The TWICE Member Who Thought Of Quitting Her Group At The Height Of Their Fame

TWICE’s Chaeyoung has opened up about her feelings as a K-pop idol of 10 years.

Recently, SPNS TV released an episode featuring TWICE’s Chaeyoung as the guest. She is set to become the fourth member of TWICE to debut as a solo artist.

Chaeyoung, who joined JYP Entertainment as a trainee in her first year of middle school and debuted as part of TWICE in her first year of high school, shared her journey. When asked why she decided to become an idol, she said, “I was often told I was pretty growing up and should be on TV. In sixth grade, I said I wanted to attend a dance academy, and after watching Wonder Girls, I started dreaming of becoming an idol.”

She continued, “After becoming a trainee in middle school, my life completely changed. I wasn’t good at studying or interested in other things, and I really loved dancing, so I naturally thought I should become an idol. Since I debuted in my first year of high school, I could barely attend school, so I don’t have high school friends. I missed out on things like school trips, which is a bit regretful, but I think I found my own path because I found school boring.”

Speaking about TWICE’s solo activities, Chaeyoung said, “During our first seven-year contract, no one did solo activities. After renewing our contracts, the company encouraged us to try solo work. Nayeon went first, then Jihyo, Tzuyu, and now me. I brought my songs to the company, and they told me to go ahead with it.”

When asked about the difficult aspects of being an idol, she said, “Whether at the airport or anywhere, I want to move around freely, but I always have to wear a hat and cover up. Also, because there are so many schedules and we face different situations, it can be exhausting. But I don’t show my struggles outwardly — I tend to keep them inside. Spending my days off at home is how I relieve stress. I try not to show it and just accept it.”

Reflecting on seeing malicious comments for the first time at age 16, Chaeyoung said, “It gave me chills. I realized I shouldn’t read them, so I stopped. During Sixteen, I used to read comments, but after that, I barely looked.”

She mentioned her mother as her greatest source of strength, saying, “My mom is a very positive person, and I think I got that from her. The hardest time during my idol career was during the ‘Cheer Up’ and ‘TT’ promotions. I barely slept two hours a day, and it was so hard that I even said I wanted to quit TWICE. I fought with my mom a lot then, but her words helped me get back on track.”

When asked what advice she would give to aspiring idols, Chaeyoung said, “Endurance is important. No matter what, keep going. If there’s one thing you love, hang on to it and see it through. Even though I’m doing what I love, I had to grit my teeth and endure.”

She added, “I don’t have many idol friends — only Somi. I’m close with my members and a few non-celebrity friends. I don’t go out much when I have free time. When I go out to eat alone, people rarely recognize me. I’m not the type to reach out often, so my relationships have naturally narrowed down.”

Source: (A)