This is the second OG NCT member to not renew their contract. Unlike Mark though Ten is still apart of NCT and WayV. I dont blame him for leaving SM. They have treated him terribly since 7th sense.
PhoenixHusky on
well
DokiDokiEvening on
tldr: ten is not renewing, effective april 8.
milkysehun on
I’m not surprised at all but at least he still apart of WayV and NCT.
Good luck to him!
Mimi108 on
Thank goodness he will still remain with WayV and NCT. Ten is so precious. But seeing that notice really did make me jump, especially as an NCTzen. It’s been a week, it’s been quite a week.
cubsgirl101 on
Good for Ten to get out of SM! They have no ability to handle their foreign members. And I’m glad he’s still staying on in NCT/WayV. That’s promising news.
Silverstealth3 on
Dang, there’s still Taeyong, Doyoung, and Jaehyun afterward. Crazy to see the very first NCT Unit leaving SM
seungmooooooo on
SM never deserved Ten in the first place. he’s a fucking star and i wish him all the best
Nightstar14 on
Crazy that he stayed with his groups. it really shows how massive of a decision is was for mark to decide to leave
Reasonable_Ninja5708 on
I’ll never understand how SM has been able to get away with having 10 year contracts. They apparently found some loophole to add the extra 3 years because of overseas activities or something, but it’s still insane. Groups that debuted after NCT (like Stray Kids, TXT, Ateez, Itzy, I-dle) are already on their second contracts while NCT’s contracts are just barely expiring.
dramafan1 on
I feel like idols leaving SM shouldn’t come as a surprise anymore to me. On the other hand a decade is quite a long time to spend at one company.
BUBunique on
As a long time fan of Ten I came here just to celebrate! This is amazing!
3-X-O on
At least he’s staying in the group 😭
insidedarkness on
I’m not surprised this happened but I do wonder how this impacts WayV. Typically when members don’t renew with the company but stay in the group, the group as a whole usually becomes less active. But the other WayV members still have a few years before their contracts are up so SM would want the group pretty active unless they choose to have the others focus more on solo activities.
I’m assuming Ten leaving is a sign that he wants different management for this solo career but it’s how that’s juggled with WayV promotions that will be interesting to watch. What if SM wants to continue prioritizing WayV to the point that it’s hard for Ten to do more solo stuff?
cwarosvski on
Ten to me comes across as similar to Taemin in that, they’re both ambitious and wanted more for their solo careers. And, SM wasn’t giving it to them, so they decided to leave the company. It wouldn’t surprise me if Ten’s career follows the same trajectory as Taemin’s with more international audiences
wolfsmanning08 on
I wonder if he wants to focus more on his solo career? Stunner did pretty good last year. I wish we could get a tell all about SM.
sourmomo on
> Moving forward, we will continue to stay in close communication to explore opportunities for TEN to participate in WayV and NCT activities, where possible.
Honestly the best outcome I could have hoped for. Ten is a star, hope he finds better support outside of SM and achieves all his dreams.
Chutneysandwich16 on
This one was expected but I’m so concerned for WayV going forward. They’ve had a terrible time at SM + Hallyu ban and of course with the Lucas thing. This effectively puts them in a much more precarious position.
Anyway happy for Ten tho I hope he gets to do what he wants.
funwithgoats on
Okay…this one is too much for me. WayV are the most cursed group in history but I love them so much. I hope Ten keeps releasing music. He is so good solo.
