‘They kind of brainwash us and deprive human rights’ — Tasha Low shares her K-Pop idol trainee experience

In the recent episode of Mediacorp’s Hear U Out, Tasha Low expressed her experiences as a K-pop idol trainee back then. She mentioned that the first month of her training period was good, and she even thought that it was a nice lifestyle to live. However, everything changed when she officially started her training sessions.

Tasha remembers how their phones and laptops were kept and they were “cut off from the outside world”. “They kind of brainwashed us by saying it was for our good” she remarked. After losing her phone, Tasha was forced to do splits during her very first dance lesson. She stated that people sat behind her back and pushed her as she faced the wall. She felt that they were “deprived of human rights” during those times.

Furthermore, Tasha needed to follow a strict diet which only accepts 500 to 600 calories per day. “In the beginning, I was very obedient. As time went by, when I found it tough and craved chocolates or something, I sneaked out to get them” the singer confessed. She ate these chocolates (and a cup of noodles) in a washroom before running back to her training sessions. She said that she was really desperate back then.

Despite all these restrictions, Tasha and the other trainees continued to do dance, vocal, rap and Korean lessons.

The 29-year-old Singaporean celebrity shared that ever since she was a child, she had wanted to become a singer. To achieve her dream, she auditioned for many programs.

“My singing skills were very average so I didn’t have any opportunities then” the singer said. Tasha was 17 years old when she started training as a South Korean idol. She admitted that she was surprised to be shortlisted for this particular audition. 

“I couldn’t believe it. I asked my Korean manager why I was selected… My singing wasn’t particularly good, and my dancing was only average” she exclaimed. Her manager then replied that he saw potential in her. “I consider myself lucky to have this opportunity,” Tasha added.