The Pulse of K-Entertainment

hrtz.wav
BandKakao Entertainment

hrtz.wav

hrtz.wav (하츠웨이브) is a five-member band managed by Kakao Entertainment and formed through Mnet's Steal Heart Club. The lineup brings together the survival program's winning players in each position: Youn Young-jun on keyboard, Riaan on vocals, Dane on bass, Keiten on guitar, and Hagiwa on drums. The group debuted on April 8, 2026 with the first mini album The First Wave.

Kakao has framed hrtz.wav as more than another rookie launch. The company is selling the act as a band-first growth project, one built around visible instrumental skill, youth-pop emotion, and a live-performance identity strong enough to hold space in a K-pop market that still treats bands as a narrower lane. That positioning is obvious in NINETEEN, the debut single that leans into memory, motion, and coming-of-age feeling instead of harder rock cosplay.

The rollout is already moving fast. hrtz.wav heads into early festival dates at Awesome Music Festival 2026 and KCON JAPAN 2026, and the band is also set to contribute an OST to the upcoming drama Perfect Crown. If those stages land, The First Wave will read less like a pilot episode and more like the first real signal of Kakao's K-band bet.

1 articles4 creditsDebut: April 8, 2026South Korean, Japanese

Members

Dane
DaneBassist
Hagiwa
HagiwaDrummer
Keiten
KeitenGuitarist
Riaan
RiaanVocalist
Youn Young-jun
Youn Young-junKeyboardist

Gallery

hrtz.wav concept film still, 2026 / hrtzwav official YouTube

Discography

2026
The First WaveMini Album
Full BandKakao Entertainment
2026
NINETEENSingle
Lead SingleKakao Entertainment
2026
Perfect Crown OSTOST
Upcoming OST Performer

Filmography

2025
Steal Heart ClubVariety Show
Formed through winning positionsMnet

Fans Also Ask

Who are the members of hrtz.wav?
hrtz.wav has five members: Youn Young-jun, Riaan, Dane, Keiten, and Hagiwa. The lineup covers keyboard, vocals, bass, guitar, and drums, which is central to how the band was introduced and why its live-stage appeal was part of the launch from day one.
When did hrtz.wav debut?
hrtz.wav debuted on April 8, 2026 with the mini album The First Wave. The release introduced the band through the lead track NINETEEN and positioned the group as a serious new band launch under Kakao Entertainment rather than a one-off project unit.
How was hrtz.wav formed?
The band was formed through Steal Heart Club, which selected members by musical role instead of assembling a conventional idol lineup. That process gave hrtz.wav a built-in instrumental identity and helped separate the group from more choreography-first rookie launches.
What company is hrtz.wav under?
hrtz.wav is under Kakao Entertainment. The company has pitched the band as part of a broader long-term investment in performance-focused acts, combining major-label rollout power with a format that puts live musicianship at the center.
Where can fans stream hrtz.wav?
Fans can follow hrtz.wav through its official Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Spotify pages. Those channels support the band's music releases, short-form clips, visual teasers, and streaming presence as Kakao Entertainment builds out the group's first era.

Latest Articles

hrtz.wav in official debut promotional art for The First Wave
Music5 min read

hrtz.wav Debuts With The First Wave as Kakao Bets on a New K-Band Lane

hrtz.wav arrives with The First Wave, giving Kakao Entertainment an early shot at building a scalable K-band act instead of another standard rookie idol rollout.

PakApril 13, 2026
2🔥00