Singer and songwriter Lee Jae reminisced about his time as an SM trainee.
On the morning of the 15th, a press conference for the Netflix movie 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' featuring Lee Jae was held at CGV Yongsan I-Park Mall in Seoul.
Lee Jae shared, "I had a period as a trainee. During that time, I struggled to hide my shortcomings. I remember my voice being a complex for me because it was not feminine and was low, which led to a lot of criticism. Trends change, you know. Back then, a clean voice was considered good. So, I wanted to hide my husky voice."
He expressed that he resonated with the character Lumi, saying, "I can relate to that feeling so much. The desire to achieve that dream, the eagerness to work hard, I empathized with that a lot."
Lee Jae also stated, "Everything has a reason. I practiced a lot at a young age, and it's not easy to get rejected. I was hurt when I was younger. But to grow, you have to endure some pain. What matters is how you overcome it. I didn't think negatively about being rejected back then. I understand the reasons behind SM, and everything has its time. The important thing is growth. It's crucial to have the mindset that even if you fall, you can keep trying."
He continued, "My mom tells me that words become seeds. If you say you can't, then you really can't. You have to say you can to convince yourself. I came with that mindset. Music saved me. I have dreams of being a singer, but I also want to be a songwriter and an engineer. I used to make beats every day. I lived in Yeonhui-dong and would walk to Hongdae to make beats in a café until midnight, trying to express myself. That's how I found myself. The most important thing is to give 100% even to small opportunities."
'K-Pop Demon Hunters' is a story about a K-pop girl group, Huntress, who defeats a boy group made of evil spirits called Lion Boys and protects the world with their songs.
It has become the number one most successful content on Netflix, recording a total of 300 million views. The OST 'Golden' sung by Huntress also topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for a total of 8 non-consecutive weeks.
Lee Jae is the granddaughter of veteran actor Shin Young-kyun and a former SM Entertainment trainee, who created and performed the OST 'Golden' for the Netflix animated film 'K-Pop Demon Hunters.'
[Yang So-young, Star Today Reporter]
