RESCENE's ZENA's viral 'grandmother' transformation at age 14 resurfaces

A past video of RESCENE member ZENA is making waves online, drawing attention as a heartwarming "growth narrative." Beyond the polished performances she has delivered on stage since her debut, fans are offering continuous support as her history of relentless effort and early passion for performing is being rediscovered.

Recently, a dance cover video of ZENA titled 'I Stepped in Poop' (Ddong Bal-at-ne), filmed during her middle school years, has spread rapidly across online communities and various SNS platforms. Moving beyond being a simple piece of archival footage, the video is being re-evaluated as a record of a young girl dreaming of becoming an idol and proving her talent and potential.

'I Stepped in Poop' was featured in the EBS animation 'PotenDogs' Season 2 and gained massive popularity online upon its release due to its unique melody and highly addictive choreography. Since then, various parodies and dance content have been produced, and ZENA also participated in content from her dance studio at the time, showcasing her exceptional expressive abilities.

In the video, ZENA attempted a radical transformation by wearing a gray curly wig and grandmother makeup. Despite her young age, her facial expressions—completely immersed in the character—and her precise execution of the choreography foreshadowed the stage presence she possesses today.

In particular, her ability to go beyond simply dancing to meticulously express facial expressions and gestures that fit the concept aligns with the unique strengths ZENA demonstrates in her current idol activities.

As the video belatedly garnered attention, the production channel left a comment that brought laughter, saying, "ZENA... I'm sorry... Even if I want to take the video down, I can't because of those who are reminiscing." As the past video was re-highlighted in an unexpected way, it became a welcome memory for fans.

Along with this, ZENA's audition video filmed during the same period is also receiving renewed interest.

In the video, ZENA introduces herself by saying, "Kim Ga-young, 14 years old. I am playing the grandmother role," before performing on stage wearing the same wig. Despite her young age, her ability to move freely to the music and perform acting suited to the situation demonstrates the amount of practice and stage sense she had built up even before her debut.

While some netizens initially reacted by calling it a "dark past," the atmosphere shifted as the video was shared. Positive evaluations followed, such as, "It's not a dark past, but the process toward a dream," "Her talent was extraordinary even as a child," and "That spirit of challenge made the ZENA of today."

ZENA also drew laughter with her playful reaction during fan communication, mentioning the spread of the video by saying, "I think I'm in big trouble. It spread way more than I thought. Isn't the 'Shilla Grandmother' a bit much?"

As a small challenge from the past connects to her current popularity, ZENA is drawing attention as another example of a "growth-type" idol. It has once again confirmed that behind the image of a polished star lies long preparation and numerous attempts.

RESCENE is establishing itself as a prominent team among 5th generation girl groups, recently achieving consecutive successes such as a chart climb for their music release and winning first place on music programs.