WayV Return With The Hauntingly Beautiful Single ‘Phantom’

Elevating the holiday mood further, C-pop group WayV have made a glorious return to the spotlight with their latest release, Phantom. Led by the single of the same name, Phantom brands itself as WayV’s fourth EP and marks the group’s highly anticipated comeback after nearly two years. This comeback, however, features six members (Kun, Ten, WinWin, Xiaojun, Hendery and YangYang) – as opposed to the seven-member line-up the group had debuted with – as a result of Lucas’s hiatus from group activities. 

WayV have been long admired for their enthralling concepts and “Phantom” is yet another fine addition to their growing discography. Produced by JINBYJIN, the track jumps straight into action, instantly drawing listeners into its cinematic-esque soundscape. Brimming with trap, hip-hop and dance-pop influences, the soundscape perfectly accentuates the group’s vocal tones, especially those of Ten, YangYang, Hendery and WinWin, whose low-register vocal performances right at the beginning of the song construct an ominous and menacing mood that’s perfect for a track inspired by a theatrical motif. The grandiose string arrangement and dark synth lurking in the background command your attention, pumping you with jolts of exhilaration and thrill as the song progresses. In classic WayV fashion, the outro sees Xiaojun amp up the drama further with a soaring vocal stretch, leaving you feeling content with “Phantom’s” sonic odyssey. 

Lyrically, “Phantom” tells the story of resilience in the face of hardships – a message beautifully narrated through shared metaphorical links with the 1986 musical The Phantom of the Opera. Like it is with the musical, WayV’s interpretation is peppered with motifs and metaphors, one of them being the Phantom itself symbolizing adversities: “On a journey of self-discovery/  Because truth does exist/ Like a phantom that be pulling my strings/ Hey-yo hey-yo, the puppeteer tugs/ And In darkness, the world loses its way.”

The music video is like a cinematic masterpiece. Heightening the avant-garde theatrical atmosphere, WayV employ several elements such as an iron throne constructed with swords, a chandelier, occasional use of masquerades and more. The choreography is equally evocative and fluid, embodying the lyrical quotient effortlessly. Visually splendid and engrossing, the video sees Xiaojun trying to escape five manipulative phantoms. It is unclear whether he plays the role of the soprano Christine Daaé from the musical, but all signs sure do make this a plausible reference. 

Phantom comprises five other tracks apart from the titular one, namely “Diamonds Only,” Good Life,” “Broken Love,” “Bounce Back” and “Try My Luck.” Previously released tracks “Back To You” by Kun and Xiaojun, and “Low Low” by Ten and YangYang, have also been included in this release.