How to Sing Like Chaeyoung (fromis_9): Falsetto Style in 5 Steps

Chaeyoung of fromis_9 builds her vocal identity around a deliberate falsetto — coloring high and transitional passages with an airy, thinned-fold production rather than a fully closed, standard chest-voice delivery. That single stylistic choice, paired with the vocal fundamentals she demonstrated during her Idol School evaluations, is what makes her tone recognizable. This guide breaks down that falsetto-centered approach and gives you a trainable path to it.

Important: This guide is about Lee Chaeyoung, a member of fromis_9. She is a completely different person from TWICE's Chaeyoung, who is covered in a separate guide on this blog. The two artists share a stage name only — their vocal styles, discographies, and group contexts are distinct, so keep the references separate when studying either one.

Safety note: Falsetto is a light, thin-fold vocal configuration and should never feel pressed, breathy-to-the-point-of-strain, or produce throat soreness. If a falsetto passage causes tension in the jaw or throat, reduce volume and rest. Hoarseness lasting more than two weeks should be evaluated by an ENT specialist.

Chaeyoung's Vocal Profile

A precise, independently verified vocal range for Chaeyoung is difficult to confirm across reliable sources, so this guide does not cite exact notes. What is consistently observed across her performances is a falsetto-forward production: rather than pushing full-voice phonation into higher or transitional passages, she frequently colors those moments with falsetto, giving her sound a lighter, airier character than a standard full-voice delivery would produce.

This stylistic choice sits alongside a documented foundation in vocal fundamentals. During her time on the survival show Idol School, Chaeyoung was evaluated with strong vocal basics — reported as 4th in vocal fundamentals and 3rd overall among contestants — indicating that her falsetto-centered style is a deliberate artistic choice built on solid technical footing, not a substitute for it.

She is also known for range across performance disciplines — moving between dance, rap, and vocal positions within fromis_9 — which is worth noting as context for how her vocal role fits into the group's overall sound, distinct from a pure lead-vocalist position.

Chaeyoung's Signature Songs — by Vocal Challenge

Approaching her discography by what each song demands gives you a useful training order.

Start with the tracks that use more full-voice singing before moving to the sustained falsetto passages in "Stay This Way" — the falsetto sustain is the destination skill, not the entry point.

The 3 Techniques Behind Chaeyoung's Sound

A distinctive falsetto approach

Rather than relying on standard, fully closed vocal-fold phonation across her range, Chaeyoung frequently reaches for falsetto to carry high and transitional passages — a thinner fold contact with incomplete closure that produces a lighter, airier tone. This is a deliberate stylistic signature, not a lesser alternative to full voice; sustaining pitch accurately in falsetto over a full phrase demands precise breath management. The head voice and falsetto training guide covers the coordination in detail.

Fundamentals from Idol School evaluations

Her falsetto style sits on top of assessed vocal fundamentals — reported as 4th in vocal basics and 3rd overall during Idol School. This context matters for how you train: the falsetto color works because the underlying breath support and pitch accuracy are solid, not because falsetto masks weaker fundamentals. Building your own falsetto-centered style should follow the same order — fundamentals first, stylistic color second.

Multi-position flexibility

Chaeyoung's role spans dance, rap, and vocal positions within fromis_9, which means her vocal training has likely balanced stamina and versatility across disciplines rather than being singularly focused on sustained belting. If you're building a similar all-around skill set, treat breath support as the common thread that carries across rap delivery, choreography-heavy performance, and vocal passages alike.

How to Train Toward Chaeyoung's Style

Step 1 — Confirm the reference, identity first

Before training anything, make sure you're listening to the correct artist: Lee Chaeyoung of fromis_9, not TWICE's Chaeyoung. Pull up "DM," "Stay This Way," or "FUN!" to anchor the right reference in your ear before you begin.

Step 2 — Isolate falsetto from full voice

Practice sirens that deliberately flip between full voice and falsetto, paying attention to the lighter fold contact and airier tone in falsetto. This separates the coordination from your default production so you can access falsetto on command rather than by accident.

Step 3 — Build breath control for sustained falsetto

Falsetto passages lose pitch stability quickly without steady airflow. In Bloom Vocal, the breath-focused exercises and C-1 (Lip Trill / breath onset) build the diaphragmatic support needed to hold a falsetto tone for a full phrase without drifting flat.

Step 4 — Work the transition zone into falsetto

Practice ascending scales that move from chest or mix into falsetto at moderate volume, aiming for a smooth handoff rather than an audible crack. This is the exact skill behind moments like the falsetto chorus in "Stay This Way."

Step 5 — Run an AI feedback loop on a single phrase

Record one 8-bar passage — the falsetto section of "DM" or the chorus of "Stay This Way" — and use Bloom Vocal's AI coaching to score pitch accuracy, breath support, and register consistency. Compare playback to the original for registration first, tone second.

Check Your Cover with AI

Imitating a falsetto-centered style by ear has a real ceiling: it's hard to hear your own pitch drift or fold-closure changes while you're singing. Upload a recording of a Chaeyoung passage and Bloom Vocal's AI scores your pitch accuracy, breath support, register transitions, rhythm, and expression on a 1–5 rubric, then recommends the specific exercise to fix your weakest area first — turning a vague "that sounded off" into "your falsetto lost breath support on the sustained note — drill breath control before the next attempt."

For the broader mechanics of register transitions, see the K-pop high notes training guide and the female passaggio and mix voice guide. To start from the fundamentals, the K-pop beginner vocal guide covers the prerequisite breath and registration work, and the idol vocal style analysis maps how different idol vocal styles connect to trainable technique.

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References

• Sadolin, C. (2000). Complete Vocal Technique. Shout Publishing. [Falsetto as a distinct vocal-fold configuration — thin fold contact with incomplete closure — distinguished from other vocal modes.]
• Titze, I. R., & Verdolini Abbott, K. (2012). Vocology: The Science and Practice of Voice Habilitation. National Center for Voice and Speech. [Breath support requirements for sustained falsetto phonation and register-transition mechanics.]