Singer Nam Yu-jeong has revealed the rigorous preparation process, including over nine hours of daily practice, ahead of her first 'Waterbomb' stage. Despite the harsh preparations for the stage, mixed evaluations emerged regarding the performance.
On the 30th of last month, a video featuring the preparation process and behind-the-scenes footage of Nam Yu-jeong's performance at '2026 Waterbomb Sokcho,' held on the 22nd of last month at Sokcho Hanwha Resort Seorak Sorano in Gangwon-do, was released on her YouTube channel 'Yullala.'
In the video, Nam Yu-jeong was seen dedicating herself to choreography practice and body management ahead of Waterbomb. During practice, she revealed, "Last week, I danced for nine and a half hours. Basically, I dance for five hours." It is reported that she underwent high-intensity choreography practice four times a week.
She also utilized dancing for weight management. Recalling that she used to lose weight by starving herself in the past, she mentioned the effects of aerobic exercise and said, "K-pop dancing is good for dieting."
As intense practice continued, signs of physical exhaustion also appeared. Nam Yu-jeong confessed, "I kept falling asleep in the car. I don't even remember how I washed up and fell asleep after practice ended."
During practice, she complained of dizziness even with her eyes closed. After a brief rest, she got up from her seat again and continued practicing, saying, "Let's do a little more."
After such preparations, Nam Yu-jeong took the stage at 'Waterbomb Sokcho 2026.' Her appearance marked her first Waterbomb performance since debut and drew attention as a large-scale solo stage following her departure from Brave Girls in 2024. On this day, Nam Yu-jeong built her stage around remakes of songs including Jewelry's "You're Really Good," Park Myung-soo's "Prince of the Sea," and Eom Jung-hwa's "Invitation." During the "Invitation" performance, BTOB's Lee Min-hyuk, who participated as a featured artist, appeared to perform together.
After the performance video was released online, reactions were mixed. Some netizens responded with comments such as, "Why isn't there any of her own songs?" "I thought she would have different music she wanted to do as a soloist," "She shone more when she was in the group," and "If it's going to be like this, why did she come out with Brave Girls?" Criticism also arose that the song selection focused on remakes, along with the dance and stage completion, failed to meet expectations.
On the other hand, among audience members who watched the performance live at the venue, there were evaluations that the atmosphere was good. As this was her first time taking a large-scale solo stage after leaving Brave Girls, opinions continued to support her new challenge or suggest waiting to see her future activities.
Nam Yu-jeong herself had previously expressed concerns about the burden of performing on a solo stage ahead of Waterbomb. Having never released a solo song during her time with the group, she said regarding stepping onto the stage alone, "On one hand, it's burdensome, and on the other hand, it's enjoyable."
Meanwhile, Nam Yu-jeong debuted as a member of Brave Girls in 2016. She gained significant popularity in 2021 due to the reverse run of "Rollin'" and continued activities after changing the group name to Brave Girls. After leaving the team in 2024, Nam Yu-jeong has been pursuing individual activities as an actress and singer. On the 2nd afternoon, she will release her new single 'Self-Introduction' through various music sites.
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