WayV’s new mini-album, Phantom, is finally here. After over a year and a half since their last release Kick Back, WayV are now back to show a more elegant and mysterious side of themselves. As the new era begins, here are seven things to know about WayV’s Hendery.
Rapper, Lyricist, and Composer
Hendery has demonstrated his songwriting abilities in a number of songs. The rapper is well-known for his versatile rap lines that reveal his emotions. Songs like “Only Human” discuss the difficulties of life as an artist, and his lyrics in “Beautiful” give encouragement with lines like “This time, you can face the rain / Next time, you can beat the pain.”
In his solo work, he wrote and co-composed the song “WuKong” alongside WayV’s leader, Kun. The track showcased his interest in gaming and drew parallels to his own persona. WuKong is a loyal and cunning king with a mocking personality. Hendery paid tribute to a character from League of Legends, a game he enjoys, and the magical creature from Chinese mythology.
A Studious Drummer
Hendery’s talents as an artist range from being one of WayV’s main rappers to being skilled at variety shows, but it doesn’t stop there. In 2020, the musician became interested in learning how to play the drums and documented his progress on WayV’s YouTube vlog series, WayV-Log. His eagerness to learn the new skill motivated him to make time for the lessons. He mentioned in the vlog how difficult it was because he could only take classes in between schedules.
During his learning process, he practiced with WayV’s track “Moonwalk” and explained his struggles with stability and rhythm, but he did not give up on his lessons. A while after, he uploaded more videos on his progress and shared a video of himself playing Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes’ “Señorita.”
Happy Virus Hendery
Hendery has a noticeably bright personality, which makes him popular among fans. He mentioned that he studied acting for a while and that one of the reasons he took the lessons was because he wanted to be a comedian. During one of WayV’s fan call events, a fan asked the reasons behind this, and Hendery stated it was because he just wanted to make everyone laugh. Whether it’s for his WayV members or for the entire NCT, Hendery seems to lift the mood of those around him.
Cantonese Class with Teacher Hendery
WayV’s members are recognized by fans as “multilingual kings,” and Hendery lives up to the name. The Macau-born artist is fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean, and English, and has used his language skills in one of WayV-ariety episodes where he acted as a teacher.
Encouraging fans to learn expressions in Cantonese, the five-chapter lesson covered topics such as food, money, work, supermarket, and phone calls. However, this is not the first time Hendery has demonstrated his aptitude for teaching. When WayV debuted, he helped his Thai bandmate, Ten, learn Mandarin.
Anime Lover and Video Game Enthusiast
Hendery is open when it comes to sharing his interests with fans. It is common to hear him tell WeyZenNi about the latest anime he has watched or even make League of Legends references on social media. Hendery happily mentions his interests with fans in spaces such as his live streams. For example, he once showed his jutsu skills from Naruto, and joked about “still learning” the moves.
He has also tried cosplaying, dressing up as Conan’s killer from Detective Conan during the SMTOWN Halloween Party in 2021. Despite having trouble seeing with the suit, Hendery stayed in character and had fun playing his part.
WayV’s Little Friends’ Bestie
The WayV family also includes the members’ three pets—Siamese and Abyssinian cats, Louis and Leon, respectively, and beagle Bella. They are frequently featured on the group’s social media and group video content. And on many occasions, Hendery has expressed his love and affection for them. Despite claiming to be a cat person, he can be seen having fun with all of the pets and displaying his cuter side to fans. It’s also not uncommon to see a few more revealing pics mixed in among the cute ones.
His photos also made it onto WayV’s little friends’ t-shirt that the group members always wear.
Prince-like Hendery
WayV’s fans, WayZenNi, have compared Hendery to royalty since his debut. And no, that is not a reference to his role as Henpunzel for WayV’s 2020 Halloween activities. Fans have said his features resemble the classic beauty of royalty such as those of Prince Eric from The Little Mermaid. Additionally, even his members have pointed out these features as part of his charm.
WayV stand out in such themes because of their concept, which frequently incorporates regal styles. Hendery previously wore a princely look during the preparations for their last mini-album, Kick Back, which showcased the group’s more mature side.
What’s Next for Hendery
With the release of the new album, Phantom, a new era has begun and we are eager to see new sides of Hendery and WayV. If you want to stay up to date on Hendery and WayV, follow him on Instagram and WayV on Twitter and YouTube.
Interested in learning more about WayV members? Check out 7 things to know about Xiaojun here.
