WJSN member Dayoung expressed a firm belief in herself as she makes her first solo comeback.
Dayoung of WJSN held an interview on Apr. 2 at Starship Entertainment's building in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, ahead of the release of her second digital single What's a girl to do.
Dayoung, who debuted with WJSN in Feb. 2016, not only maximized the appeal of WJSN songs with her distinctive tone and stable vocals, but also showcased her own charm across various genres by handling vocals, rap and performance based on solid vocal technique and a wide vocal range.
Uncontainable talent, presence and tension have earned Dayoung the nickname "human vitamin." In Sept. last year she reinvented her image with her solo debut digital single gonna love me, right? Showing a confident and provocative artistic side, Dayoung rode word of mouth and overwhelming stage performances to reach a peak of No. 9 on the Melon top 100 immediately after release and enter the top 20 on the weekly chart in the second week of Oct., recording a remarkable rise. She also proved her capabilities by winning a music show trophy for first place and received focused coverage from NME, Forbes, FOX 13 Seattle and various MTV channels around the world.
After winning the best solo artist, female category at the 2025 Korea Grand Music Awards in Nov. last year and earning praise from major overseas outlets including Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter and NME, Dayoung completed 2025 and returned in Apr., when spring begins, with the release of her second digital single What's a girl to do.
About seven months after Body, Dayoung is releasing a new song. She said, "I received so much love for Body that every day felt like a dream, to the point where I wondered, 'Have I ever been this happy?' I would smile even when I was still, and reading comments made me happy. The joy that a new album could come and the burden were equally heavy, so as expectations grew I tried not to lose myself. From what I was told, I prepared for a solo for three years and in that time I prepared many songs. What's a girl to do was an early decision as the song I would present if I had the chance to release a new album after Body. I am still trying not to waver, and I want to push forward with the original plan," she said.
Dayoung's solo comeback began around Nov.–Dec. last year when she started by telling the company via a PPT how she wanted to prepare. Regarding What's a girl to do, which follows Body, Dayoung said, "There was a clear reason for making Body the debut song. As a solo artist debuting for the first time, the question is what first impression you want to leave, and Body satisfies everything: it's fun, energetic, healthy, and contains both performance and song. Everyone wondered what song would come after Body, but I thought a second song similar to Body would be difficult. Generally, sequels to films or dramas often fail to meet expectations after the first installment is successful. So rather than a second version of Body, I wanted to present a good song in a different genre, and strategically planned to release it this season."
She added, "After Body and What's a girl to do, I have many more songs ready and am developing them. I'm working with new composers, but this song has to do well for there to be another. I believe opportunities come to those who are prepared, so I've done all the preparation, and I think I need to finish What's a girl to do well for the next things to come."
Dayoung's concern is polarizing reactions. She said, "I am confident and can be proud that What's a girl to do is a good song, but I also worry that it may appeal to specific tastes. I emphasized this potential for strong likes and dislikes during the PPT and paid a lot of attention to performance to compensate. I thought there needed to be something in the performance to capture people's eyes, so because the melody is smooth I wanted the dance to be visible and focused on steps. I wanted it to be designed so it wouldn't be boring at a glance. I added choreography that uses a hooded zip-up as a point, so I hope many people do the challenge."
It is especially interesting that What's a girl to do, like Body, is entirely in English lyrics. On why she wrote the lyrics in English, Dayoung said, "Many people ask, 'You never studied abroad and you're not a Korean-American, you were born and raised in Korea, so why do you write lyrics in English?' To explain that I have to go back to my trainee days. The reason Korean is comfortable is that it's the first language I learned after I was born and I have used it for a long time. I started formal singing training at age 12, and until my debut I could count on one hand the number of times I sang pop songs over four to five years. At that time I could only copy the songs the system gave and evaluation songs were set, and for me they gave R&B songs like those of Christina Aguilera because I was very good at R&B. So there is a big difference in vocal length and tone when pronouncing Korean versus English. Therefore I am comfortable doing interviews in Korean, but when I sing I can produce sounds more confidently in English than in Korean, and the voice color I like comes out. If I'm solo, in three minutes when people first hear my voice they will prioritize whether to deliver the lyrics first or to prioritize the overall tone, voice, concept and atmosphere, and I thought the artist color called Dayoung was important. So I had no choice but to choose English. If during my trainee days I had sung in Japanese or French, my first solo might have been in French or Japanese," she said.
On the points of What's a girl to do, Dayoung said, "When Body was released the keywords I thought of were 'health,' 'fun,' and 'pleasant energy,' and I decided the 'hot girl' keyword should never apply. During the PPT I emphasized 'no sexy, healthy beauty,' but after Body came out listeners reacted with comments like 'it smells like protein' and 'she's a hot girl,' which was funny. What's a girl to do also has good energy and health as keywords, and I am expecting the modifiers that may be attached to me. That doesn't mean I dislike the 'hot girl' keyword. It's embarrassing, but I would like to be called a 'hot girl' too."
Meanwhile, Dayoung will release her second digital single What's a girl to do on various music sites at 6 p.m. on Apr. 7 and begin full comeback activities.
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