"Hands Up" is a song recorded by Japanese boy group NCT Wish, the Japanese-based unit of boy group NCT, who were then promoting as NCT New Team. It was released as the group's pre-debut single digitally on October 8, 2023, and will be released physically on December 20, 2023, to support the group's pre-debut showcase tour in late 2023 ahead of their debut in 2024. The single additionally contains the B-side track "We Go!". A music video for "Hands Up" was released on October 19.[1]
Background and release
On February 3, 2023, SM Entertainment revealed plans to debut a Japanese unit for NCT, then dubbed NCT Tokyo, to debut later in the year.[2] The official lineup, put together via the reality show NCT: Lastart, was revealed on September 7, 2023, as NCT New Team.[3]
The group held their first performance on September 9 and 10 as the opening act for NCT at NCT Nation: To the World, where they debuted the song "Hands Up."[4] In October 2023, it was announced that the group would be releasing a pre-debut single on October 8, consisting of the songs "Hands Up" and "We Go."[1][5]
Promotion
On the day of the album's release, the group began a pre-debut tour, which consisted of 28 performances across 10 cities in Japan.[6][7]