Ok-Elk-1520 on
I’m glad he’s getting out of that company. SM have a bizarre habit of consciously choosing to debut foreigners, but treating them like second class citizens once they debut.
diaphoni on
I don’t know how much more I can take emotionally lol
animejerk7763 on
It seems like he is leaving SM but he is not leaving WayV.
barbarapalvinswhore on
I’m glad he is staying with NCT because I don’t think my NCTzen friends could take another member leaving so soon after Mark. I see other comments here saying him declining to renew his contract isn’t a surprise because of how he’s been treated, so I am happy he gets to continue his individual career elsewhere.
hubbabubbatubbalub on
Well shit
anirakdream on
Not sure if this departure is the best move? I felt like his solo output during SM was top notch and I’m not sure how it could be better with a different company.
milkoverspill on
Mark’s departure felt sad. This one feels exciting. SM was the ball and chain on this man’s ankles. Just shafted time after time despite having enduring popularity and undeniable star power.
hyperwing on
it’s the end of an era, and will miss him with wayv since their bond is so precious but truly it’s the best for him. he absolutely shines in his solo material and i’m looking forward to seeing him grow 💕
cottonhands on
Jaehyun coming back from the military 😭
GoodMagazine9040 on
Dang another one. But tbh all these changes aren’t surprising. 3rd gen got lucky due to the western popularity. Usually in earlier generations by year 5 or 7 is when disbandments and slow downs would happen. A lot of these are 10 years in which is a good feat.
But also it’s nice that Ten is still in WayV and NCT but pursuing his own art. He is TOO talented to be wasted by SM. His Stunner Album was my favorite release not just in kpop but of like all time. He has so much more to show that SM isn’t prioritizing so good for him for leaving
No_Pass9382 on
He’s free! I’m so happy and proud of him because I know it’s not easy to leave the company you’ve been with since you were a teen. I know he’s spoken about wanting to perform more as a soloist and get more opportunities to promote his music so I hope he gets to do that. I LOVE his solo music and I really want to see him live outside Asia.
I had a feeling he’d stay in nct/wayv at least until the rest of wayv figure out what they want to do when their contract renewals come up.
HtetLinTeume on
Phew! So many departures in Kpop lately. SM has been a mess for past 3 years😪
pagerunner-j on
Memo to the good people of this thread: “a part” (a piece or component) and “apart” (separate) do not mean the same thing. If he’s still a part of NCT, he’s in the group. If he’s standing apart, he’s not. Pick whichever one applies.
Anyway.
I’m not actually surprised to hear this, especially in the wake of Mark’s news, but dang. Sea changes abound. I really hope the best for Ten, especially since I’ve loved his solo stuff so far!
VkeyPearl on
This one did not surprise me at all.
I even saw a post yesterday that mentioned that Ten might also not renew and this news comes today. Especially since he started doing more work in Thailand. Now this happens.
I wish him good luck in his future endeavors.
ovicqsxz on
good for him! they wasted his potential so much in NCT
xXTheGrapenatorXx on
Hmm… do we think it was a good or bad move (from the perspective of SM’s public perception and stock price) to slow-roll member departures rather than, say, announcing them at once and ripping off the bandaid? I’m wondering because my kneejerk was to say this was the wrong move, but I literally don’t know what I’d choose if it were up to me now that I’m sitting with it.
Or was it the case where Mark left first and they didn’t know Ten’s negotiations would fall through until after announcing, maybe?
AfraidInspection2894 on
I dont blame Ten for leaving SM but I am a little worried about WayV’s future. Lucas is not part of the group, WinWin is in China and hasn’t participated in years, and now while Ten is still apart of WayV he is leaving SM so he will miss stuff and scheduling will be harder. Only 4 of the 7 are actively promoting in the group and SM already sidelines them so much.
SparkaCat on
I’m so happy for him, I really am. He has been horribly mistreated by SM, all of WayV has. I hope none of them re-sign. Wayv deserves better even though it hurts to see them go.
SOMEBODY PLEASE SEDATE ME.
g-dragon on
the founding fathers are dropping like flies.
Tentravolta on
All 10velies cheered!
These past ten years there have been many ups and downs, and although his management under SM has been a bumpy road, Ten never complained, choosing instead to work twice as hard to make the most out of the smallest opportunities.
Still, it was clear that a company like SM wouldn’t be able to give him the attention he deserves as an artist.
