the way he talks — he never second-guesses himself or pauses." His attention-grabbing looks and visuals make so many casual viewers remember the group NCT.

Some of his less-known roles in the group include dancer and occasional vocalist. Although often overshadowed by others under the NCT umbrella, NCT 127 credits Taeyong to be 127's best dancer (source: http://youtu.be/N78DMH4PD_8?t=1m30s). In fact, he recently delved into choreographing after having the opportunity to work on both the special stage Whiplash and the Intro performance at KCON NY 2018 (source: http://twitter.com/NCTsmtown_127/status/1012676490385715200). He is also occassionally a vocalist on NCT tracks when not busy rapping, and notably has more vocal lines than both bandmates WinWin and Johnny combined (source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJyNuS2YsRQ).

Last, but most importantly, Taeyong holds the title as leader. He is officially the leader of NCT 127 (source: http://youtu.be/28kI8kcthAE?t=12m56s). However he is the unofficial leader of NCT and always does his best to look after all 17 other members whether in practice or in public (source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTxnSGuNTv0). He is recognized as the leader of all 18 by fans. He's actually the sweetest person deserving of the leader position of the largest K-Pop group to date.

If you don't love him by now, there is one more important fact to remember: he is a cat. He meows (source: http://twitter.com/hyuckverse/status/981441823909523457). He acts like a cat (source: http://twitter.com/omegeexo/status/935061537378639872). He chooses to look like a cat (source: http://twitter.com/TTuo_T/status/992983831497003011). How can you not love a cat???

Why did I bring this to your attention, and what is my wish? My wish is to celebrate this amazing celebrity by releasing Taeyong's famous SM Station music video Around as a deck. This solo track was performed at large stages like MAMA 2017 and NCT TxT's Bangkok fanmeeting (source: http://youtu.be/65dr9snyyZA?t=58s, http://youtu.be/P_jvlOMD4TY). The track is a classic for any Taeyong fan.

What better way to celebrate this important cat-man's existence than collecting the future deck NCT-Around?!

Best Regards,

Danni
Stream Around: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aL_mTKWwRto
Donation link (from Tia's donation): http://drive.google.com/open?id=1HARliBOqzSExB08uOwWBxHOvsGk1aHLb