Client: CLASH
Make no mistake, WayV – the Chinese-language subgroup of K-pop megagroup NCT, consisting of Ten, Kun, Xiaojun, Hendery, YangYang, and WinWin – are, shall we say, plenty famous. Since debuting in 2019, they’ve established themselves as having a notably different vibe and aesthetic to their peer subgroups, like NCT DREAM and NCT 127. “People know what WayV’s sound is like… very powerful, like dubstep and keytar, a very heavy sound,” Ten notes.
But it’s precisely because of this longtime calling card – explored across four EPs and debut album, ‘Awaken The World’ – that WayV were getting antsy. In prepping for ‘On My Youth’, their second studio album, they knew they wanted change.
“We said, ‘Give us two different demos [for the lead single],” says Ten, “and when we listened to the first one, it was good but it reminded us of our older songs, and when we listened to ‘On My Youth’, we were like ‘Ohhh’. The verse is ballad-like and very focused on the lyrics but the chorus, it’s like…” Ten pauses and pops a few subtle moves. “It’s not upbeat but it’s not too laid back, it’s a very weird combination.”
Taylor Glasby 