As a fan, I’m sure Ten has a bright future ahead of him, his talent is honestly hard to ignore. And 10velies will be there to support him through it.
On another note, I’m curious how his involvement with WayV and Nct activities will look like after this. As we all know SM isn’t the best at scheduling, they tend to change things last minute, making it hard to plan around them (just ask Winwin)… so I wonder if they’ll actually try to communicate with Ten.
40 Comments
What on earth is going on in the House of Commons
This is the second OG NCT member to not renew their contract. Unlike Mark though Ten is still apart of NCT and WayV. I dont blame him for leaving SM. They have treated him terribly since 7th sense.
well
tldr: ten is not renewing, effective april 8.
I’m not surprised at all but at least he still apart of WayV and NCT.
Good luck to him!
Thank goodness he will still remain with WayV and NCT. Ten is so precious. But seeing that notice really did make me jump, especially as an NCTzen. It’s been a week, it’s been quite a week.
Good for Ten to get out of SM! They have no ability to handle their foreign members. And I’m glad he’s still staying on in NCT/WayV. That’s promising news.
Dang, there’s still Taeyong, Doyoung, and Jaehyun afterward. Crazy to see the very first NCT Unit leaving SM
SM never deserved Ten in the first place. he’s a fucking star and i wish him all the best
Crazy that he stayed with his groups. it really shows how massive of a decision is was for mark to decide to leave
I’ll never understand how SM has been able to get away with having 10 year contracts. They apparently found some loophole to add the extra 3 years because of overseas activities or something, but it’s still insane. Groups that debuted after NCT (like Stray Kids, TXT, Ateez, Itzy, I-dle) are already on their second contracts while NCT’s contracts are just barely expiring.
I feel like idols leaving SM shouldn’t come as a surprise anymore to me. On the other hand a decade is quite a long time to spend at one company.
As a long time fan of Ten I came here just to celebrate! This is amazing!
At least he’s staying in the group 😭
I’m not surprised this happened but I do wonder how this impacts WayV. Typically when members don’t renew with the company but stay in the group, the group as a whole usually becomes less active. But the other WayV members still have a few years before their contracts are up so SM would want the group pretty active unless they choose to have the others focus more on solo activities.
I’m assuming Ten leaving is a sign that he wants different management for this solo career but it’s how that’s juggled with WayV promotions that will be interesting to watch. What if SM wants to continue prioritizing WayV to the point that it’s hard for Ten to do more solo stuff?
Ten to me comes across as similar to Taemin in that, they’re both ambitious and wanted more for their solo careers. And, SM wasn’t giving it to them, so they decided to leave the company. It wouldn’t surprise me if Ten’s career follows the same trajectory as Taemin’s with more international audiences
I wonder if he wants to focus more on his solo career? Stunner did pretty good last year. I wish we could get a tell all about SM.
> Moving forward, we will continue to stay in close communication to explore opportunities for TEN to participate in WayV and NCT activities, where possible.
Honestly the best outcome I could have hoped for. Ten is a star, hope he finds better support outside of SM and achieves all his dreams.
This one was expected but I’m so concerned for WayV going forward. They’ve had a terrible time at SM + Hallyu ban and of course with the Lucas thing. This effectively puts them in a much more precarious position.
Anyway happy for Ten tho I hope he gets to do what he wants.
Okay…this one is too much for me. WayV are the most cursed group in history but I love them so much. I hope Ten keeps releasing music. He is so good solo.
I’m glad he’s getting out of that company. SM have a bizarre habit of consciously choosing to debut foreigners, but treating them like second class citizens once they debut.
I don’t know how much more I can take emotionally lol
It seems like he is leaving SM but he is not leaving WayV.
I’m glad he is staying with NCT because I don’t think my NCTzen friends could take another member leaving so soon after Mark. I see other comments here saying him declining to renew his contract isn’t a surprise because of how he’s been treated, so I am happy he gets to continue his individual career elsewhere.
