NCT WISH 엔시티 위시 'I SPY' MVOfficial video · SMTOWN / YouTubeOpen the original video on YouTube ↗

NCT WISH Release I SPY: A New Digital World Called WISH LAND

Category: News
Artist: NCT

KPOP NO1 Editorial · Sources checked October 22, 2026

Six months after their first full-length album sold over 1.8 million copies in its first week, NCT WISH are back. Their fourth mini album, I SPY, came out on October 12. It comes with its own digital world, WISH LAND, where the members meet something mysterious called “energy” and feel butterflies for the first time.

What’s confirmed

Release: the fourth mini album I SPY came out on October 12, 2026 at 6 p.m. KST, with six tracks, led by the title track of the same name. SM announcement
The video: the I SPY music video was published the same day at 6 p.m., according to an announcement from Avex in Japan. Avex announcement
The theme: SM says the album shows NCT WISH facing a range of new emotions and growing through them. Avex describes it as an album of growth, from butterflies to confidence, with six songs in varied styles.
The title track: Avex calls I SPY a hybrid dance-pop song that layers synths over a heavy 808 bass, with dynamic changes. Its lyrics capture the moment all your senses focus on someone new: the thrill of getting to know them, and wanting to pull them into your world.

The story of WISH LAND

The build-up started a month early. On September 14, NCT WISH released the Confused Boy trailer on their official YouTube channel. SM describes the story:

NCT WISH arrive in WISH LAND, a new digital world.
In a quiet space, they meet an unknown being called “energy.”
For the first time, they feel butterflies, an unfamiliar emotion.
Then “energy” suddenly disappears. When they reconnect with it, they finally face their own feelings.

Avex describes the music video in a similar way: it’s set in WISH LAND, a digital world where NCT WISH and their fans fall in love.

Our take: The story arc, meeting someone and feeling butterflies, fits a group whose last album was called Ode to Love. If the pattern holds, I SPY is the next chapter of that love story.

WISH LAND, online and in person

NCT WISH turned WISH LAND into something fans could visit: SM: promotion plans

Online: on September 21, they opened a WISH LAND server on Discord, with spoilers, chat messages styled like the members talking to each other, and memes.
In person: on October 10–11, the offline event I SPY YOU at Korea University’s Hwajeong Gymnasium in Seoul turned WISH LAND into a real space. It was where NCT WISH performed I SPY on stage for the first time, before the album came out.

Why this comeback matters

2026 has been NCT WISH’s biggest year so far:

April 20: their first full-length album, Ode to Love, became a million-seller in one day. It sold 1,825,925 copies in its first week on Hanteo Chart, after earlier mini albums poppop (1.087 million) and COLOR (1.395 million). That made three million-sellers in a row. SM: Ode to Love
July 15: their Japanese single YO-I-DON! / BOY MEETS GIRL passed 500,000 shipments and was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan within about a month of going platinum. SM: double platinum
2026 is NCT’s 10th anniversary, and SM’s roadmap for the year named a fourth-quarter album for NCT WISH.

What we’re still checking

We haven’t yet seen official first-week sales or chart results for I SPY. We’ll add a dated update once SM or Avex publishes them. Everything above will stay as it is.

Where to go next

New to NCT? The NCT beginner guide explains NCT’s teams, including NCT WISH.
NCT’s whole-group albums: Golden Age (2023), RESONANCE Pt. 1 (2020) and EMPATHY (2018).
More NCT: all NCT articles

Source and date note

Announced: September 14, 2026. Released: October 12, 2026. First published: October 14, 2026. Update, October 22, 2026: added the WISH LAND story, the Discord and offline events, and NCT WISH’s 2026 results from SM’s announcements.

Sources

NCT WISH 엔시티 위시 'I SPY' MV