NU'EST W
| Company type | Sub-unit of a music group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Predecessor | NU'EST |
| Founded | 2017 |
| Defunct | 2018-12-31 |
| Headquarters | Seoul , South Korea |
Area served | South Korea, Asia |
Key people | JR, Aron, Baekho, Ren |
| Products | Music albums, singles, soundtracks |
| Parent | NU'EST |
NU'EST W represented the second sub-unit formed from the South Korean boy group NU'EST, comprising members JR, Aron, Baekho, and Ren. This lineup was active during the period when Minhyun was engaged with Wanna One. The sub-unit ceased activities following Minhyun's reintegration on December 31, 2018.
Predebut: Produce 101 Season 2
At the start of 2017, NU'EST members JR, Baekho, Ren, and Minhyun took part in Produce 101 Season 2. Minhyun secured 9th place, leading to his debut with Wanna One. As a result, NU'EST continued promotions as a four-member ensemble under the name NU'EST W until Minhyun's comeback.[1] The letter "W" stands for "wait," symbolizing both the group's hopeful anticipation for Minhyun's return and the fans' enduring support during this interval.
2017: Debut
The sub-unit NU'EST W made their official debut on October 10, 2017, with the EP W, Here and its main track "Where You At".[2] The release was met with positive reception, securing their inaugural music show victories on M! Countdown (October 19) and Music Bank (October 20). Within its first week, W, Here sold upwards of 200,000 copies, positioning NU'EST W as the fourth K-pop group to reach this benchmark and uniquely as the only sub-unit to do so.[3] Additionally, in October 2017, they were appointed as brand ambassadors for BLACKYAK’s "Art of the Youth" outdoor apparel campaign.[4]
On December 23, 2017, NU'EST W contributed the track "Let Me Out" to the soundtrack of the drama A Korean Odyssey, marking their initial participation in a Korean drama OST since debut.[5]
2018: Who, You, Wake, N, and disbandment
Prior to releasing Who, You, Pledis Entertainment executed a one-day advertising campaign in New York City's Times Square to promote NU'EST W’s upcoming album and express gratitude to fans. On June 25, 2018, they unveiled their second EP titled Who, You, featuring the lead single "Dejavu", which achieved number one positions across three major South Korean music charts. The first live rendition of "Dejavu" occurred during their album showcase on release day.
On August 26, NU'EST W released "AND I", an OST for the historical drama Mr. Sunshine, which attained top rankings on Mnet, Naver Music, and Soribada charts. Subsequently, on October 1, they collaborated with NC Soft’s character franchise Spoonz for the song "I Don't Care". Alongside labelmates Seventeen, NU'EST W was also named ambassadors for the fried chicken brand Nene Chicken.
On November 8, the Gaon Chart awarded Who, You platinum certification for surpassing 250,000 copies sold. Later that month, on November 26, NU'EST W issued their final EP as a unit entitled Wake, N, led by the title track "Help Me", which topped domestic charts such as Naver and Soribada. They achieved their first music show trophy for "Help Me" on Music Bank dated December 7. The sub-unit disbanded following Minhyun's return from Wanna One activities.
Extended plays
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Sales | Certifications | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KOR | US World | |||||
| W, Here |
|
1 | 5 |
|
||
| Who, You |
|
1 | 9 |
|
| |
| Wake, N |
|
1 | — |
|
||
| "—" indicates releases that did not chart or were not available in that territory. | ||||||
Singles
| Song Title | Release Year | Highest Chart Positions | Sales Figures | Corresponding Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea | South Korea Hot 100 |
US World | ||||||
| "If You" (있다면) | 2017 | 2 | 49 | 23 | *South Korea: 417,127+ | Non-album single | ||
| "Where You At" | 1 | 2 | — | *South Korea: 321,931+ | W, Here | |||
| "Dejavu" | 2018 | 5 | 2 | — | — | Who, You | ||
| "Help Me" | 9 | 3 | — | Wake, N | ||||
| A dash ("—") indicates the track did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||
Additional charted tracks
| Song Title | Year Released | Peak Chart Positions | Sales Volume | Album Name | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea | Hot 100 | ||||
| "My Beautiful" | 2017 | 19 | 7 |
|
W, Here |
| "Paradise" (Ren solo) |
38 | 12 |
| ||
| "Good Love" (Aron solo) |
40 | 13 |
| ||
| "With" (JR solo) |
33 | 11 |
| ||
| "지금까지 행복했어요" Template:Literal translation Thankful for You (Baekho solo) |
25 | 9 |
| ||
| "Polaris" | 2018 | 67 | 6 | Who, You | |
| "Signal" | 85 | 8 | |||
| "YlenoL" | 92 | 9 | |||
| "Gravity&Moon" (중력달) | 93 | 10 | |||
| "Shadow" | 94 | 11 | |||
Soundtrack contributions
| Track Title | Year Issued | Highest Chart Ranking | Associated Soundtrack Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea | |||
| "Let Me Out" | 2017 | 95 | A Korean Odyssey OST Part.1 |
| "And I" | 2018 | 64 | Mr. Sunshine OST Part.10 |
2017 NU'EST W FANMEETING 'L.O.Λ.E & DREAM'
| Date | City | Country | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 26–27, 2017 | Seoul | South Korea | Korea University Gymnasium | 10,000 |
Special Mini Concert 2017
| Date | Country | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 10, 2017 | Taiwan | Taiwan Sports Center | 3,000 |
| November 18, 2017 | Hong Kong | Star Hall | 3,000 |
Double You
| Date | City | Country | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 16–18, 2018 | Seoul | South Korea | SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium | 16,000 |
| April 28, 2018 | Bangkok | Thailand | Thunder Dome | N/A |
| May 12, 2018 | Jakarta | Indonesia | The Kasablanka Hall | N/A |
| May 26, 2018 | Taipei | Taiwan | New Taipei City Exhibition Hall | N/A |
| September 23, 2018 | Hong Kong | Hong Kong | Star Hall | N/A |
| October 27, 2018 | Bangkok | Thailand | Thunder Dome | N/A |
| December 15–16, 2018 | Seoul | South Korea | Jamsil Indoor Stadium | 14,000 |