EXO's Lay Initially Thought His Casting By SM Entertainment Was A "Trick"

EXO‘s Lay, also known as Lay Zhang, appeared on the Zach Sang Show to discuss his life and career with host Zach Sang. While talking about his career path, he revealed what he thought about getting cast by SM Entertainment.

Earlier this year, Lay released his latest EP, West, along with a music video for the album’s title track, “Veil.” Since then, he’s been promoting his release with different performances and appearances, including at the METAMOON festival in New York.

During his time in America, he sat down with Zach Sang for an exclusive interview where he first talked about how he got his start in the entertainment industry. When asked by how he handles so many activities at the same time, Lay gave a bit of insight into how there’s a different marketing strategy for Chinese market artists.

So for me it’s a different market, so it has a different stragegy. Chinese market artists are always doing the singing, and performing, and dramas or reality shows. [You] do the both of it.

— Lay

After being a bit stunned by that answer, Zach Sang asks how Lay got his start, and when he decided that he “wanted to actually sing and dance.” Lay replies that he was around 13 years old when he “realized I want to be a good musician.”

After joking that he might have had “not good thoughts” or “crazy” as a reason for joining the entertainment industry, he continues talking about how he got his start. Zach Sang then asks about how he ended up with EXO.

When I was 17 years old, I just went to a competition, I don’t know, maybe sing a song and dance or something. Then I met the SM Entertainment casting [director].

While this may have sounded like the start of a dream come true, Lay initially thought that the casting might have been too good to be true!

She [the casting director] just told me ‘hey, do want to come to Korea to do some, to get some training’ or something. I [was] thinking ‘oh don’t cap me. Liar.’