The group was announced on December 31st, 2018, and their debut EP The Vision was released on January 17, 2019. They made their live stage debut on Chinese show "All For One" on February 14th, 2019 performing their lead single "理所当然 (Regular)" and b-side "噩梦 (Come Back)". Following this, they appeared on Happy Camp, one of China's most watched TV shows, in March to promote themselves as rookie Chinese group.
During downtime between album promotions, WayV partook in a self-produced creative project called RainbowV in which the group, broken into sub-units, selected songs to cover and independently produce the arrangements, choreography, cinematic design, and more. Episodes detailing their creative process were released weekly on their Weibo and YouTube pages. TEN and WinWin's project, a dance cover of lovely by Billie Eilish feat. Khalid even received recognition and praise by Khalid on his twitter in April 2019.
On May 9th, Take Off was released digitally, with title track "无翼而飞 (Take Off)". The song was described as an urban dance genre track with powerful trap drum sounds and a catchy club bass line. This was paired with a visually powerful music video, shot in the Ukraine. The song was successful, peaking at #1 on QQmusic and iTunes worldwide charts. A physical release of the Take Off album occurred later that month.
During October, WayV member TEN made his American debut with SM's "k-pop supergroup" SuperM. He made history becoming the first Chinese & Thai artist to debut at #1 on the Billboard 100.
In November, the full group came back with Take Over the Moon. For the first time, WayV promoted in Korea- having their debut special stage for the title track "天选之城 (Moonwalk)" on Show Champion, November 1st. Their physical album also released, with unique presses in China, Korea, and Thailand.
On November 5th, SM Entertainment released a special English version of the b-side track Love Talk, accompanied by a music video on QQmusic and Youtube. The single peaked at #1 on the QQmusic best seller daily chart, and has sold over 182,000 digital copies to date.
In December, WayV performed a mashup of Take Off and Moonwalk at the 2019 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) in Japan, where they also won the "Best New Asian Artist" award. They performed the same medley at the Zheijiang New Years Eve Party, broadcasted in China on December 31st, closing out WayV's explosively successful first year as a Chinese idol group.
In 2020, WayV was the second group from SM Entertainment to hold a live online concert, jointly organized by SM Entertainment and Naver as part of the world's first online-dedicated live concert series, Beyond LIVE. The live concert, which was WayV first-ever concert and titled WayV – Beyond the Vision, was held on May 3. The group performed songs from their prior albums, as well as a mashup of "Turn Back Time" and "Bad Alive", two tracks on their first studio album Awaken the World that was set for release five weeks later on June 9, 2020.
After many months of anticipation, WayV's first full length album Awaken the World was released on June 9th, 2020. The MV for the title track Turn Back Time premiered a few hours later on June 10th. A handful of tracks on the album feature songwriting credits for members Hendery and Yangyang, including Only Human, Electric Hearts, and also Stand By Me (for Hendery only). Upon its release, WayV earned their first top-three entry on Tencent Music's UNI Chart (previously known as Yo! Bang) and the Gaon Album Chart. The album also peaked at number nine on the Billboard World Albums chart, while "Turn Back Time" ranked at number twelve on the World Digital Song Sales chart. Awaken the World became the group's first release to chart on Japanese music charts, appearing on both Billboard Japan Hot Albums and Oricon Weekly Albums Chart. Subsequently, the group released a Korean version of "Turn Back Time" digitally accompanied with a similar music video. On July 29, an English version of the track "Bad Alive" was released as a digital single. The single ranked at number one on QQ Music's Daily Digital Sales chart and earned Gold certification within hours of its release. It peaked at number six on the platform's weekly chart.
