InterviewWJSN's Dayoung brings new confidence to 'What's a Girl to Do'

Dayoung of K-pop girl group WJSN poses before an interview with The Korea Times at Starship Entertainment headquarters, the singer's management label, at Gangnam District, Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of Starship Entertainment

"I really thought only my mom and I would buy my album."

It's a blunt admission from Dayoung, the youngest member of K-pop girl group WJSN, but one that frames the unlikely path she’s taken over the past year.

When the singer quietly made her solo debut last September with "gonna love me right?" and its viral lead single, "body," she wasn’t thinking about chart success or viral traction. If anything, she was bracing for the worst.

"I didn’t have enough confidence," she said during an interview with The Korea Times at Starship Entertainment headquarters, the singer's management label, Thursday. "I was worried if I release physical albums, they would just sit in storage. I didn’t want to get heartbroken by that."

Instead, "body" did the exact opposite. The track began to pick up momentum as listeners responded to both its energy and her raw delivery. What started as a cautious solo experiment quickly turned into a defining moment.

"I didn’t expect that kind of love at all," the singer said. "But because of that, I got the chance to release another album. That’s something I’m really grateful for."

Dayoung of K-pop girl group WJSN poses before an interview with The Korea Times at Starship Entertainment headquarters, the singer's management label, at Gangnam District, Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of Starship Entertainment

Debuting in 2016 as a member of WJSN, Dayoung has spent the past decade building a multifaceted career. Known early on for her bright personality and quick wit, she became one of the group’s most recognizable faces, gradually sharpening her instincts as an entertainer.

That long run within a team environment, she said, laid the groundwork for her transition. According to Dayoung, solo success didn’t just bring renewed attention, it forced a shift in how Dayoung saw herself.

"After ‘body,’ I started to love myself more," she said. "Before that, my confidence was basically zero. Now it’s maybe at 70 percent."

She now carries that momentum into her second digital single, "What’s a Girl to Do," slated for release on Tuesday. If "body" captured the mood of a daytime party, the new track creates an entirely different atmosphere.

Dayoung of K-pop girl group WJSN / Courtesy of Starship Entertainment

"‘Body’ is something you listen to during the day," she explains. "This one is for after 6 p.m., all the way to 4 a.m."

The distinction is deliberate. Where her debut single thrived on bright, carefree energy, her new release explores the emotional contradictions that come with liking someone and losing pieces of yourself in the process.

"When you like someone, you can’t really be yourself," she said. "But that version of you is still you. So the message is to love that part of yourself, too."

It’s a more nuanced emotional palette, but one that still carries Dayoung’s signature candor. She didn’t shy away from calling herself "a bit pathetic" when it comes to love, laughing as she describes moments that inspired the song’s lyrics — like engineering "accidental" encounters or leaving something behind just to have a reason to meet again.

"I think everyone goes through that," she said. "I wanted people to relate to it."

Dayoung of K-pop girl group WJSN / Courtesy of Starship Entertainment

The music video, however, turns that vulnerability into confidence. Rather than lingering in hesitation, Dayoung takes the lead, pushing forward with a sense of control that mirrors her growing self-assurance.

While WJSN’s group identity required her to adapt to a specific concept, Dayoung also noted that her solo work allows her to lean into different influences.

"I’ve always liked pop and R&B," she said. "With the group, I adjusted to fit the team. After 10 years of being seen as bright and cute, this may feel like a big rebrand, but to me and to the WJSN members who know me so well, it’s simply me showing my real self."

For Dayoung, that shift isn’t about rejecting the past but building on it. A decade of onstage experience, including her time in WJSN CHOCOME, a subunit that embodied the group’s bubbly, high-energy concept, has quietly shaped her foundation as a soloist.

"Despite it all, I really did enjoy my time as a member of WJSN and even CHOCOME," she said with a laugh. "I did it because I genuinely loved what I was doing."

"I feel very blessed for everything — the members, who have truly become like sisters to me, and the company for giving me the opportunity to be part of WJSN," she added. "All those experiences helped me prepare for this."

Members of K-pop girl group WJSN / Courtesy of Starship Entertainment

The reality of her growing audience still hasn’t fully sunk in. Having spent much of her solo journey so far in controlled environments like music shows and online platforms, she hasn’t yet had many opportunities to meet fans in open settings.

"If I hear people singing along, I think I’d be shocked," she admits. "I might even ask, ‘How do you know my song?’"

It’s a lingering disbelief that contrasts with the momentum she’s building, one that continues with "What’s a Girl to Do" — a track she now hopes will find its way into club sets and university festivals.

"I made this thinking about festivals," she said. "Before, I didn’t think I’d ever get to stand on those stages. Now I want to say it confidently."

Her confidence may not be at 100 percent just yet, but if "body" was proof of concept, this new release feels more decisive.

"I want to keep showing that I can grow," Dayoung said. "That’s the goal."

Dayoung of K-pop girl group WJSN poses before an interview with The Korea Times at Starship Entertainment headquarters, the singer's management label, at Gangnam District, Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of Starship Entertainment