Background and career
Son Chae-young (Korean: 손채영; born April 23, 1999), known mononymously as Chaeyoung, is a South Korean singer and rapper. She is a member of the girl group Twice, formed by JYP Entertainment in 2015. Chaeyoung released her debut studio album Lil Fantasy Vol. 1 and its lead single "Shoot (Firecracker)" in September 2025.
Early life and pre-debut activities Chaeyoung was born in Seoul, South Korea on April 23, 1999. She took interest in the performing arts from a young age and used to model for a children's magazine. Chaeyoung decided she wanted to become a singer before joining JYP Entertainment and took dance lessons for over one year. At age 13, she passed the auditions and ended up joining the company. As a trainee, she appeared in the music videos for Got7's "Stop Stop It" (2014) and Miss A's "Only You" (2015).
Chaeyoung participated in the reality television competition Sixteen in 2015. Ranking sixth place out of the nine debut spots, she went on to join the newly formed girl group Twice as one of its rappers and singers. On October 20, 2015, Twice officially debuted with the release of their first extended play (EP) The Story Begins. Chaeyoung became the first member of the group to receive writing credits when she wrote a rap verse for Twice's version of J. Y. Park's "Precious Love" as part of their 2016 EP Page Two. Since then, Chaeyoung has participated in writing lyrics for multiple songs by Twice. For the group's second Japanese studio album &Twice, on the track "How U Doin'", Chaeyoung took part in composing for the first time, making her the first member to do so. She also designed the limited edition cover of Page Two and three different pairs of Spris shoes. As a soloist, Chaeyoung released covers of "Alone" by Cheeze, "Off My Face" by Justin Bieber, and "Weatherman" by Eddie Benjamin as part of the Melody Project series.
In 2022, she began learning to play the guitar in anticipation of a potential solo debut. She then performed an unreleased solo track titled "My Guitar" on Twice's Ready to Be World Tour. In October 2023, Chaeyoung collaborated with pop duo Coco & Clair Clair on a remix of their song "Pop Star". On June 10, 2025, JYP Entertainment announced that Chaeyoung was preparing for her solo debut. Her debut studio album, Lil Fantasy Vol. 1, was released on September 12, with "Shoot (Firecracker)" serving as the lead single. The album was a critical and commercial success for Chaeyoung, debuting at number 3 on South Korea's Circle Album Chart, and being named as one of the best K-pop albums of 2025 by Idology, Rolling Stone, and Billboard. She also featured on rapper Sokodomo's single "Wake Up", released on November 20. On November 21, JYP Entertainment announced that Chaeyoung had been diagnosed with vasovagal syncope and due to health concerns would be taking a hiatus until the end of the year.
How Son Chaeyoung makes money
At age 13, she passed the auditions and ended up joining the company. She also designed the limited edition cover of Page Two and three different pairs of Spris shoes.