WayV participated in NCT's project NCT 2020, which included members of WayV, the other NCT subunits, and two new members. The group released their album in two parts, with NCT 2020 Resonance Pt. 1 released in October and NCT 2020 Resonance Pt. 2 in November, marking WayV's first official promotion as an NCT subunit and Xiaojun, Hendery, and Yangyang's official induction as NCT members. For the album, WayV recorded the song "月之迷 (Nectar)", which debuted at number twelve on the UNI Chart. By the end of the year, WayV received international awards from Mnet Asian Music Awards and Asia Artist Awards and ranked third on the UNI Chart Top 10 Groups of 2020 based on their achievements on the local chart.
On March 10, 2021, WayV released their third EP, Kick Back, with the lead single of the same name. It would also be the final NCT album to feature Lucas due to his hiatus and eventual departure in 2023. Member Winwin was absent during the promotion of the album given he were undergoing quarantine in China due to solo schedules. The album became the group's first number one album on the Gaon Album Chart and eventually earned the group their first certification for selling more than 250,000 copies in South Korea. On June 23, WayV released a new song "Everytime" as part of the soundtrack album for Chinese drama Falling Into Your Smile.
In June 2021, SM Entertainment formed the group's first sub-unit, WayV-KUN&XIAOJUN. The sub-unit debuted by releasing a pop-ballad single album titled "Back to You". In August 17, the second sub-unit, WayV-TEN&YANGYANG, debuted with the hip-hop single "Low Low". A third sub-unit, WayV – Lucas & Hendery, was scheduled to debut with a digital single titled "Jalapeño" on August 25, although the project was canceled due to controversy surrounding Lucas' private life.
WayV members participated in the promotion of NCT's third studio album Universe, released on December 14, 2021. The group recorded the English song "Miracle" for the album. Winwin did not participate in the album. Lucas was suspended from any promotional activities due to his cheating and gaslighting controversy, and Winwin had established a personal studio in China.
WayV announced the release of their fourth EP, Phantom, on December 9, 2022. The group later delayed the release to December 28 following the passing of former president of China, Jiang Zemin. Released almost two years from their previous EP, Phantom marks the group's first album release as a sextet. To support the album, WayV embarked on a six month long eponymous global fanmeeting tour, starting with two shows in Seoul on February 11, and spanning across various venues in Asia and Europe, ending in Macau on August 13th. WayV also subsequently held their first solo event in Japan titled "The First Vision" at Pia Arena MM in Kanagawa on May 6–7, 2023. Three days later, on May 10, 2023, SM Entertainment announced that Lucas would be departing from NCT and WayV to pursue his individual endeavors after being put on hiatus for nearly two years.
On June 14, 2023, WayV were announced to perform at KCON LA for the first time in their career for a performance on August 18th, 2023. It marked the group's first performance in North America. On July 25, 2023, it was announced on KWANGYA Club that WayV leader KUN would be unable to participate in the festival due to an ankle injury earlier in the year. The group performed their widely famous and popular song “Love Talk - English Version” as well as the English version of their song “Phantom” and the KCON official theme song, Poppia, as an opening.
On August 26, 2023, WayV participated in NCT's first full group concert, NCT Nation at Incheon Stadium in South Korea. With performances of Take Off, a rock version of Kick Back, Nectar, and an English version of Kun's Phantom remix, WayV members also performed several songs as members of various NCT U groups, including new tracks such as Kangaroo, PADO, The BAT, Call D, Alley Oop, Baggy Jeans, Interlude: Oasis, among other tracks. This marked WayV's first concert performance as a full group.
On November 1st, 2023, WayV released their highly anticipated second full album On My Youth in digital formats, with the albums physical release on November 8th. The album features ten songs, including the title track "On My Youth" and "On My Youth - English Version". The album topped iTunes charts in 17 countries across the globe on the day of its release, ranked first on the daily Hanteo Chart on the day of its release, rose to No. 1 on the digital album sales chart of QQ Music, China's largest music platform, within 5 minutes of its release, ranked No. 1 on the digital album sales charts of Kugou Music and Wang Yiwon Music, became a certified Platinum Album on QQ Music, and ranked first on Japan's Line Music real-time album top 100 chart. The album earned the group its highest first day sales with 170,000 copies, surpassing the groups first week sales for any release while also making the group million sellers. Within its first week, the album sold 337,000 copies, doubling that of previous releases Phantom and Kick Back. On My Youth became a Platinum certified album through KMCA Album certification in January 2024 for its sales achievements, making it the second album by the group to do so.
