9 Idol trainees tell all on their experience in ‘Chuang Asia’ Season 2
Stars in the making
Boy groups are currently experiencing a renaissance in the Asian music market, particularly in the K-pop, C-pop, and T-pop industries. With boy group fever taking over, every recording label and TV show producer is trying to create the perfect male idol group to become the next global sensation.
One such program is Chuang Asia, a popular survival show by WeTV that originated in China. This season features 60 contestants from various nationalities and a mentor lineup consisting of K-pop superstars BamBam and Seventeen’s The8; Thai sensations Jeff Satur and Yaya; and Chinese vocal powerhouse Tia Ray.
Currently set in Thailand, the second season of Chuang Asia has garnered tremendous attention from fans familiar with the idol system since its premiere on 2 February 2025. With the power to vote for their favourite trainees, audiences are greatly involved in the making of the boy group as they decide who makes it to the coveted final seven debut spots.
This month, we had a chance to fly to Bangkok, Thailand, to meet these trainees ourselves and get an intimate behind-the-scenes look at how an episode of this hit show comes together. From the elaborate stage designs to the non-stop practices backstage, there was a palpable energy in the air as the contestants eagerly showed their skills for the semi-final in front of live voters.
Sitting in a practice room that the trainees are all too familiar with, we spoke to nine contestants: Dorn, Ninja and Thi-O from Thailand; WhyLucas from Singapore; Hu Ye Tao and Omar from China; and Malaysian trainees, Alton Ang, Sunny, and Jackson, for an exclusive inside look.
From performance anxiety to forging strong friendships amidst the tough competition, these nine hopefuls get candid with us about their experience on Chuang Asia Season 2.
Why did you decide to take the plunge and join Chuang Asia Season 2?
Thi-O: When my visa got cancelled to go to university abroad, I thought it was the perfect chance for me to enhance my craft and become a better musician. So that’s why I came onto the show—to broaden my experience and get one step closer to achieving my dreams of being an international artist.
WhyLucas: I was already a singer-songwriter in Singapore, and I wanted to expand my horizons because the market there is quite small. I’ve always had plans to move overseas to do something, whether it be music or entertainment and I’m glad this opportunity appeared!
Dorn: I’ve spent the last 13 years being a professional dancer. And while I have a huge passion for dancing, I sometimes feel like a shadow. So I decided to join Chuang Asia to find a glimmer of light that could make me shine more on stage. I’ve never had anyone shout my name before and to have fans now who do that, I’m so grateful.
Omar: It was my mother who introduced me to this show and encouraged me to join. I’ve watched other idol survival shows in the past and fell in love with the thought of being one too. So it was all great timing.
Hu Ye Tao: This is my second time taking part in Chuang. It’s rare to be given another chance to do it again, so I definitely did not want to let this opportunity go to waste.
Sunny: I’ve always known about Chuang, so I was a fan of the show before they came to Thailand. It’s my dream to become an idol so that’s why I decided to pursue it on Chuang Asia.
Alton Ang: The main reason is because I want to challenge myself. I’m a national athlete in Malaysia and I wanted to step out of my comfort zone to try new things and show more sides of myself.
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Jackson: My friend actually recommended me to join Chuang Asia. I’m a Wushu athlete so I was never professionally trained in singing and dancing. I had to practice a lot for the audition. It was cool to discover more about myself through this process.
Ninja: I have a much simpler reason: I just want to become the idol I’ve always dreamed of!
How did you shape your passion for performing?
Jackson: I would say it started from the audition. Because I was practising so much for it, I realised that I actually like singing and dancing. I discovered a new interest, and it made me want to take the challenge head-on.
Hu Ye Tao: In my first year of high school, I discovered K-pop with 4 Minute’s song ‘Hate’ and just fell in love! Since then, I started listening to K-pop and when Blackpink debuted, that was when my love for dancing really skyrocketed. I would analyse their dance videos and cover it in my style so I would say that was when my passion for performing began.
Alton Ang: I actually like to sing, but I only reserve it for the toilet and showers [laughs]. I lost a lot of confidence to sing in front of a crowd. Joining Chuang Asia not only gave me a lot of opportunities to perform on stage, but it also helped me build my confidence back up again.
