BTOB’s Lee Chang Sub admits seeing BEAST in person almost made him give up on becoming an idol

BTOB’s Lee Chang Sub revealed a funny story from his trainee days, admitting that seeing the BEAST members in person made him briefly believe he had no chance of becoming an idol.

Changsub shared the story on the September 2 episode of KBS Joy’s Kkiri Kkiri, where he traveled around Takamatsu, Japan with 2AM’s Jinwoon and Soyou.

While talking about how they entered the entertainment industry, Changsub recalled becoming a Cube Entertainment trainee when he was 19 years old.

He said an open audition was held at the practical music academy he attended, so he decided to apply. After singing during the audition, he was asked whether he could dance.

Changsub recalled answering, “No, I can’t dance. But if you play some music, I’ll try to do something.”

He then recreated the improvised dance he performed at the time and joked that his confidence may have helped him pass the first round.

“Maybe they liked the fact that someone who couldn’t do anything still asked them to play music,” he said.

Changsub did not expect to advance further, but he was invited to a second audition. That was when he had an unexpected encounter with BEAST, now known as Highlight.

He recalled opening the door and seeing six handsome men sitting on a sofa.

Changsub said, “I had never seen people that handsome in my life. It was also my first time seeing trainees. They were the BEAST hyungs.”

Their appearance immediately made him question his own chances of debuting.

He continued, “When I saw the BEAST members, I became convinced there was no way I would make it. I thought, ‘So these are the kinds of visuals you need to become a singer.’”

Despite his doubts, Changsub later received a call confirming that he had passed and officially became a Cube Entertainment trainee.

He also revealed another unexpected part of his pre debut days. While training at Cube, Changsub once appeared during a 2AM event as Jinwoon’s shadow performer for I Was Wrong.

Changsub ultimately debuted as a member of BTOB in 2012, turning the audition he initially believed he had little chance of passing into the beginning of his long career in K-pop.