Taeyong Shocks With The Severity Of His Back Injury And Netizens Think NCT 127’s Dangerous Choreography Is To Blame
Based on his visuals alone, NCT‘s Taeyong was incredibly street-casted by SM Entertainment in 2012.
SM Entertainment had no idea if he would possess the talent to become an idol based on visuals, but took a fateful chance that paid off in a major way.
Taeyong trained for four years before debuting in NCT U in 2016. Without a background in entertainment, SM Entertainment’s dance trainer originally told the NCT member that they didn’t think he would make it as an idol.
I was a really bad dancer. My dance trainer even said, ‘I don’t think he’s going to make it.’
— Taeyong
Despite the initial doubt of trainers, Taeyong’s determination and hard work paid off, and he was able to join NCT U, NCT 127, and SuperM. He’s now a multi-talented rapper, singer, dancer, and producer.
His drive, passion, and pride in his team led SM Entertainment to make him the well-deserved leader of NCT.
Since before Taeyong’s debut, the talented idol has been dealing with a herniated lower back disc that frequently causes pain
The pain from the injury especially flared up during NCT 127’s “Cherry Bomb” promotions in 2017 as the members pulled off an extreme back-bending move that fans dubbed “The Matrix.”
In an interview in 2021, Taeyong and his fellow members opened up about the dangerous dance move sharing that it was especially uncomfortable due to the mic packs they wore. The mic pack poked into Taeyong’s spine, and the promotional era was especially painful for him.
While Taeyong worked tirelessly to give each performance his all, the pain became too much in 2020 when he sat out of the group’s Beyond LIVE concert—NCT: Resonance – “Global Wave” after his injury relapsed.
Fans expressed their anger with SM Entertainment, accusing the company of overworking Taeyong when he had a known injury, as well as the rest of the NCT members, who are known to consistently have a packed schedule, with multiple members promoting in more than one group.
at this point, sm should just postpone the beyond live, giving both jisung and taeyong enough time to recover fully and rest well. all of them deserve a break too, ever since n2020 started they've been having schedules nonstop. this concert is a meaningful one too, songs from
— ◡̈ (@vorehak) December 24, 2020
NCT 127’s Taeyong, Jungwoo, and Jaehyun recently guested on singer and entertainer Kim Jong Kook‘s fitness YouTube channel, where the NCT leader revealed just how severe his back injury is.
As the video began, the members shared why they chose to appear on the program, and Taeyong revealed that he volunteered to be there.
I volunteered. [Jungwoo and Jaehyun] were scheduled to come.
— Taeyong
He further explained why he had to volunteer to be there, revealing the extent of his injury.
I have a serious back problem. It’s so bad that I get paralysis in my legs sometimes. So I signed up to come.
— Taeyong
After the clip began circulating, netizens expressed their concern for Taeyong’s long-term recovery if NCT continues to perform their intense choreography.
- “But back pain makes it difficult to even walk. How is he even dancing…? I hope he’s not destroying his body for his career. His agency should take better care of him.”
- “You know, watching K-Pop choreographies these days… I feel like idols are prone to injuries and health issues. And it goes for both male and female idols. Like, the moves are way too difficult.”
- “Isn’t there a GIF that once went viral? He was at some festival or concert. It was while he was performing ‘Cherry Bomb,’ and the camera caught it from a side angle. He literally falls on his back… When I saw it for the first time, I was like, ‘He has to pull off that move every time?’”
- “His back has been bothering him so much, he has to wear a spine brace when he practices…”
- “Wow… I see from the other comments that the choreographies he has to do are too difficult… Didn’t he undergo surgery for a herniated disc? I’m concerned.”
- “As soon as I saw this post, I thought of ‘Cherry Bomb’…”
- “If and when the paralysis doesn’t go away, he’ll have to get surgery. Sigh.”
- “I mean, it makes sense… Stop making him do choreographies that throw out his spine.”
For more on NCT 127’s dangerous choreography, check out the article below:
The NCT 127 Dance Move So Dangerous It Injured Taeyong’s Back
