WAYF Boys

Pre-debut activities and formation

Before the formation of WAYF Boys, all five members had appeared on reality competition survival shows. Andrew and Ryan competed on Mnet's 2025 show Boys II Planet, Junmyeong on SBS's 2025 show Be My Boyz, Anderson on SM Entertainment's NCT Universe: Lastart, and Samuel on the eleventh season of Mnet's Show Me the Money in 2022. WAYF founder Czaer met Ryan while he was an SM Entertainment trainee, and Ryan became the first member to sign with the company. Ryan then brought in his friends Andrew, Anderson, Junmyeong, and Samuel, who had trained at YG, SM, KOZ, and More Vision, to join the group.

The group launched its social media accounts in June 2026 and gained one million followers by the following month, drawing early attention with an a cappella cover of Michael Jackson's "Human Nature" on YouTube that surpassed 113,000 views in less than a month. Their first Instagram post featured the members, many of them shirtless, with their faces covered by a character named Arlo. Later posts included bathroom selfies, footage of the members going out and clubbing, and a video of two members physically fighting. They performed together for the first time at Waterbomb Seoul 2026, where they performed songs that later became their debut single and second single to an enthusiastic audience response.

2026–present: Debut with "WAYF Boys Do"

WAYF Boys released their debut single, "WAYF Boys Do", on August 7, 2026. The song drew attention and heated responses for its playful music video, which features a scene of the members pulling down their pants in front of the camera, as well as drawing attention for the lyric "half vanilla, fuck ICE." The members helped shape the artwork and visuals, while Anderson handled the stage direction and choreography. Less than a month later, they signed with Interscope Records on August 14. WAYF founder Czaer said the deal came "incredibly fast," as they had planned to sign the group with a US label within a year. Three weeks after their debut, they released their second single, "Swag,"on August 28, 2026, accompanied by a DIY-style music video documenting its production. In September 2026, they announced their third single, teasing the phrases "10.02" and "A4M" ahead of its release.

They released "A4M" on October 2, 2026, performing at 2026 ESKARA: Waves of Greens at Sungkyunkwan University a day prior. Its playful and humorous production differed from the hip-hop and R&B influences of "WAYF Boys Do" and "Swag," while its music video used a B movie concept. That same month, they performed at KOOM Live 2026 in New York City, later holding a fan event at Leon’s Bagels, where they served customers and met fans, and visited the Empire State Building.

Singles