Former NCT member Lucas rolls out his solo debut title track, Renegade

On Monday, April 1, former NCT member, Lucas, released the title track of his solo debut, Renegade. Upon watching its music video and listening to its lyrics, several fans praised and cheered Lucas on for addressing his 2021 controversy in the track.

For those unfamiliar, three years back, the idol was accused of gaslighting, cheating, and more by an ex-girlfriend. Several others also came forward with similar allegations at the time, leading to his exit from NCT.

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What NCT member Lucas' solo debut track, Renegade, is about

On April 1, the former NCT member Lucas rolled out his much-awaited solo debut, Renegade, which came with two music videos, Plan A and Plan B.

The two sides of the music video showcase two different aesthetics of the song. While Plan A narrates a storyline and communicates the meaning of the song, Plan B is more focused on the performance aspect of the track, showcasing the idol's dance and choreography skills.

In Plan A, the idol is seen seated in what resembles a courtroom, wearing a suit.

In the music video, he's seen mouthing the song's lyrics, as though he's addressing the people from the media sitting in front of them. From the lyrics, many netizens gauged that the idol was addressing his 2021 controversy and the extreme criticism he received for the same.

Several instances from the song address the media's behavior towards the idol, and seemingly call out those who intended to paint him in a negative light. One of the lyrics talks about how the media allegedly manipulated the narrative:

"Just read through the columns. They taintin’ the picture but don’t ask who shot ‘em. I swerve all the gossip."

Other lyrics talk about the haters who don't bother him anymore:

"Never basic, let haters stay hating. No debatin', I'm a fan favorite. "

Additionally, the pre-chorus, which is repeated twice in the song, also calls out those who spread misinformation:

"They try to stop me but it's hopeless, there’s no controlling.”

Another line from Renegade that communicates a similar meaning is:

"I see it in their face, I see it in their eyes they about to tell a lie."

Additionally, there's also a part in the music video, where the idol is seen turning into a rat-like character, and several netizens theorized that it might be a metaphor for his downfall in the music industry. However, since he was seen recovering back to his human form as he fought back with his lyrics, people also speculated that he wants his solo debut to be a bold comeback.

Plan B of the music video purely showcased Lucas rolling out the choreography of the song, which is both powerful and a reminder of the style the idol had showcased during his time with NCT.

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Former NCT member Lucas' 2021 controversy

In August of 2021, Lucas was scrutinized following the confession of an anonymous netizen who claimed to be the idol's ex-girlfriend. She accused the idol of several things, including gaslighting, abusing, cheating, stealing, and more. Following her confession, several other netizens also came forward with similar allegations.

This controversy led to the idol receiving heavy criticism from netizens through online campaigns and protest trucks that demanded his departure from NCT and SM Entertainment. As a result, the idol entered a hiatus that lasted up to three years.

In May 2023, SM Entertainment announced that the idol had chosen to depart from NCT and WayV. However, the agency added that will be continuing his career as a soloist under them.

No official statements were issued about the veracity of the allegations against Lucas at the time of writing.

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While there have been several negative thoughts on the idol's new track release, there have also been an equal number of positive comments.