Lee Jae, the composer who shook the world with the OST "Golden" from the Netflix animated film K-pop Demon Hunters, will appear on tvN's You Quiz on the Block.
In the episode airing on the 22nd, Lee Jae—who achieved the remarkable feat of staying at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for eight consecutive weeks—will share his journey to this milestone.
Lee candidly recalls the behind-the-scenes of his first live stage on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: "I lost my voice completely that morning. I was really despondent when it didn’t come out during rehearsal." He adds, "Scarlett Johansson was there with her family, and I was so nervous that I could barely stand on stage," revealing a hidden story from that day.
Behind Lee Jae's glamorous present lie 12 years of training. He trained alongside groups like Super Junior, Girls' Generation, and SHINee at SM Entertainment, but he never debuted. Lee said, with tears in his eyes, "I cried alone in a taxi. It felt like I had been dreaming for too long and finally had to give up."
Even in despair, however, Lee's passion for music never dimmed. "But I thought I'd still do what I loved," he said, spending nights composing and creating beats in cafes. This perseverance led to the birth of hit songs like Red Velvet's Psycho, aespa's Armageddon, and Drama.
Lee reflected, "It seems that the time spent as a trainee ultimately shaped who I am today," adding, "I'm proud to see Korean music loved worldwide." Now, a global star with a Billboard No. 1 hit, he humorously stated, "It's my second life reborn through music."
The episode airs on the 22nd at 8:45 PM.