Song Review:: WayV (NCT): Eternal White- Eternal White {Chinese}

• Release date: 2025 December 08

• Album tracklist: The Fifth Season, Eternal White, Moment in Time, First Time, Strange Tears, Stay, Lover After Me

• Album runtime: 22 minutes

 I've actually been looking forward to this specific album's release since it got announced. SM winter songs hit different, you know? And we only got a couple last year, so this one is our start of them. Hopefully we get a few more. I don't know if there are any scheduled though. I also traditionally like WayV, so that was another reason I was looking forward to this one. Also, other than the first song, there isn't a single one that's less than three minutes long and I am here to support that.

Okay, I hear you, saxophone. They're touching the jazz, the most Christmassy sound, without going full jazz. It starts off fairly seasonal, but that transitions into something that was a little bit of a disappointment, because other than the intro, the song has an unchanging beat and even when the song softens a little during what I assume is the chorus, the song doesn't change. There is only one exception to this, and that's what I think is the bridge. The song has a bridge, and I'm delighted by its existence, though not solely because bridges are an endangered species these days. Without that bridge, the beat would continue to pull on the song's leash until it had maybe a foot of freedom to move. This is one of those songs that I'll be fine with listening to on occasion, but repeated listening has left me kind of wanting to throw my phone to get it away from me. Which is a shame, but it just means I have to get through this quickly.

WayV continues a very amusing trend with their lyrics. Now, I don't understand Chinese, but the English? It's not quite as suggestive as some of their other songs, but it's still in that category. The song's late game is where it's the most interesting, because it moves, not necessarily away from the repetition of the melody, but rather looping coils around the melody to provide layers. I like layers, and that bridge is what is saving the song for me while I'm listening to it. 

They're incredible dancers, but unfortunately I have to move this out of the Christmas/winter category. There's the barest hint of a storyline here, and it's very much shoved aside in favor of showing off their fabulous choreography and skills. I wish this had more color. Alas.