We have a new obsession. Well, it has kind of been building for a while. Did it begin years ago while watching Ten on Hit the Stage? Or was it the glimpses of greatness we saw in the very back when NCT first debuted? I can’t tell you when our love began, but it has certainly been growing steadily since January, 2019 when the NCT sub-group WayV came bursting onto the scene. Read on to discover more about the awesomeness that is WayV, must watch videos, and everything a new fan might need to know about the music and group members.

So, first… Didn’t you say this was a sub-group of NCT? How did that happen?

WayV (Weishen V) is comprised of seven members. Four of these members were part of the original NCT, but three of them have been in the SM basement as rookies. The other important thing to know is the members of WayV are based in China. They come from China, Thailand, Macau, and Germany, but are ethnically Chinese. This is likely both an attempt to diversify for market share, to give some additional exposure to talented performers, and to protect against potential political issues. In particular, the Korean and Chinese political relationship has been strained in recent history, and this greatly impacted Korean performers (actors and idols) in China. So, although WayV is still a sub-group and still under the SM umbrella, it is far enough removed that if any tensions arise in the future, then they should be able to continue promoting, despite their Korean connection.

Now that we have established a bit of the reasoning behind establishing this new group, it is time to wave our fangirl flags a bit. Drama Geek and Kdrama Jen are pretty obsessed with this group. So, let’s start with introducing the members.

Kun

Kun is the leader of the the group and the oldest member of WayV. He is a vocalist and a talented piano player. He is known for taking care of the other group members and cooks for them. They jokingly refer to him as “mom” at times, but he really dislikes it.

Lucas

Lucas is originally from Hong Kong and was once a model. He is a rapper and dancer, and he carries himself with confidence. He debuted with NCT U and he seems to enjoy posting “boyfriend videos” on Instagram. You have to check them out! He acts like he is talking directly to you. If you ever need a quick pick-me-up or confidence boost, these videos will do the trick!

Ten

Ten is a vocalist, dancer, and rapper. He is from Thailand, so he has had to learn Korean and Chinese in order to communicate with various NCT members. He is also talented in drawing and graphic design. Still, it is his DANCING that sets him apart. He was part of Hit the Stage where he wowed the crowds with his unique choreography and he has a natural grace that translates to many genres of dance. He also has a really beautiful voice that we can actually hear now that he is part of WayV.

XiaoJun

XiaoJun is from China and is from a family of musicians and entertainers. He was a trainee for SM, so this is his official debut. He is interested in song writing. His powerful vocals can be heard featured in several WayV songs.

WinWin

WinWin is also from China. He is a lead dancer and has been a member of NCT U and NCT127. His background is in traditional Chinese dance. He has a gentle personality. There has been a bit of an outcry by fans because he was not included in NCT127’s most recent promotions or concert tours. The official reason given for this is because he is currently focused on WayV promotions.

Hendery

Hendery is from Macau. He is a lead dancer and was a trainee before joining WayV. He is known for being very helpful and he also is patiently helping Ten learn Chinese.

YangYang

YangYang is the youngest member. Like Hendery, he was a trainee before joining WayV as a rapper and dancer. He is Taiwanese, but he was raised in Germany. He speaks many languages, and he often acts as a translator for Ten.

This was just a brief introduction to the members, but you really get to see the foundation of their talent (and some personality) when you see them showcasing their dancing and singing skills in smaller projects they called Rainbow V. This project was designed to give them the opportunity to share their talents, pursue ideas of their own, and show different sides of themselves. They are all from different places and have seven different personalities “like the seven colors of the rainbow,” as Ten explained in one of their videos.

We will begin with Ten and Winwin choreographing and performing modern dance to the Billie Eilish/ Khalid song

Kdrama Jen: I can’t stop watching this! Drama Geek posted it to our group chat a while ago and I have probably watched it over fifty seventy times since then. I love the way they tell a story with their movements and how fluid and synchronized they are throughout the song. Winwin’s training is in traditional Chinese dance, so you can truly see that foundation in this particular piece, and Ten continues to impress with his powerful moves and conveniently loose crop tops.

Drama Geek: I have to admit that going into WayV, Ten was the only one I knew, so anything with him in it catches my attention. The best part of this collaboration is watching how much effort they put into it. They all had to plan every aspect of their projects and these two choreographed (even though neither are contemporary dancers) this piece. They were both very interested in telling a story, and that is really what makes this piece standout. I have been using it for character inspiration.

Kun and XiaoJun duet

Kdrama Jen: These two are not only vocally talented, but they are both aspiring composers and songwriters. The behind the scenes videos show them working together to transpose their song. This acoustic guitar-accompanied ballad allows Kun and Xiao Jun’s vocals to really shine.

Drama Geek: When their first MV came out, my eyes were drawn to XiaoJun’s bone structure. Then I watched a video of him singing with his brother and dad and I fell in love with his voice. I’m glad these two chose something that really showcased their beautiful voices.

Hendery, Lucas, and YangYang Freestyle

Kdrama Jen: Raw talent. The duos all seemed to put in so much time and hard work, and then you see these three goofballs just dancing around and improvising. Still…this is impressive!

Drama Geek: I laughed so hard at their “practice” video. They really just ran around the dance studio and did nothing that had to do with the final product. But it does speak for their talent that their video came out so well. I also loved watching them complement each other on the behind-the-scenes

And now…let’s see them all together. They recently released the MV for their song Take Off.

Kdrama Jen: I loved the visuals in this MV. It is especially interesting to see all of them working together after seeing the different sides of themselves they showed in their Rainbow V project. It is hard to believe that such talent was either locked away in the trainee studio or hidden behind all of the many NCT members in the spotlight. As an early fan of Ten, I was always so disappointed when we barely had a chance to see him. I actually like the idea that NCT has these subgroups; now we get the chance to really appreciate individual talent.

Drama Geek: Ten is their center when they’re performing, and it has given them a really great foundation. They are all super talented and it’s nice to hear and see them do their thing and not be lost in the crowd of NCT (or the basement).

They also released an MV for the Chinese version of Regular.

Kdrama Jen: When I first saw this, I did not know all of the members by name and with all the costume changes, I had a hard time figuring things out. Watching it now that I “know” everyone makes it that much more enjoyable. They are a multi-talented group with some very powerful dance moves! I listen to this song as a drive. It just has a fun vibe that makes me happy.

Drama Geek: There are several videos of them where each member talks about one of the other guys in the group after investigating them for a few days. It helped me learn more about each member and see their relationships. After watching all of them, I decided to go back and watch this MV, since I really only knew Ten when it came out. Now that I know a lot more about them, I find myself wanting each of them to get the spotlight and shine. I’m very excited for what else they have to show us in the future.

Final Thoughts:

Drama Geek: I am pretty picky when it comes to delving deeper into a Kpop group. I usually stick to the few I fell in love with when I first became a fan. I’m happy to say that WayV has been added to my regular listening rotation, and has become a group I want to learn more about. Hopefully after this, you will too.

Kdrama Jen: This is definitely my new obsession. Drama Geek and I send links back and forth all day long. I stalk Weibo, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. I joined a WayV amino. I love their sound, their personalities, and their dancing. I sincerely hope this small glimpse will convince others to check them out. Now, if you will excuse me…I have to go rewatch that modern dance with Ten and Winwin once again. My heart!

So…what about you? Are you ready to give WayV a try? Have you been listening and need a place to talk about the way Lucas looks in leather or the sophisticated production of the Take Off MV? We want to hear from you! Please comment below.

Until the Next Obsession,

Kdrama Jen and Drama Geek

Dramas with a Side of Kimchi