Sunny: I’ve been a K-pop cover dancer for four to five years, so I’m comfortable with that, but Chuang Asia has fueled my passion for music. I’m not trained in vocals, so the show has been quite a steep learning curve. But I’m grateful that I learned so much from other trainees, whether that was singing lessons or how to produce music.
Omar: I was a child model, so that was all I ever knew, but after watching several idol survival shows, my interest in dancing grew. So I enrolled in several dance classes to learn and really enjoyed it.
What would you say is one unique strength that makes you stand out from other contestants on the show?
WhyLucas: Funny you say that because strength is all I have! [flexes his muscles] Jokes aside, I know I don’t exactly have the best vocals or dance skills in this competition, but I love the creative process of producing and writing songs. I would also like to think I have a sense of humour and hope my personality comes through!
Hu Ye Tao: What sets me apart is probably my experience. Since this is my second time on Chuang, I would say my progress is a bit more developed because I’ve done this all before.
Omar: Perhaps my passion. I’m still new to the industry so there are a lot of things I want to try and challenge myself in.
Sunny: I think it’s my own personal dance style. I took a lot of dance classes so I could learn different styles such as popping, locking, and break dancing. I’m really thankful that I have a strong foundation in dance before coming to Chuang and I hope people can see my style come through.
Alton Ang: It would be the skills I learned from Wushu such as the kicks and flips. The kung-fu style is definitely one of my unique traits. I’ve been flipping on almost every stage in the show! [laughs]
The Wushu training has helped me loads for my journey in Chuang Asia. With martial arts, you have to be very disciplined and strict with your training. It can go on for long hours every day so Wushu not only helped in my stamina but also hardened my mental strength when our practices stretched for hours.
Jackson: I agree with Alton because Wushu has helped me a lot in my flexibility, strength, and picking up choreography more quickly. My nickname in the show is Back Flip Guy so I would say that it’s definitely my unique skill.
Thi-O: I know most people will probably mention my vocals, but I want to say that it’s my commitment to being true to myself and giving my all in everything I do.
Dorn: Likewise for me, fans will most likely say it’s my dance skills, but I would also like to say my authenticity.
Ninja: Honestly, it was hard for me to figure out what my specialty was. Sure, I can sing and dance, but Chuang Asia has some amazing singers and dancers! So I want to say it’s my confidence on stage. When I perform, I think of myself as the main character.
What is the most fun part and conversely, the toughest challenge of being in a competition show like this?
Ninja: For me, the most difficult would be the language barrier because we have trainees from various countries and I can’t speak English or Mandarin well. Another challenge is the fast turnaround time for performances. Sometimes, we get one week and other times, only three days to learn the song and choreography.
WhyLucas: Personally, the best part is the friendships. When you get so caught up in the competition, you tend to forget that.
Omar: To me, the experience at Chuang Asia is a lot better than going to school [laughs]. I get to practise my singing, dancing, and hang out with all the cool older brothers I have here every day! One of the challenges I have is experimenting with different styles. I’m naturally a shy person, so trying a more mature or sensual concept can be quite difficult for me.
Alton Ang: The most fun memories I have are when we’re hanging out in our rooms. There are a lot of shenanigans that happen behind the scenes, like someone would do something ridiculous, and you’ll laugh a lot when you’re supposed to be practising.
Chuang Asia features a diverse cast of contestants from various countries. Were there any culture shock moments that surprised you?
Dorn: There is not a lot I’m surprised about other countries per se but I realised that many contestants are actually surprised about Thai culture! For example, it’s normal for Thai artists to pray before going on stage. And we also do the wai (a polite prayer-like gesture) when we greet people.
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Alton Ang: The food! I love Thai cuisine, but man, I miss the mamak, roti canai, and nasi lemak.
Hu Ye Tao: The friendliness of Thai people pleasantly surprised me! They’re so open and warm. Contrary to popular belief, I’m actually quite introverted, so it’s hard for me to approach people. But in Thailand, it’s so easy to be open and initiate conversations because everyone is so kind and friendly.
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Omar: One culture shock for me was how different authentic Thai cuisine tasted here compared to what we have in China! But I mean that in a good way because it tastes amazing. The tom yum soup and Thai milk tea hit different!
