WJSN's Dayoung Reveals Solo Debut Struggle: 'I Booked a Flight to LA the Next Day'

WJSN's Dayoung opened up about the years she spent chasing her own shot at a solo career, including a moment when she boarded a flight to Los Angeles the day after her label approved her time off.

The singer appeared on the fifth episode of MBC's "Playlist 109," which aired on the 18th, joining hosts Lee Seok-hoon, Lee Jun, and DinDin to talk through the songs and moments that carried her through her hardest stretch.

Dayoung first looked back on her time as a regular guest on DinDin's radio show. She shared that he made a point of sending her a gift every year on her birthday, a small side of him fans rarely see.

The toughest period, she said, came about five years ago. She had wanted to be a solo artist since she was six, but when she finally told her agency, the response was not what she expected. Instead of giving up, she went back to the basic vocal and performance lessons she had taken as a trainee. She then asked for three months off to focus on music. Once it was approved, she boarded a plane to Los Angeles the very next day.

She flew out with no industry contacts lined up. On the way to the airport, she reached out to singer Eric Nam for help. Once in Los Angeles, she met with the writers and producers she wanted to work with, introduced herself, and put her own savings into the sessions. Rather than wait for someone to hand her a chance, she was building one herself.

The song that got her through that stretch was "number one rockstar." The first demo she received was actually titled "number one flopstar," a downbeat track about a star whose career had crashed. Dayoung said the demo hit her hard, and she asked to flip the concept entirely. She rewrote the lyrics as her own story and her own declaration, turning it into "number one rockstar." Whenever the solo prep got heavy, she said, she would play the track and picture the day it would finally be out in the world.

She then performed "number one rockstar" live on the show, and the three hosts reacted to the strength of her vocals. Lee Seok-hoon repeatedly praised her live singing and said the song hit harder knowing the story behind it.

Dayoung closed with a message to anyone going through a rough time. No one knows you better than you do, she said, so it is okay to believe by your own measure that you are the best. Trust that you are the one and only version of yourself in the world.