[CELEB] Lee Chae Yeon is done with auditions and ready to debut

Lee Chae Yeon finally made her solo debut with the EP “Hush Rush” on Wednesday.

The former IZ*ONE member has been on the K-pop scene for some ten years, competing on numerous audition shows.

“I’m nervous about performing on stage by myself and not as a team, but I’m thrilled to show everyone a new chapter,” Lee said during a press showcase event at the Yes24 Live Hall in Gwangjin District, eastern Seoul, a few hours before the EP’s release.

Lee is donning a kitschy vampire concept for “Hush Rush,” just in time for Halloween.

“The title track is about an MZ [millennial, Generation Z] generation vampire who feels excited to meet the world after waking from a 300-year-long sleep,” Lee laughed, while adding, “I’m actually 324 years old.”

The concept for “Hush Rush” aims to portray a vampire not in the usual creepy and horrific way, but with a Y2K-inspired look, which is considered the latest trend for the younger generation.

Lee performed “Hush Rush,” which involved choreography that saw her make vampire fangs with her fingers.

The music video was shot in Barcelona, and it was Lee’s first time visiting Spain.

“There are scenes in the music video in which I have to be surprised to see the world since I’m the vampire, but I had no problem acting because everything — the food, language, and streets — in Spain was completely new to me,” Lee said.

The EP has three more songs: “Danny,” “Aquamarine” and “Same But Different.”

Lee also performed “Danny,” a synth-pop track whose choreography was inspired by the 1980 French film “La Boum” and is about maintaining a long-distance relationship with an imaginary figure named Danny.

Lee made her official debut in 2018 as a member of project girl group IZ*ONE, but first appeared on the scene when she competed on entertainment agency Fantagio’s audition show “i-Teen” (2012). She went on to appear on season three of SBS’s “K-pop Star” (2013-14), Mnet’s “Sixteen” (2015), and “Produce 48” (2018).

She became a familiar face to many because she appeared on these shows along with her younger sister, now Chaeryeong of the girl group ITZY. The pair were well-known, in particular for their talent when it comes to dancing.

It was on “Produce 48” that Lee finally ranked No. 12, earning her a spot in IZ*ONE. IZ*ONE released multiple hits including “La Vie en Rose” (2018), “Violeta” (2019), “Fiesta” (2020), “Secret Story of the Swan” (2020), and “Panorama” (2020).

When IZ*ONE disbanded in 2021 because its contract ended, Lee returned to the audition show circuit, appearing on Mnet’s street dance competition show “Street Woman Fighter” (2021). She appeared as a member of the dance crew Want, led by dancer Hyojin Choi.

Lee was a contestant on Mnet’s K-pop survival show “Produce 48” (2018), and her final rank was No. 12. [MNET]

“It’s my first time filling three minutes of a song with just my voice, and being in a music video all by myself,” Lee said. “I want to become a solo singer that makes people listen to my songs and watch my performances from beginning to end, without skipping any parts!

“There’s a lot I want to try in the future,” she continued. “I want to try out a bad girl concept because it’s different from my typical image, and one day I want to be a radio DJ with my own show. For now, I’ll do my best to be a singer that brings happiness to everyone.”

Lee Chae Yeon

Date of Birth: Jan. 11, 2000
Zodiac sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Undisclosed
Debut: December 2018 as a member of IZ*ONE
Agency: WM Entertainment

Lee Chae Yeon debuted as a member of project girl group IZ*ONE, which was comprised of the top 12 finalists of Mnet’s K-pop competition show “Produce 48” (2018). The group disbanded in 2021 and Lee went on to appear on Mnet’s street dance competition show “Street Woman Fighter” (2021) as part of the dance crew Want. Lee has been widely known among the public even before her debut, thanks to her appearances on a handful of survival shows, some of which were with her sister Chaeryeong of the girl group ITZY.

This information was confirmed by WM Entertainment on Oct. 11, 2022.

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]