To support the album, WayV began an album showcase tour in Mainland China starting on November 1st throughout the month of November. Each of the six stops sold out almost instantly upon going up for sale.
In November, WayV won the Global Male Group of the Year Award at the SuperSonic Festival held in Bangkok, Thailand.
King of Hearts
WAYV Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
King, king of hearts
等待的耐心
已经被消耗到所剩无几
Right now 要转变
我只是想要收到你的答应
来电显示有你的消息
迷失在你笑容
已经无路可走
拥抱永不够
只好自己承受
你让我怎么去等
完全不可能
对你要认真 hey
Hope you can listen my heart
Drinking and taking my mind of the game
面对面正面接触 view
面对面心跳加速 true
至今我不能让步
Drippin' slow, man relax
睡美人整夜不眠 no sleep
笑起来糖果般甜
Caramel cherry on top
濒临到极限 yeah, yeah
多少想你的夜 停留的视线 yeah, yeah
We should be together, you should know
I wanna be your king of hearts
Just let me be your king of hearts
紧握就别轻易 let you go, let you go
不想擦肩而过 waiting for, waiting for
Always be your king of hearts
距离框不住渴望
Girl, you占据心扉的脸庞
I need you more
无条件的沉瘾 fall in love
I can be your king of hearts
Early morning, 5A.M.
记忆还是那么深刻
Keep swerving, why you act so cool?
Face the moment, face the facts
赖在我身边的你
离开我身边的你
Promise me you won't leave (leave, please)
Got invited to this party
人群中最闪耀的你
就让你带领着我
继续琢磨 Why you so fool?
Gotta get real
直到无法呼吸你的空气
回忆里是你的双臂
曾经我们定下约定
拿走氧气我也愿意
清晨的瞬间 yeah, yeah
梦境持续播送 亲吻你的脸 yeah, yeah
We should be together, you should know
I wanna be your king of hearts
Just let me be your king of hearts
紧握就别轻易 let you go, let you go
不想擦肩而过 waiting for, waiting for
Always be your king of hearts
距离框不住渴望
Girl, you 占据心扉的脸庞
I need you more
无条件的沉瘾 Fall in love
I can be your king of hearts
不再害怕 Where we are
距离框不住渴望
做你唯一 King of hearts
Yeah, 'cause you should know the way that I been feeling
I'm going through the motions I'm still dealing
Girl, you are my star
Doesn't matter where we go, there you are
'Cause I'm the I'm the king, king of hearts
The lyrics of WAYV's song "King of Hearts" revolve around a person who sees themselves as the king of hearts, someone who desires to be the most significant person in someone else's life. The song reflects their longing for a special someone and their determination to be with them. The lyrics convey their impatience, as they feel their patience has been worn thin while waiting for a response from the person they are interested in.
The lyrics also express the singer's deep infatuation with this person, how they are lost in their smile, and how they cannot find a way out of their feelings. They describe how they long for more than just physical closeness, as hugging is not enough. The singer wonders how they can continue waiting, as they feel it is impossible to not take their feelings seriously. They hope that the person they are longing for will listen to their heart and give them a chance.
The lyrics also touch upon the singer's willingness to overcome any obstacles for love. They mention drinking to distract themselves from the situation and express how they cannot let go of their desire for this person. The singer compares the person they desire to a sweet cherry on top of a caramel dessert, emphasizing their appeal. They also mention the feeling of being on the brink, with their desire reaching its limits. The lyrics highlight the singer's determination to be together with the person, not wanting to miss the opportunity and willing to be their king of hearts.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, I'm the king, I'm the king
I have a strong presence and dominance in your life
King, king of hearts
I want to be the one who holds your heart
等待的耐心 已经被消耗到所剩无几
I've patiently waited for so long and now my patience is running out
Right now 要转变
I want things to change right now
我只是想要收到你的答应
I just want to receive your approval
来电显示有你的消息
I hope to see a message from you when my phone rings
迷失在你笑容 已经无路可走
I have lost myself in your smile and have nowhere else to go
拥抱永不够 只好自己承受
I can never have enough of your embrace, so I have to endure it alone
你让我怎么去等 完全不可能
It's impossible for me to wait for you the way you want me to
对你要认真 hey
I have to take you seriously
Hope you can listen my heart
I hope you can understand my feelings for you
Drinking and taking my mind of the game
I'm trying to distract myself from the pain by drinking
面对面正面接触 view
Having direct contact and seeing each other face to face
面对面心跳加速 true
My heart beats faster when we are face to face
至今我不能让步
Until now, I haven't been able to give in
Drippin' slow, man relax
Let things happen naturally and take it easy
睡美人整夜不眠 no sleep
I can't sleep because I'm thinking about you all night
笑起来糖果般甜
Your smile is as sweet as candy
Caramel cherry on top
You are the sweetest and most desirable person
濒临到极限 yeah, yeah
I'm reaching my limit
多少想你的夜 停留的视线 yeah, yeah
I can't help but think of you every night
We should be together, you should know
We should be in a relationship, and I hope you understand that
I wanna be your king of hearts
I want to be the one who captures your heart entirely
Just let me be your king of hearts
Please allow me to be the one who holds your heart
紧握就别轻易 let you go, let you go
I'm holding onto you tightly and don't want to let you go easily
不想擦肩而过 waiting for, waiting for
I don't want to miss the chance of being with you
Always be your king of hearts
I will always strive to be the one who holds your heart
距离框不住渴望
Distance cannot contain my longing for you
Girl, you 占据心扉的脸庞
Girl, your face occupies my heart
I need you more
I need you even more than before
无条件的沉瘾 fall in love
I have an unconditional addiction to falling in love with you
I can be your king of hearts
I have the potential to be the one who holds your heart
Early morning, 5A.M.
In the early morning at 5 AM
记忆还是那么深刻
The memories are still deeply engraved in my mind
Keep swerving, why you act so cool?
Why are you trying to act so cool and distant?
Face the moment, face the facts
We need to face the current situation and reality
赖在我身边的你
You who always cling to me
离开我身边的你
You who have left my side
Promise me you won't leave (leave, please)
Please promise me that you won't leave
Got invited to this party
I received an invitation to this party
人群中最闪耀的你
You, who are the most radiant in the crowd
就让你带领着我
I want you to lead me
继续琢磨 Why you so fool?
I keep thinking, why are you acting foolish?
Gotta get real
I need to face reality
直到无法呼吸你的空气
Until I can no longer breathe your air
回忆里是你的双臂
In my memories, it's your embrace
曾经我们定下约定
We once made a commitment
拿走氧气我也愿意
I am willing to give up the air I breathe for you
清晨的瞬间 yeah, yeah
In that moment of early morning, yeah, yeah
梦境持续播送 亲吻你的脸 yeah, yeah
The dream continues to play, kissing your face, yeah, yeah
不再害怕 Where we are
I'm no longer afraid of where we stand
距离框不住渴望
Distance cannot contain my longing for you
做你唯一 King of hearts
I want to be your one and only King of hearts
Yeah, 'cause you should know the way that I been feeling
Because you should be aware of how I've been feeling
I'm going through the motions I'm still dealing
I'm going through the motions and still trying to cope with it
Girl, you are my star
Girl, you are my shining star
Doesn't matter where we go, there you are
It doesn't matter where we go, because you are always there
'Cause I'm the I'm the king, king of hearts
Because I am the king, the ruler of hearts
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Daniel Obi Klein, Hendery, Yang Yang Liu, Andreas Oberg, Charlotte Taft, Yan Ting Pan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind