NCT WISH Music Bank Encore Draws Vocal Criticism After “Ode to Love” Win

NCT WISH’s Music Bank encore became the center of discussion after the group won first place on the May 1 episode with “Ode to Love.” The KBS2 music program named NCT WISH the winner over AKMU, and the live encore that followed drew criticism focused on vocal stability, while some overseas fans also pointed to signs of improvement.¹

The result was a notable broadcast win for the group’s first full-length album cycle. “Ode to Love” beat AKMU’s “Joy, Sorry, A Beautiful Heart,” and the win was reported as NCT WISH’s first music-show trophy for this comeback activity.²

NCT WISH Music Bank Encore Follows May 1 Win

The May 1 Music Bank outcome was clear in the official competition figures reported by Soompi: NCT WISH’s “Ode to Love” took first place with 11,578 points, while AKMU’s “Joy, Sorry, A Beautiful Heart” ranked second with 3,059 points. The same episode included performances by NCT WISH, TWS, ILLIT, CRAVITY and other artists.³

After the trophy announcement, NCT WISH performed the customary live encore stage. Koreaboo reported that Korean online-community comments criticized the encore, with discussion centering on whether the members’ live vocals were stable during the post-win performance. The same report noted a different strand of response from some overseas fans, who praised improvement rather than focusing only on the weaker moments.¹

The controversy therefore sits between two verifiable points: the group secured a high-scoring Music Bank win, and the encore stage that followed became a subject of online criticism. The available source material does not provide an official response from SM Entertainment or KBS regarding the criticism.

What Was Confirmed About the Song and Album

“Ode to Love” is both the title track and the name of NCT WISH’s first full-length album. AJU Press reported that the album was released at 6 p.m. on April 20, 2026, citing SM Entertainment, and described it as a 10-track release that includes the lead single of the same name.⁴

The album arrived after the group’s Seoul encore concerts at KSPO Dome from April 17 to 19, placing the Music Bank win within a wider promotional period that included both concerts and broadcast stages.⁴

Several performance indicators had already been reported before the May 1 trophy. OSEN, carried by Chosun Biz, said “Ode to Love” reached a Melon TOP100 peak of No. 3 and Melon HOT100 No. 1 before the group’s main music-show promotions began. The same report stated that the album became a million-seller in one day and listed Music Bank on April 24 among the group’s scheduled broadcast stages.⁵

Herald Muse, through Nate, later reported that the album had become NCT WISH’s third consecutive million-seller and again cited the Melon TOP100 No. 3 peak and HOT100 No. 1 result.⁶

Acceptance Remarks and Online Reaction

During the Music Bank win, Sion was quoted as saying, “We prepared a lot because it is our first full-length album,” reflecting the group’s emphasis on the scale of the release during the award moment.² Herald Muse also reported a brief acceptance message from NCT WISH to fans: “We love you, Czennies!”⁶

Those award remarks were separate from the later conversation around the encore. The NCT WISH encore discussion, as summarized in available reporting, focused less on the trophy itself than on the live singing that followed it. In K-pop music programs, encore stages often receive heightened attention because they are viewed by audiences as a less choreographed moment after the formal performance segment.

The sources provided do not include a full transcript of the encore performance or a technical vocal assessment. They do show that criticism spread through Korean online-community comments and that the reaction was not uniform internationally, with some overseas fans framing the stage more positively.¹

The May 1 Music Bank result remains a documented win for NCT WISH’s “Ode to Love,” backed by a large point margin and broader album achievements. At the same time, the encore stage has become a visible point of criticism in the group’s comeback coverage, making the moment both a career milestone and a test of public scrutiny around live performance.

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Cloi Lee

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