Singer-songwriter reflects on his trainee days and continued music-making after leaving SM

Singer-songwriter Lee Jae tearfully recalled his idol trainee days in a teaser for tvN’s You Quiz On The Block, released ahead of the program’s broadcast. In the clip, he looked back on twelve years as a trainee at SM Entertainment, noting the acts he trained alongside, such as Super Junior, Girls’ Generation, SHINee, and f(x). He acknowledged that he ultimately did not debut and left the company. “On the ride home in a taxi, I cried. Even though I worked hard, it didn’t happen. I was so sorry. I hated myself for not achieving my dream after all those years of wanting to be a singer,” he said. He added that, “after a month of crying and waking up, I realized there were many wounds from idol and K-Pop, and I harbored a lot of resentment.” Despite the setback, Lee did not stop making music, recounting that he began producing beats at a cafe from open to close. He also discussed composing the Netflix series K-Pop Demon Hunters’ OST “Golden,” calling the sing-along event where fans from various countries sang in Korean deeply moving and making him incredibly proud of Korea. Lee’s story will air on the 22nd at 8:45 p.m. local time.