Ten

Ten (텐), born Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul, has spent a decade proving that technical dance skill does not have to come at the expense of musical personality. Since debuting through NCT in 2016, he has moved across NCT U, WayV, and high-concept solo releases with a precision that feels authored rather than merely well-trained.

That range is why his solo catalog matters. Early singles like Dream in a Dream, New Heroes, Paint Me Naked, and Birthday built the bridge to the 2024 EP TEN and 2025 follow-up STUNNER, showing he could carry sleek performance-pop without leaning on the full SM Entertainment group machine for definition. He also kept widening the frame through fashion work, touring, and a creative identity that has always felt sharper than standard idol compartmentalisation.

April 2026 made that independent streak official. Ten concluded his exclusive SM contract while keeping his place in NCT and WayV group activities, joining Taeyong in a new hybrid lane that separates solo autonomy from group continuity. That split makes him one of the more important case studies in the current market: an established multinational idol testing how much individual control a top-tier K-pop career can hold without walking away from the group brand that built it.