Singer and composer Lee Jae, who made global headlines by topping the Billboard Hot 100 for eight consecutive weeks with his hit song “Golden”, opened up about his long and difficult journey in music during his appearance on tvN’s “You Quiz on the Block.”
In the show’s 315th episode, Lee Jae shared that he spent 12 years as a trainee at SM Entertainment, training alongside members of Super Junior, Girls’ Generation, and SHINee, but never made his debut.
“I was always a trainee,” he said. “After my debut failed, I was hurt by K-pop and even resented music for a while.”
He revealed that Girls’ Generation’s Yuri gave him the encouragement he needed to start over. “Her words gave me the courage to continue,” he said, adding, “I always felt sorry for my younger self, but I’m finally proud of how far I’ve come.”
Lee Jae also shared a behind-the-scenes story from his first live performance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” He said, “My throat was so sore I lost my voice until dawn that day. But I couldn’t skip the performance, so I pushed through it.”
Hosts Yoo Jae-suk and Jo Se-ho praised his determination, saying his story felt “like a real drama.” The episode also surprised viewers with a guest appearance by Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson, who joined in to celebrate his global success.
Now working as a composer, Lee Jae has earned recognition for producing songs like Red Velvet’s “Psycho” and aespa’s “Armageddon.” He said he once struggled with insecurity about his voice, but regained confidence through his work as the character LUMI in KPop Demon Hunters.
Reflecting on his journey, he said, “The 12 years of waiting were not in vain. I’m proud that Korean music is loved around the world.”
He ended the show with a message to aspiring artists:
“Even if you haven’t debuted or are still unknown, if you truly love music, one day you’ll have your own moment that shines like Golden.”