Well shit
Not sure if this departure is the best move? I felt like his solo output during SM was top notch and I’m not sure how it could be better with a different company.
Mark’s departure felt sad. This one feels exciting. SM was the ball and chain on this man’s ankles. Just shafted time after time despite having enduring popularity and undeniable star power.
it’s the end of an era, and will miss him with wayv since their bond is so precious but truly it’s the best for him. he absolutely shines in his solo material and i’m looking forward to seeing him grow 💕
Jaehyun coming back from the military 😭
Dang another one. But tbh all these changes aren’t surprising. 3rd gen got lucky due to the western popularity. Usually in earlier generations by year 5 or 7 is when disbandments and slow downs would happen. A lot of these are 10 years in which is a good feat.
But also it’s nice that Ten is still in WayV and NCT but pursuing his own art. He is TOO talented to be wasted by SM. His Stunner Album was my favorite release not just in kpop but of like all time. He has so much more to show that SM isn’t prioritizing so good for him for leaving
He’s free! I’m so happy and proud of him because I know it’s not easy to leave the company you’ve been with since you were a teen. I know he’s spoken about wanting to perform more as a soloist and get more opportunities to promote his music so I hope he gets to do that. I LOVE his solo music and I really want to see him live outside Asia.
I had a feeling he’d stay in nct/wayv at least until the rest of wayv figure out what they want to do when their contract renewals come up.
Phew! So many departures in Kpop lately. SM has been a mess for past 3 years😪
Memo to the good people of this thread: “a part” (a piece or component) and “apart” (separate) do not mean the same thing. If he’s still a part of NCT, he’s in the group. If he’s standing apart, he’s not. Pick whichever one applies.
Anyway.
I’m not actually surprised to hear this, especially in the wake of Mark’s news, but dang. Sea changes abound. I really hope the best for Ten, especially since I’ve loved his solo stuff so far!
This one did not surprise me at all.
I even saw a post yesterday that mentioned that Ten might also not renew and this news comes today. Especially since he started doing more work in Thailand. Now this happens.
I wish him good luck in his future endeavors.
good for him! they wasted his potential so much in NCT
Hmm… do we think it was a good or bad move (from the perspective of SM’s public perception and stock price) to slow-roll member departures rather than, say, announcing them at once and ripping off the bandaid? I’m wondering because my kneejerk was to say this was the wrong move, but I literally don’t know what I’d choose if it were up to me now that I’m sitting with it.
Or was it the case where Mark left first and they didn’t know Ten’s negotiations would fall through until after announcing, maybe?
I dont blame Ten for leaving SM but I am a little worried about WayV’s future. Lucas is not part of the group, WinWin is in China and hasn’t participated in years, and now while Ten is still apart of WayV he is leaving SM so he will miss stuff and scheduling will be harder. Only 4 of the 7 are actively promoting in the group and SM already sidelines them so much.
I’m so happy for him, I really am. He has been horribly mistreated by SM, all of WayV has. I hope none of them re-sign. Wayv deserves better even though it hurts to see them go.
SOMEBODY PLEASE SEDATE ME.
the founding fathers are dropping like flies.
All 10velies cheered!
These past ten years there have been many ups and downs, and although his management under SM has been a bumpy road, Ten never complained, choosing instead to work twice as hard to make the most out of the smallest opportunities.
Still, it was clear that a company like SM wouldn’t be able to give him the attention he deserves as an artist.
As a fan, I’m sure Ten has a bright future ahead of him, his talent is honestly hard to ignore. And 10velies will be there to support him through it.
On another note, I’m curious how his involvement with WayV and Nct activities will look like after this. As we all know SM isn’t the best at scheduling, they tend to change things last minute, making it hard to plan around them (just ask Winwin)… so I wonder if they’ll actually try to communicate with Ten.