NCT Wish (
Japanese: エヌシーティー·ウィッシュ,
Hepburn: Enushītī Wisshu) is a Japanese
boy band and the final sub-unit of the South Korean boy band
NCT, formed and managed by
SM Entertainment and
Avex Trax with SM director and soloist
BoA, in charge as the producer.[2][3] The group consists of six members: Sion, Riku, Yushi, Jaehee, Ryo, Sakuya. They released the single "
Hands Up" on October 8, 2023, ahead of their scheduled debut in 2024.[4][5] The group officially debuted on February 21, 2024, with their eponymous single in South Korea and Japan simultaneously.
Name
On January 17, 2024, NCT Wish was announced as the group's official name of the NCT Tokyo-based sub-unit, multi-national boy group that would promote actively in Japan. The name "NCT Wish" combines the acronym for Neo Culture Technology with the world "Wish" from the catchphrase 'WISH for Our WISH' meaning the ambition to support everyone's wishes and dreams and make them come true together through the music and love.[6][7]
History
2019–2023: Plans, formation and NCT New Team
Prior to the group's debut, Yushi was first introduced as a member of Japanese boy group Edamame Beans at the age of 11 but shortly left the group before debut in the same year. Yushi first auditioned for SM Entertainment in his fourth grade of elementary school and was accepted as a trainee in his 6th grade of elementary school. He later came to Korea in his 6th grade of elementary school and trained for about 7 years prior joining the survival show. Riku had filmed a visual advertisement for his cousin
Ai Takahashi's own cosmetics brand Aimmx in October 2021.[8] Riku was cast through the 2022 SM Global Audition and was a trainee for about 1 years prior joining the survival show.[9] Sion was cast through
Instagram's direct messaging and trained for 4 years prior joining the survival show.[10] In 2022, Ryo was first scouted by SM Entertainment while he was watching NCT 127's concert.[11] In January 2023, Jaehee was scouted by SM Entertainment.[12]
In January 2016, SM Entertainment founder and producer
Lee Soo-man announced plans for a new boy group NCT with different units to be based in cities around the world.[13] On June 20, 2019, SM producer
Chris Lee announced in a presentation that NCT would continue to debut international units, mentioning that the company was in the process of creating a Japanese one. This was re-iterated in an interview with Billboard the following day, where the unit's activities were confirmed to be managed between
Avex Trax and
SM Japan.[1]
On December 1, 2022, SM confirmed plans for a Japanese subunit based in Tokyo following the opening of their Southeast Asian branch.[14][15] As part of their 2023 strategy, the company revealed that the next NCT subunit, tentatively named "NCT Tokyo", would be debuting in the third quarter of the year.[16][17] On February 24, SM announced that NCT Tokyo would the group's final subunit.[18][19]
On May 23, 2023, SM announced that two future
SM Rookies would be part of the new unit's lineup, with the remaining members selected via a pre-debut survival show.[20] The rookies were revealed to be Yushi and Sion on June 28;[21] two days later, SM confirmed that the survival show NCT Universe: Lastart would begin airing on July 27.[22] The official lineup of the group, now referred to as "NCT New Team", was unveiled during the final episode: Sion, Riku, Yushi, Jungmin, Daeyoung, Ryo, Sakuya.[23] The group served as the opening for the rest of NCT at their Japanese NCT Nation: To The World concerts at Yanmar Stadium Nagai in Osaka from September 9 to 10 and again at Ajinomoto Stadium in Tokyo from September 16 to 17.[24] The new NCT unit later embarked on a pre-debut tour beginning on October 8, which consisted of 28 performances across 10 cities in Japan.[25]
On October 2, 2023, SM announced that Jungmin, who had been absent from previous performances, would be departing NCT for health reasons.[26] The unit released their pre-debut single "
Hands Up" on October 8, with their official debut confirmed for 2024.[27]
2024–present: Debut
On January 17, SM Entertainment released a teaser titled "NCT Wish: Wish for Our Wish" and confirmed that NCT New Team would be debuting under the name NCT Wish scheduled in February.[28] The group made their debut on February 28 with the release of the single album Wish, along with both the Japanese and Korean version of the lead single of the
same name.[29][30] They took their first music show win on
SBS M's The Show, 21 days after they debuted.[31]
On February 21, NCT Wish performed their debut single "Wish" for the first time at SMTOWN Live 2024 SMCU Palace at
Tokyo.[32][33]
On April 11, NCT Wish announced their first fan meeting titled "NCT Wish: School of Wish" which will be held for four times at Myunghwa Livehall in
Seoul on May 25–26 and the pre-sale tickets were sold out within 15 minutes.[34] Later they added five more dates with a total of 14 meetings in five cities.[35][36]
On May 3, NCT Wish attended and performed their songs at
GirlsAward, one of the biggest fashion events in Japan.[37][38] On June 25, NCT Wish released their second Japanese single "
Songbird".[39] The Korean version of the single was released as the lead track for the single album of the same name on July 1.[40]
Public image
In January 2024, US Grammy selected NCT Wish as "11 Rookie K-Pop Acts To Know In 2024" through their website.[41][42]
Members
Sion (シオン)
Riku (リク)
Yushi (ユウシ)
Jaehee (ジェヒ)
Ryo (リョウ)
Sakuya (サクヤ)
Discography
Single albums
List of single albums, showing selected details, selected chart positions and sales
^"NCT 마지막팀, NCT WISH 2월 데뷔". 종합일간지 : 신문/웹/모바일 등 멀티 채널로 국내외 실시간 뉴스와 수준 높은 정보를 제공. January 18, 2024.
