Later that year, they released their first extended play, We Young, alongside its lead single of the same name.

Their first studio album, Hot Sauce, was released in May 2021 and was their first release to be certified 2× Million by the Korea Music Content Association (KMCA).

The reissue of the album, titled Hello Future, was released shortly afterwards alongside a second single and was certified Million by the KMCA.

They released their second studio album, Glitch Mode, in March 2022, followed by its reissue, Beatbox, in May 2022.

In February 2023, NCT Dream released their first Japanese-language single, Best Friend Ever, which reached number three on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, becoming their highest ranking song on the chart to date.