Feature: DaYoung Redefines Herself with “body” and a Confident Solo Era

After nearly a decade lighting up the stage as part of the K-pop girl group, WJSN (Cosmic Girls), DaYoung is stepping into the spotlight alone, and she’s doing it with fire. Her debut single album, gonna love me, right?, led by the intoxicating title track, “body,” signals the start of a bold new chapter for the singer. Rather than a reinvention, it feels like an unveiling, a moment for DaYoung to show who she has become through years of growth, challenge, and creative discovery. 

Born on Jeju Island, DaYoung’s rise in the spotlight began early. She first appeared on K-Pop Star as a teenager, her bright tone and fearless attitude hinting at the artist she would become. In 2016, she debuted under Starship Entertainment as a member of WJSN, a group celebrated for its dynamic performance and celestial themes. Within the team, DaYoung quickly stood out for her energy, humour, and effortless stage presence. She later joined the cheerful subunit CHOCOME, showing a playful, comedic side with their hit “Hmph!” while also exploring acting through the web drama Love Revolution. 

Photo Credit: Starship Entertainment

Her range didn’t stop there. DaYoung lent her voice to Korean drama soundtracks such as Doctor Slump and Meow: The Secret Boy, then released her first solo single, “Love Wave” in 2024. Despite her successes, her journey wasn’t without challenges. In 2021, she faced an autoimmune illness that forced her to pause activities. Instead of halting her process, the setback gave her time to reset and refocus. When she returned, she did so with sharper intent and a clear desire to tell her own story. 

DaYoung’s story now takes centre stage in gonna love me, right?, a project that DaYoung calls “Solo DaYoung.” It’s more than an album title, it is a statement of authorship. For the first time, she took full control of the process, helping shape everything from the music to the visuals. The result is an unfiltered portrait of an artist now free to express herself without relying on group concepts or staged performances. 

The centrepiece of this release, “body” is an electric pop-dance track that pulses with confidence. Driven by sleek synths and a hypnotic beat, it channels the rush of attraction and the unspoken language between two people. The song’s hook, “Put Your body on my body,” feels direct but never brash, carried instead by a sense of trust and control. 

Photo Credit: Starship Entertainment

In the music video filmed in Los Angeles, DaYoung moves through light and shadow, embodying the tension between strength and vulnerability. The visuals are minimal yet magnetic: sun flares, silhouette shots, and choreography that feels instinctive rather than polished. She’s not playing a role; she’s owning her presence. The performance radiates maturity, artistry, and sensual confidence: qualities that have been waiting to surface since her early days as a performer. 

Beyond “body,” the single album offers two other tracks that expand her story. The track, “number one rockstar,” is filled with determination, channeling DaYoung’s lifelong love for performing, while “marry me,” which she co-wrote, adds humour and self-awareness with its cheeky lyric, “If I were you, I’d wanna marry me too” Together, the songs form a small but powerful manifesto, one that celebrates individuality, ambition, and self-love. 

Photo Credit: Starship Entertainment

Her efforts have not gone unnoticed. Upon release, gonna love me, right? began climbing domestic charts, with “body” breaking into Melon’s Top 100. Two weeks later, DaYoung earned her first solo music show trophy on The Show, a moment filled with tears and applause as WJSN bandmates Exy, Bona, and Yeonjung joined her onstage to celebrate. Online, the momentum continued as the “body” dance challenge swept across TikTok and Instagram, featuring idols from groups like MONSTA X, IVE, ATEEZ, Red Velvet, and SEVENTEEN. Her collaboration video with Baekho passed two million views, and the numbers keep rising. 

For DaYoung, gonna love me, right? is more than a career milestone, it’s a creative awakening. The record strips away the polished veneer of idol perfection and replaces it with something real that is filled with emotion, instinct, and confidence. DaYoung isn’t asking for validation. She’s declaring ownership of her artistry and her story. 

DaYoung released her debut single album, gonna love me, right? on September 9, 2025 featuring the single, “body.” Watch the music video for “body” below: 

Top Photo: Starship Entertainment