Popular JYP Entertainment Boy Group Reveals Their Measly First Earnings
For a band as popular as DAY6, people would usually expect them to make good money, especially under a company like JYP Entertainment (JYP hereon). However, the band has seen many humble days, starting from the bottom, quite literally.
On September 10, KST, DAY6 appeared as a group on the popular tvN variety show, You Quiz On The Block, to celebrate their tenth debut anniversary. During the episode, the member shared many memorable milestones of their career, offering a bird’s-eye view of their growth as artists.
During this conversation, member Sungjin shared a fascinating fact about the band. He recalled that the first payout they ever received from JYP was mere ₩3,600 KRW (about $2.59 USD), prompting them to look for side hustles while also working as musicians.
Our first payment was 3,600. We had debuted but we had nothing. So we told ourselves, ‘Let’s look at the long run and do our best.’ We worked hard to land jobs.
— Sungjin
When host Yoo Jae Suk mentioned that DAY6 used to attend all company dinners, Sungjin further explained that they saw it as a way to promote themselves in the industry. Their desperate attempts to network and create more opportunities for the band eventually started paying.
If we went on the radio as guests and heard there was a company dinner, we’d go no matter what. We were trying to promote ourselves however we could. Eventually, we started getting more opportunities.
— Sungjin
He continued, sharing that he had to ration his ramen intake to save money. Sungjin recalled getting some extra allowance to buy food for his members, because the music wasn’t paying at all back then. He also admitted that at that time, they were all desperate to increase their visibility in whichever way possible.
Whenever I met a producer, I’d say, ‘We’re DAY6—please give our song a listen.’ If we got on a show, we did everything we could. Even if it was just as guests, we took it. Life was just nonstop back then.
— Sungjin
Member Young K also joined the conversation, recalling how fast reality hit them all after debuting, shattering their illusions of the glamour of this career.
I thought debuting under JYP would be dazzling—glamorous, filming commercials and everything. But after debut, only one or two articles came out. I used to carry around a JYP shopping bag, just to show people I debuted with JYP.
— Young K
Despite having to start from such humble beginnings, DAY6 has achieved great success in the past decade. Read more about their latest milestone here:
