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SM Entertainment to debut NCT Hollywood, fans ask, 'what about WayV comeback?'

Fans call out the label for debuting a new boy group when the NCT subgroup, WayV has been on a hiatus since March 2021

Just as K-pop becomes more popular in the global space, the boundaries of race, nationality, and ethnicity are soon seeming to blur with newer K-pop artists who are coming from different countries. SM Entertainment has now announced that they are working on a new US-based boy group NCT Hollywood as well as a Japan-based boy group named NCT Japan which will soon make a debut to expand the NCT Universe even further outside of its already existing Korean, Japanese, Thai, and Chinese members. Over the years, K-pop has had many idols from China, Japan, and Thailand and now it seems like these idols born from outside South Korea have made their way into the hearts of fans who love and adore these international idols.

With girl groups like Blackswan adding on one Brazilian and one Indian trainee to their group or be it the upcoming MLD Entertainment group Lapillus that is rumored to have contestants from multiple nationalities or HYBE’s upcoming boy group, Aloners Association made from TraineeA members. It seems like in order to attract the global market, K-pop groups are getting more diverse and hybrid but at what cost? After recent revelations about SM Entertainment’s plans for the upcoming group, fans are expressing their displeasure with the label for their mistreatment of existing boy groups, especially WayV.

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SM Entertainment under fire for ignoring WayV’s activities

SM Entertainment debuted WayV as one of their first-ever hybrid K-pop boy group with all Chinese members. The group was a subunit of the 23-member mega-group NCT which has been loved by NCTzens (fans of NCT) but it now seems like fans are tired of the label and its constant need to add new members to the NCT Universe. NCT by itself has many subunits with members pairing up as duos or being a part of subgroups like NCT U, NCT127, NCT Dream, or WayV. Reports suggest that SM Entertainment is planning on debuting a new boy group NCT Hollywood under the label MGM, a large American production company.

The boy group will be based in the United States while another subgroup is believed to be produced in Japan at the same time named, NCT Japan. With NCT’s multi-subgroup member Lucas Wong who is also part of WayV being MIA following his dating scandal from back in August 2021, fans had been asking the label for more updates about the member as well as a new comeback for the boy group. Ever since Lucas went on a hiatus, the boy group WayV’s activities were put on the back burner with the excuse that the members had been busy with international schedules.

‘What happened to WayV getting a comeback?’

The label seems to be ignoring the pleas of fans with their announcement of a new boy group that has WayV fans demanding the label for fair treatment of the boy group. One fan said, "Can't they prioritize wayv's situation first before they debut new groups." One fan listed, "We don't wan't want nct hollywood, we want: sungtaro fixed unit, wayv's comeback, NCT Dream promoting as 7 members, Tour Dates." One fan wondered, "If nct hollywood and nct tokyo debut before wayv gets a CB." One fan said, "I rlly dont want nct hollywood or nct tokyo to happen yet :/ not when they still have a lot of managing to do w/ the other units. they are so bad at scheduling and can’t even release proper content for wayv. the visions are idols too, what about them?"

One fan said, "But… SM can’t even handle their groups properly(talking about dream & wayv) then now debuting nct tokyo & hollywood???? TREAT DREAM AND WAYV BETTER FIRST." One fan said, "Before nct tokyo and nct hollywood, can we get first a fixed unit for sungtaro and wayv cb." One more fan questioned, "It's funny how they're talking about nct hollywood and tokyo BUT WHAT HAPPENED TO MY WAYV GETTING A CB?????" One fan said, "I WANT SUNGTARO FIXED UNIT AND WAYV COMEBACK NOT NCT HOLLYWOOD THE HELL WAS THAT?!" Another fan said, "WTF SM ENT. YOU'RE ALREADY PREPARING NCT HOLLYWOOD & TOKYO BUT SUNGCHAN & SHOTARO STILL DOESNT HAVE A UNIT (shotaro might be in tokyo though)!?! NO WAYV COMEBACK AND YOU STILL HAVEN'T RELEASED YOUR STATEMENT. COME ON SM, YOU NEVER LEARN."

One fan said, "Ahmmm, okay now I get it, so the SM FCKING ENTERTAINMENT DECIDED TO BUILD ANOTHER UNIT WHICH IS THE NCT HOLLYWOOD AND NCT TOKYO BUT CAN'T UPDATE US FOR THE WAYV COMEBACK AND CAN'T GIVE SUNGCHAN AND SHOTARO A FIXED UNIT??? YOU CAN'T EVEN GIVE US AN UPDATE FOR LUCAS." One fan said, "Nct hollywood, nct tokyo, world tours YET NOT A SINGLE STATEMENT ABOUT WAYV?" One fan said, "I love nct and want to support any units but seeing the way wayv have been put on the back burner again and again is going to turn me into a spiteful little bitch when nct hollywood debuts i can see it already."