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NCT’s Haechan steals heart with ‘First Love’ cover

NCT’s Haechan steals heart with ‘First Love’ cover

by Joanna Deala

Recently updated on January 29, 2025 09:15 pm

HAECHAN of K-pop boy group NCT turned his dream of having a cover of the hit Japanese love song “First Love” into reality, and his fans, collectively known as Sunflowers, are here for it!

From imagining how Haechan would sound like singing “First Love” with artificial intelligence (AI), fans were blown away by how incredibly lovely his voice was in his rendition of the song, which he dropped on Wednesday, January 22.

The 24-year-old K-pop idol brought tranquility and butterflies to Sunflowers as he serenaded them with his five-minute cover of “First Love,” originally performed by Japanese-American singer-songwriter Hikaru Utada.

The clip opened with Haechan looking at the cityscape at night and putting on his wired earphones. 

He was just standing and walking around aimlessly in one area, as his version of “First Love” was playing in the background.

First released in 1999, “First Love” is a soulful track about a person reminiscing about their first love and how their shared memories impact them. 

The ballad expresses that no matter how much time has passed, their first love will always have a place in their heart.

Like the original version, Haechan clearly sang “First Love” in a mix of Japanese and English and added his soothing riffs and runs.

During NCT Dream’s appearance on the show “K-pop House,” Haechan mentioned how he had always wanted to cover “First Love.” He even sang a part of the song, leaving fans to want more.

“First Love” was part of Hikaru’s second studio album of the same name in March 1999. The track inspired the 2022 romance series “First Love” on Netflix, starring Hikari Mitsushima and Takeru Satoh.

Before Haechan, his fellow NCT member Doyoung dropped a short cover of “First Love” in an Instagram reel in February 2023.

‘Kinikilig ako’

Haechan’s “First Love” cover immediately trended on X (formerly Twitter), taking the fourth spot in the Philippines trends list on Wednesday.

Sunflowers could not help but admire Haechan’s angelic voice, with many Filipino fans saying his vocals gave them butterflies.

“Kinikilig ako. At the same time naiiyak din ako,” one fan wrote on X. “It got me emotional. This shows how beautiful your cover is.”

Others said Haechan’s cover made them look forward to his debut as a solo artist. Other NCT members like Taeyong and Jaehyun already debuted as soloists.

Some Filo Sunflowers asked in jest, “Sino ba ‘yan si first love?”

NCT Dream leader Mark, meanwhile, supported Haechan’s “First Love” cover by promoting it on his Instagram story.

Haechan’s “First Love” cover on YouTube has now garnered over 920,000 views. 

Let’s give Haechan’s rendition a listen and tell us what you love about it!

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