Archived from the original on February 13, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
^【初プロデュース】高橋愛、コスメを作る!〜撮影メイキング〜 [[First production] Takahashi Ai makes cosmetics! ~Making of the shoot~] (Video) (in Japanese). October 13, 2021 – via
YouTube.
^Kim, Hyo-jin (March 12, 2024).
엔시티 위시(NCT WISH), '더쇼'서 첫 1위...데뷔 21일 만 [NCT WISH takes first place on 'The Show'...21 days after debut] (in Korean). Top Star News.
Archived from the original on March 12, 2024. Retrieved March 12, 2024 – via
Nate.
^Lee, Seon-myung (April 18, 2024).
‘최고 루키’ NCT위시, 팬미팅 4회차 15분만 전석매진 [‘Best Rookie’ NCT Wish, sold out all tickets for the four times fan meeting in just 15 minutes] (in Korean).
Sports Kyunghyang.
Archived from the original on July 10, 2024. Retrieved May 5, 2024 – via
Naver.
^Sun, Mi-kyung (April 19, 2024).
NCT WISH, 서울 찍고 전국 5개 도시 시즈니 만나러 간다 [NCT WISH shoots in Seoul and goes to meet Czennies in 5 cities across the country] (in Korean). Osen.
Archived from the original on May 5, 2024. Retrieved May 5, 2024 – via
Naver.
^Kim, Soo-jin (April 30, 2024).
NCT WISH, 日 최대 패션 음악 축제 '걸스어워드' 5월 3일 출연 [NCT WISH will appear at Japan's largest fashion music festival 'Girls Awards' on May 3] (in Korean). Star News.
Archived from the original on May 5, 2024. Retrieved May 5, 2024 – via
Naver.
^Yoon, Sung-yeol (May 4, 2024).
NCT 위시, 日 최대 패션 음악 축제 떴다..'걸스어워드' 오프닝 장식 [NCT Wish appeared at Japan's largest fashion music festival..'Girls Awards' opening decoration] (in Korean). Star News.
Archived from the original on May 22, 2024. Retrieved May 5, 2024 – via
Naver.
^Lee, Min-ji (June 24, 2024).
"NCT WISH, 오늘(24일) 싱글 'Songbird' 日 버전 최초 공개" [NCT Wish, first release of Japanese version of single 'Songbird' today (24th)] (in Korean). Newsen.
Archived from the original on June 24, 2024. Retrieved July 3, 2024 – via Naver.
^Kim, Jin-seok (July 2, 2024).
"NCT WISH, 국내 주요 음반 차트 일간 1위 차지" [NCT Wish, daily No. 1 on major domestic album charts] (in Korean).
JTBC.
Archived from the original on July 3, 2024. Retrieved July 3, 2024 – via Naver.
^Lee, Ha-na (April 10, 2024).
"대상 주인은 스트레이 키즈, TXT 4관왕→트레저·더보이즈 3관왕(종합][ASEA 2024]" [Grand Prize winner is Stray Kids, TXT 4 wins → Treasure and The Boyz 3 wins (Overall)[ASEA 2024]]. Newsen (in Korean).
Archived from the original on April 11, 2024. Retrieved April 11, 2024.