Real Singer Behind Virtual Idol IITERNITI Zaein Revealed: 'I Can't Sing as Myself'

In an audition show, the person behind virtual K-pop idol IITERNITI Zaein made an identity reveal and shared about the hardships of not being able to sing as herself.

'Girls on Fire' Contestant Lee Songhwa Revealed to be Singer Behind IITERNITI Zaein

On April 16, JTBC's new audition program, "Girls on Fire," aired its first episode led by MC Jang Doyeon, along with artist Yoon Jong Shin, Dynamic Duo Gaeko, Sunwoo JungA, Apink Eunji, Day6 Young K, and choreographer Kinky as producers.

Through the program, "Girls on Fire" aims to create a five-member vocal girl group comprised of talented musicians.

On this day, a 1vs1 head-to-head match took place. Only one winner will directly advance to the next round, which will be selected by the producers. If there's a tie result, both will be nominated for elimination.

During the battle, two K-pop idols were introduced as participants, who were revealed to be former April Kim Chaewon and South Korean singer Lee Songhwa, also known as Snikki Song.

Prior to the match, both introduced themselves, and starting with Chaewon, she greeted viewers as the main vocalist of the disbanded girl group April.

Through the interview, she shared her reason for joining the audition show as well as revealed her real feelings about the girl group disbandment.

"I applied for 'Girls on Fire' on a whim because I wanted to start again. I debuted as an April member on August 24, 2015, and participated in various music broadcasts. The group April itself was my dream and everything."

Unfortunately, April, which had been active for 7 years, officially disbanded in January last year. Chaewon added:

"Once that disappeared, I felt empty and lost, so I thought to myself, ‘Will I be able to stand on stage again?’, ‘Will I be able to sing again?’ No matter how much I think about it, I want to sing on stage. I thought it would be nice to have such an opportunity, so I applied."

Meanwhile, her match Lee Songhwa also shared her story and shocked viewers by confessing that she's actually the real singer behind virtual idol IITERNITI Zaein.

"Actually, I've been thinking about quitting music a lot since I've been singing behind someone's back for a long time.

Because I can't sing as myself when I was singing as Zaein from 'IITERNITI', I want to pour out all the energy I have as Lee Songhwa (through this show) until I get exhausted."

Meanwhile, the virtual idol group IITERNITI (formerly known as ETERNITY), debuted in 2021 under Pulse9. The group has 11 members and Zaein joined in 2022 as the eighth member and lead vocalist of the team.

Lee Songhwa Wins Against Kim Chaewon With Impressive Cover of 'Monster' By Red Velvet - Seulgi & Irene

During the broadcast, Lee Songhwa then flaunted her excellent performance of Red Velvet Seulgi and Irene's "Monster," giving a different taste of the song to viewers.

The producers also gave her enthusiastic responses, leading her to win by unanimous decision and advance straight to the next round, while Kim Chaewon was eliminated.

In response, Lee Song Hwa expressed her feelings, saying:

"Today, I feel like I have been recognized as Lee Songhwa, not as a faceless singer, and I think they have given me tremendous confidence."

READ MORE: New Girl Group Eternity Composed Entirely of AI Members Attracts Attention + To Debut This March

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Written by Eunice Dela Cruz