NCT’s Doyoung and Haechan Join Forces with Ryan Jhun on “Maniac”
On August 12 at 6 PM KST, acclaimed producer and songwriter Ryan Jhun released “Maniac,” featuring NCT’s Doyoung and Haechan, along with a music video for the track. The collaboration was first teased on August 5 on Jhun’s socials, and is the first single in the producer’s two-part project, “MAXIS.”
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A Love Confession
Written by Shawn Desman, Jacob Attwooll, Paddy Dalton, Ryan Jhun, and Seo Ji Eum, and produced by Jhun, “Maniac” is a dance-pop track with a catchy melody. The song opens up with a low instrumental, and is followed by upbeat drum and guitar. The instrumental transitions into the chorus, blending perfectly with Doyoung and Haechan’s vocals. The lyrics tell the story of a love confession to someone who’s entirely different from you but who you love regardless, even if it could hurt you. “She’s a maniac and I love her just like that/I’ll fall for her a little bit deeper”
The Music Video
Following the song’s release, the music video dropped on 1theK’s Youtube Channel at 6 PM KST. The video features dancer and choreographer Lia Kim playing the role of two characters, one dressed in a white dress and the other in a black suit, dancing through different settings. The video’s energy mirrors the track’s upbeat melody, as Kim delivers outstanding performance while showing the contrast between the two characters. The choreography matches the song’s rhythm, and Lia’s bright expressions as she dances offer the audience a sense of freedom and love while watching her.
A Dynamic Collaboration
Since the announcement, fans have been eagerly waiting for the collaboration. Ryan Jhun has previously worked on chart-topping hits, like EXO’s “Love Me Right,” which peaked at number one on Gaon Digital Chart, and number three on Billboard’s World Digital Songs Sales, NCT 127’s “Kick It,” and WayV’s “Kick Back,” so it comes as no surprise that Jhun tapped Doyoung and Haechan for this new project. Their vocals, combined with Jhun’s production, make the song a fresh new addition to the NCT brand.
“MANIAC” Takes Over Worldwide Trends
With the long-waited collaboration finally out, the hashtags #NCTU_Maniac #Doyoung_in_Maniac #HAECHAN_in_Maniac_OUTNOW dominated Twitter’s trends globally.
.@NCTsmtown Doyoung x Haechan dominate Top 3 Worldwide Trends:
#1 #NCTU_Maniac
#2 #Doyoung_in_Maniac
#3 #HAECHAN_in_Maniac_OUTNOW pic.twitter.com/NByZXmB6KL— SMTownEngSub (@SMTownEngSub) August 12, 2021
[!!!] Worldwide Trends – 6:20PM KST
1. #NCTU_Maniac
2. #Doyoung_in_Maniac
3. #HAECHAN_in_Maniac_OUTNOW
5. #동형제만의_매니악한_여름
11. NCT U ‘MANIAC’ OUT NOWKeep tweeting and don’t forget to tag @NCTsmtown in your tweets! pic.twitter.com/gqhW9uvkQ8
— SM_NCT (@SM_NCT_BACKUP) August 12, 2021
"MANIAC" by #NCTU has now surpassed 10,000 Likes on MelOn! 👏🎉#NCTU_Maniac pic.twitter.com/6fjabrs2o3
— NCT Charts (@nctcharts_) August 12, 2021
#NCTU: MANIAC
#9 Bugs (+2)
#47 MelOn Real Time (+8)
#98 MelOn TOP100 *re-entry*#NCTU_Maniac— NCT Charts (@nctcharts_) August 12, 2021
And it wasn’t drawing attention just on Twitter – “Maniac” has even made it onto the MelOn Top 100, making NCT U the first SM Entertainment artist to debut a new release on this specific chart.
Fan Reactions
Fans couldn’t help but share their excitement with the new single and took to Twitter to show their love and support for Doyoung and Haechan, praising their voices.
https://twitter.com/jaeedimples/status/1425749795021414400?s=20
she’s a maniac and i love her just like that 🕺🏻#NCTU_Maniac#Doyoung_in_Maniac#동동즈만의_매니악한_여름 pic.twitter.com/r3WSC7zRV0
— ♡ ²⁶ ⋆⁺₊⋆ (@goldfishstuff) August 12, 2021
When Ryan said he made the song with Haechan and Doyoung’s vocals in mind he wasn’t lying, Maniac not only fits the so well, but it truly makes them shine. Plus Lia Kim for the video??? Perfection right here.#RYANJHUN #DOYOUNG #HAECHAN
— 🍯🌻 Syl 🌻🍯 keplian 127/15 💕 (@utokkisunflower) August 12, 2021
The MV for 'Maniac' is out now! Let's support Doyoung and Haechan by streaming the MV + giving them likes & positive comments 🐰♥️🐻
🔗 https://t.co/qSCN5Wer4Z#NCTU_Maniac #Doyoung_in_Maniac#HAECHAN_in_Maniac_OUTNOW pic.twitter.com/INMLvfWelW
— johnny pics¹²⁷ (@suhjohnnypic) August 12, 2021
haechan's vocals are just so perfect for this song 😭 his voice is so smooth & pleasing all his parts are on mental repeat. im so proud of him and hope this project & his vocal prowess leads to more opportunities in the future!#HAECHAN_in_Maniac_OUTNOW #NCTU_Maniac #HAECHAN #해찬 pic.twitter.com/hU0jL1Qlmq
— baby duckie (@heyhaechan) August 12, 2021
look at that🥳🥳🥳#HAECHAN_in_Maniac_OUTNOW #NCTU_Maniac #HAECHAN #해찬 pic.twitter.com/4V0MXAFpOh
— 🔆Pat 🌻+☀️=🧡 (@Haendsomelee) August 12, 2021
https://twitter.com/yunibars_/status/1425752931924463623?s=20
https://twitter.com/may_beyour_love/status/1425862553889034248?s=20
The song is so good guys!! I will be singing this for a long while, I can tell ^^ @NCTsmtown#NCTU_MANIAC#DOYOUNG_IN_MANIAC#HAECHAN_IN_MANIAC_OUTNOW
— clearing onhands (@ncthingsph) August 12, 2021
https://twitter.com/may_beyour_love/status/1425862553889034248?s=20
What The Future Holds
This is the first time Doyoung and Haechan have collaborated on an original track outside of NCT 127. However, it is not the first time they have joined forces, previously covering “Cinta Luar Biasa” by Andmesh Kamalen. The duo delivered an impressive performance in “Maniac,”, and fans can only hope for more collaborations in the future.
Want to read more about NCT’s projects? Check out our coverage on Ten’s new single, “Paint Me Naked,” here!
Images courtesy of Ryan Jhun.
