The K-pop industry is often accused of mass producing generic idols, but some South Korean stars manage to stand out from the crowd with their big personalities and musical talent.
Known for her paintings and poetry, as well as her skills as a rapper, Chaeyoung from popular girl group Twice is one K-pop star whose creativity is driven by her own ideas of what music should express.
Twice’s “music representative” is not only well versed in rapping, her main role in the group, but also singing and dancing, making her one of the most versatile members.
Here is Chaeyoung’s story so far.
Her early life
Son Chae-young was born in Gangdong district, Seoul in April 1999 and started taking an interest in the performing arts when she was two years old. After taking an acting class, she became a model for a children’s magazine, Chaeyoung told Japanese fashion magazine ViVi. She wanted to become a singer four years later, and took dance lessons for a year.
At 14, Chaeyoung was invited to audition for K-pop agency JYP Entertainment and was selected as a trainee after two rounds of auditions – much to the delight of her mother, who was a fan of the idol agency.
Chaeyoung had no idea what life would be like as a trainee, but was fascinated once she got to JYP and felt like she was living in a dream, she said on Twice TV, the group’s web series.
After three years of training, she took part in idol survival show Sixteen in 2015. Chaeyoung finished in seventh place, and was selected as a member of the new girl group Twice.
Her role in Twice
Chaeyoung became the main rapper in Twice. But she did not rap right from the start, focusing more on her vocals. After a midterm evaluation a few months into her training, she started to rap and felt it fitted her.
With vocal, dancing and rapping skills under her belt, Chaeyoung is one of Twice’s most versatile members. “One day, I want to be known as ‘musician Chaeyoung’,” she said during an interview with Elle Korea in 2016. “There are so many things I want to do musically, but I’m limited by the fact that I am still a student. I am waiting for the day I become an adult. I wish time would go by faster.”
With four non-Korean members in Twice, Chaeyoung is also their Korean teacher.
“Since they’re from overseas, learning the language and being away from their parents must have been hard,” she said on Twice TV, adding that she and the other Korean members try to support them.
She has also written lyrics for multiple tracks, including Missing U and Don’t Give Up from Twice’s first full album, Twicetagram.
Her solo career
Chaeyoung covered Alone by South Korean band Cheeze in 2016 as part of the Melody Project, for which each Twice member is to release a solo track. Only Chaeyoung, Mina and Sana have released their tracks so far.
When she is not performing, Chaeyoung likes to create poetry and art. One of her drawings was featured as the limited edition cover of Twice’s 2016 EP, Page Two.
Her image
The search for authenticity is what drives Chaeyoung as an idol. She might not be the best looking, she told GQ Korea, but she questions why she has to hide what she really looks like.
This desire to be free and express herself is reflected in some of her lyrical work with Twice, such as Young and Wild from the group’s 2018 EP Yes or Yes and Strawberry from Fancy You, an EP released in 2019.
Offstage, Chaeyoung doesn’t typically act like an idol – she took inspiration from US actress Kristen Stewart’s short hairstyle and walked barefoot down the red carpet at Cannes. And when going out alone, Chaeyoung refuses to wear a mask – Korean celebrities usually wear masks to avoid being recognised, but the practice has now become a fashion statement.
“I don’t think I’m a celebrity, and I need to go out and move around. I should be comfortable and not be bothered by the gaze of others,” she told GQ Korea.
In her own words
The second youngest member of Twice, Chaeyoung told Allure Korea that she wants to become a more expressive artist.
“I want to become an artist who can readily create and express myself. I want to be someone who can inspire and help others.”
