NCT JNJM Set for Unit Debut With BOTH SIDES — Three Reasons Jeno and Jaemin’s New Era Is One of 2026’s Most Anticipated

NCT’s Jeno and Jaemin are stepping into a new chapter.

After more than a decade of growing up together through SM’s training system, NCT, and NCT DREAM, the longtime teammates are officially launching their first unit, NCT JNJM, with the mini album BOTH SIDES on February 23.

Built around contrast, duality, and chemistry, the project is being positioned as a fresh identity that feels both familiar and completely new.

NCT JNJM / SM

A 10-Year Storyline That Becomes a Team

One of the biggest expectations surrounding NCT JNJM is their history.

As same-age friends who have trained and promoted together for over ten years, Jeno and Jaemin already have the kind of natural synchronization most new units spend years developing.

But the key point of the debut is not similarity — it is contrast.

Jeno brings:

  • powerful performance energy
  • strong stage control
  • sharp charisma

Jaemin adds:

  • relaxed confidence
  • refined expression
  • detailed emotional delivery

The unit is built on the idea that their differences create balance, turning two individual colors into one complete team.

NCT JNJM / SM

An Album That Expands Their Musical Spectrum

The first mini album contains six tracks and moves across multiple genres, signaling a clear artistic direction beyond group activities.

The title track “BOTH SIDES” is a hip-hop dance song driven by sleek sound design and rhythmic drum patterns. Its message reflects the unit’s core concept — two opposing charms that make choosing between them impossible.

Beyond the title song, the album explores:

  • upbeat Miami-bass-based pop
  • modern reinterpretations of Southern hip-hop
  • dreamy R&B pop
  • energetic youth-themed hip-hop

This range highlights their confidence as artists and introduces a more mature sonic identity.

The “Dual Narrative” That Defines the Debut

The keyword of the project is duality.

Teaser content has visually explored themes such as:

  • competition and tension
  • freedom and individuality
  • unity through contrast

Under the question “Which one is your best side?”, the promotional rollout presents Jeno and Jaemin as both opposing forces and a single entity.

This storytelling approach transforms the unit from a simple collaboration into a character-driven concept.

Familiar Faces, Completely New Energy

While fans have watched the two perform together for years, this debut focuses on what has not been seen before — a more mature mood, a playful sense of confidence, and a musical identity shaped specifically for the two of them.

It is this balance of history and reinvention that makes the unit one of the most closely watched launches of the year.

The Beginning of a New Direction

With BOTH SIDES, NCT JNJM are not just releasing an album.

They are presenting a blueprint for their future as a unit — one that moves between intensity and ease, performance and emotion, individuality and partnership.

And as the release date approaches, the question driving the project becomes the same one posed in their teasers:

Which side will define them or will it be both?