WayV Brings NCT to China with “Regular”
SM Entertainment was not joking when claiming world domination with their revolutionary music collective, which has not only taken over, but also represents the entire world. Neo Culture Technology, popularized as NCT, amazed crowds from their pitch to flawless debut with NCT U’s “The 7th Sense.” The group, in units, finally brought the beloved SM Rookies to global stardom and kept on surprising fans with distinct styles and concepts with each unit. NCT’s latest installment brings it all back to China—WayV had its debut with the Chinese version of “Regular,” a song already known to NCT fans for its Korean and English versions by NCT 127.
“Regular” remains one of NCT’s strongest pop releases. While WayV didn’t get an original song to debut with, the newest NCT unit does the song justice. The group is made up of NCT veterans Kun, Ten, WinWin, and Lucas, as well as new members Xiaojun, Hendery, and YangYang, completing the Chinese-Taiwanese-Thai line-up to perfection. The song might not have been a surprise, but playing it safe might have been the easier, smarter route to take for the group’s first unit with an identified nationality. While NCT U survives on a rotation line-up depending on its concept—NCT Dream initiates younger members into the group with youthful, colorful concepts, and NCT 127 serves as a genre-bending powerful pop group—WayV identifies first and foremost as the group’s Chinese unit.
This isn’t a first for SM groups. Super Junior M and EXO-M are successful units catering exclusively to the Chinese market. Following the footsteps of previous Chinese units, it isn’t all too surprising WayV would have their own Chinese version of an already released and popular NCT song. While “Regular” isn’t particularly as fresh as “The 7th Sense” or as catchy as “Chewing Gum” and “Fire Truck,” it responds perfectly to today’s global pop scene, dominated by artists mashing pop, hip-hop, pc music, and trap all in one. “Regular” has all that plus and eye-catching music video, bringing the visual theme of technology.
WayV is managed by Chinese company Label V and is not being directly promoted as NCT’s newest endeavor. But with the involvement of active NCT members and the release of their own “Regular,” the group is unmistakably being adopted by NCT’s loyal fanbase as one of their own. Branding aside, the group is exciting, and the members are knowingly talented. WayV undoubtedly has exciting things to come and a large, expectant audience.