What is one thing about filming for an idol reality show that viewers might not be aware of?
Alton Ang: We actually spend a lot of time on our styling. Our outfits depend on which songs we choose so we have to follow the vibe of the song closely. This includes your hairstyle and makeup. Most of our time is dedicated to that. If the outfit doesn’t fit, it has to be changed immediately. In fact, it can change anytime—even on the day before your stage.
Another thing we do behind the scenes is constant face and fit checks on stage. They’ll see if our makeup needs to be stronger for the cameras or if the colours of our outfits work. For me, the most I’ve changed my makeup look was six times in a day! The styling team puts a ton of effort into making sure we look the best on stage, and we trust them a lot, too.
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Viewers only see when you’re all competing against each other. But what is it really like off-stage when the cameras are not running?
Hu Ye Tao: That’s right, the program only has a limited runtime per episode, so it’s not possible to show everything. It is a competition show, but actually, all 60 trainees were really close. Everyone gets along with each other so well, and there’s non-stop chatter in the dorms.
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One time, a few of us (the Carrot family, fans will know!) even tried to ‘escape’ the dormitory to test out the security of the place. We didn’t get very far, but that’s the sort of thing we got up to!
WhyLucas: Yeah, we can get loud and crazy [laughs]. There was one night where some trainees were coming out of their room screaming at 3am because they were playing Truth or Dare—and we had a call time at 10am that day too! But I can’t complain because I ended up joining them…
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Ninja: We’re surrounded by each other all the time. We live together, we practice together, we perform together, so you can’t help but get close. We often hang out in each other’s rooms to play games and even to cry.
Dorn: I would like to say that mine and Ninja’s room is the most popular! Every five minutes, someone would be knocking on our door [laughs].
Alton Ang: Hold on, my room is popular too! I remember at 8am, Yao ZiHao came to our room to tell us to brush our teeth while we were still sleeping in bed—just shoved the toothbrush into my mouth and walked out! All these little funny moments in between make the experience even better.
Omar: I’ve been to every dormitory and they’re all really fun. You get a different vibe depending on whose room you enter. Some are calmer and relaxed, while others are more rambunctious. But I personally have a lot of fun with Myst!
Finally, what has this experience on Chuang Asia taught you both as a person and as an artist?
Ninja: In my experience, Chuang Asia has taught me to work hard and appreciate the importance of friendship.
WhyLucas: What I learned from this experience so far is that I really do love to perform on stage. I always thought my dream to be an artist was far-fetched and hard to achieve, but my time on Chuang Asia has shown me that this is what I want to do in my life and to keep at it.
Thi-O: One thing I learned most about being in Chuang Asia is how to deal with conflict. There are a lot of different personalities and minds here, and it can be hard to deal with everyone’s ideas. So being able to balance all that out has taught me a precious skill about being in a future team.
As a person, Chuang Asia has taught me to be mindful and present. It has given me the mental strength to anticipate and embrace all kinds of situations in the best way possible.
Dorn: The show has made me understand people a lot better, particularly their skill sets and what each of them can bring to the performances. I’m a lot more analytical and aware now.
Jackson: I’ve discovered that I like to be on stage and seen by people. Chuang Asia has helped me to find my passion and what to do to achieve my idol dreams.
Sunny: I really love the stage so much. Chuang Asia gave me that dream stage to perform on. This experience taught me that being an idol comes with so much preparation and hard work. You have to train your vocals, dancing, facial expressions, and even your communication skills. To me, an idol brings a lot of positive energy to the audience, and I want to be able to do that in the future.
Hu Ye Tao: This season’s slogan is “See the world and find yourself”. It really resonated with me because I believe that when you find who you are, you will truly be happy. This journey of self-discovery has only just begun, and I’m excited to see what more I can learn about myself along the way.
Omar: Coming to Chuang Asia has made me realise that I really want to become an idol. The experience here showed me what my dream is and the steps I need to take to achieve it. What my strengths are, what I need to improve in…it’s all been really helpful in showing me what it takes to become an idol.
Alton Ang: Chuang Asia Season 2 has taught me how to influence people on the camera and make audiences feel your energy. It showed me the importance and beauty of influencing others in a positive way.
Watch all episodes of Chuang Asia Season 2 exclusively on WeTV.
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