From Musical Theatre Student To Global Pop Star — Here’s The Evolution Of WayV’s Xiaojun

In celebration of Xiaojun‘s birthday, let’s take a look at how the main vocalist of WayV and NCT came to join SM Entertainment!

Xiaojun was born on August 8, 1999 in Guangdong, China. His birth name is Xiao Dejun. His immediate family consists of his parents and one older brother.

Music runs through Xiaojun’s blood; his father Xiao Weilin is a Chinese singer known for his impersonation of the woman singer Anita Mui.

Xiaojun’s older brother is also a musician! The two siblings appeared alongside their father on a television show prior to Xiaojun’s debut.

Xiaojun said he studied Vocal Pop in senior high school and that he studied hard to be accepted into the musical department at his dream university, Shanghai Theatre Academy.

Xiaojun competed on a survival show called XFIRE in 2015 where he presented his impressive vocals and his own song compositions. Though he was eliminated from the show, he awed the audience with his talents.

In 2016, Xiaojun played the role of Joe Vegas in Wuhan University’s production of the American musical Fame.

And in 2017, Xiaojun auditioned for SM Entertainment! He revealed during a fansign that he b-boyed for his audition and also sang a song from a musical.

I wanted to tease him a little bit so I asked if he showed his b-boying skills at the auditions. And he said he actually did…! He said he sang a song from a musical too. When I asked him what his favorite musical is, he said ‘Fame.’

I meant to ask about the audition to find out how he got cast, but he said he wasn’t cast. He said it’s… uhm, kind of complicated. LOL. Anyway, this was too cute. T-T

— @meinvund

Less than a year later, Xiaojun made his debut as part of SM Rookies alongside future WayV members Hendery and YangYang!

WayV was first announced in January 2019. Its line-up consists of Kun, Ten, Winwin, and Lucas, who all debuted earlier through NCT, as well as Hendery, YangYang, and Xiaojun.

The group made their debut that same month with their EP The Vision, featuring a Chinese version of the NCT song “Regular.”

WayV’s first studio album, Awaken the World, came out on June 9, 2020. It featured the title track “Turn Back Time.”

Later that year, Xiaojun was part of NCT 2020, marking his first official NCT activity. He participated in the single “Make A Wish” from the album NCT 2020 Resonance Pt. 1.

In 2021, WayV released their third EP, Kick Back!

Xiaojun and Kun made their debut as a sub-unit with the ballad “Back To You” on June 16, 2021.

And most recently, Xiaojun and Renjun released a cover of “Unbreakable Love” by Eric Chou!

Xiaojun is known for his emotional vocals, unbelievable visuals, powerful stage presence, hilarious personality, and so much more. Fans couldn’t be more proud of Xiaojun and can’t wait to see what’s in store for him!