Drew Venegas always seems to want to give something. As he spoke about a single letter feeling like his entire world, his eyes grew warm and clear, as though reflecting the faces of everyone he loves. 

What was the first thing you did after arriving in Korea?
Drew: I had samgyeopsal at 10 in the morning.

At 10 in the morning? (In Korea, samgyeopsal is usually considered a dinner food.)
Drew: Yeah. Our manager had the exact same reaction. (laughs) We’d been craving it even before we came to Korea. We were like, “We’re finally here—we have to try all the Korean food right away.” So we ended up eating samgyeopsal first thing in the morning. Honestly, it was so good.

You actually have a long history with K-pop already.
Drew: Yeah, I do. I worked as a dancer with a lot of different K-pop artists, including BTS and j-hope, and those opportunities honestly felt like such a blessing to me. I got to see firsthand just how hard they work. When you’re onstage, everyone becomes part of something much bigger than themselves. Watching all those different pieces come together as one performance was really beautiful to experience. I also got to see how artists create such a family-like atmosphere behind the scenes. Those memories are honestly hard to put into words. All of that gave me an even deeper respect for artists, especially K-pop artists. That’s why, someday, when we have dancers performing alongside us too, I want to give them as much love as possible. They become such an important part of our story.

Now you’re returning to Korea to perform under your own name. How does that feel?
Drew: I remember being blown away by the energy of the fans back then, and now that same energy and love are being given back to me and the members. It’s honestly such a beautiful thing. That’s why I cry almost every time I step onstage. This was something I dreamed about from such a young age, and now I’m finally getting to live it.

There were a lot of steps that led you to this moment.
Drew: I was working as a dancer on Karol G’s tour, but after the tour ended, I honestly started drifting away from dance for a while. I was trying to pull myself out of a slump. Since I’ve always loved fashion, I decided to work at a clothing store for a bit and explore something different. There was always music playing in the store, though, and without even realizing it, I’d start humming along or dancing a little. My coworkers would always say things like, “Why are you working here? You should be debuting somewhere.” And I’d tell them, “Thank you, but I think this is where I’m supposed to be right now.” Ironically, stepping away from dance for a while was what made me fall in love with it again. And right around then, I got a call from a director I’d known before. He told me he was preparing a new project—something massive—and that it probably wouldn’t be easy. So I immediately sent over fifteen dance videos. I also recorded a Spanish cover song and sent that too. It wasn’t perfect, but I practiced really hard for it. I even filmed an introduction video in Spanish. I don’t speak Spanish fluently, but I wanted to show how badly I wanted it. And then four months passed. And I didn’t hear anything back.

For four months?
Drew: I was completely crushed. Honestly, whenever people asked me, “So, did anything happen?” It almost made me angry. I still remember my grandfather asking me every single day, “Did they call? Not yet?” And I’d say, “Not yet, Grandpa. Not yet. But hopefully soon.” I’d act like I was okay while we were on the phone, and then cry by myself after hanging up. I never wanted to disappoint him. Then one day, while I was in New York traveling with my family, I finally got a call telling me to come in for the next audition. I just broke down crying. I quit my job at the clothing store I loved and immediately flew to Mexico. At that point, I felt like I had nothing left to lose. There were more than fifty contestants, and I was the only one who couldn’t speak Spanish. Then I waited another three weeks before finally hearing that I’d made it. The first thing I did was call my parents and my grandfather. I said, “I’m going to the boot camp.” From that day on, I kept telling myself, “You were given this opportunity. You gave up everything to come here. So give it absolutely everything you have and see it through to the end. And even if you don’t become a final member, at least you’ll know you gave it your all.” And I really did give it my all. That’s why I’m here now.

You talk about your grandfather a lot.
Drew: When I was younger, my grandfather almost never told me he was proud of me. He was the kind of person who expressed disappointment through silence, and honestly, that was the hardest part for me. I’d hear him say those words to other family members, but never to me. I always wanted to feel closer to him, but I didn’t really know how. Then I started dancing, and that’s when things began to change between us. He loved watching me dance, so he came to my performances all the time. Even when he was in a wheelchair, he still made sure to come see me perform. Right up until the end. My grandfather was everything to me.

That must have made getting into the boot camp feel even more meaningful for you. But I imagine there were still a lot of challenges waiting once you got there.
Drew: I was the only person out of sixteen who couldn’t speak Spanish. So when we were suddenly told we had to memorize an entire song in Spanish for an evaluation, I completely panicked. My mind just went blank. I had no idea how I was supposed to do it. Then the next morning, as I was getting out of the van on the way to the boot camp, a yellow butterfly flew right in front of me. The moment I saw it, it honestly felt like time stopped. And somehow, I immediately felt my grandfather there with me. The butterfly moved so slowly and gently. Everything about that moment felt peaceful. Later, I looked it up and found out that yellow butterflies are sometimes seen as signs from people who’ve passed away—like they’re still watching over you. From that day on, I never felt alone again. Not during the boot camp, and not after it either.

Even during difficult moments, you always seemed determined to push through with a positive mindset. During the “Dynamite” evaluation, for example, you broke your ankle, but you said you chose to see it as an opportunity to show your vocals instead.
Drew: I was practicing a really simple move—a ball change—when suddenly my left foot just gave out. I knew immediately that something was wrong. When I got to the hospital and found out I’d fractured my ankle, I was devastated. Especially because, as someone who had worked directly with BTS before, that stage felt like such an important opportunity for me to show how much I’d grown as a dancer. And suddenly, that opportunity was gone. I felt completely helpless. I kept thinking, “No, this can’t happen. Not like this.” Then one of the managers said something to me that completely changed my mindset. He told me, “Everything happens for a reason.” I still had my voice. I was still breathing. I could still sing. Which meant I could still stand onstage. So I decided to focus on singing and keep a positive mindset. The more I tried to feel grateful simply for the fact that I could still stand on the stage I loved most, the more naturally I found myself pouring everything into practice. I kept telling myself, "There's no point staying stuck in those feelings. You'll never be happy if you do. Just be grateful that you still have your voice.”

So when you finally debuted and were able to dance freely again, I imagine it must have felt almost cathartic—especially moments like the dance break in “KAWASAKI.” (laughs)
Drew: Exactly. At the time, it honestly felt unreal—like, “Wait, is this actually my life right now?” I felt so powerful. There’s this one move during the dance break where I swing my arms back and clench my fist at the very end. Every time I did it, I genuinely felt like I’d tapped into some kind of special strength. I was throwing absolutely everything I had into that performance. It felt like I was going into battle alongside my four brothers-in-arms—in the best way possible. That was the moment I fell in love with dancing all over again. 

Your “brothers-in-arms.” What do the members mean to you?
Drew: This is the first time in my life I’ve had people I can truly call brothers forever. I’d never really felt like I fully belonged in a group of guys before. But with the members, it felt like we instantly understood each other on a deeper level. There’s an age difference between us, but when we’re together, I barely feel it. Even with Kenneth—I’m twenty-six, but there’s still so much I learn from him. I think being the oldest member and the leader also means being willing to learn first. At the same time, taking care of the younger members is really important to me—not just as a leader, but as the oldest brother. I’ve always been that way with my younger sister, too. I always wanted to protect her and make sure she never felt hurt or alone. And I feel the same way about the members. I’m always checking to make sure they’re okay. There was this one moment… wow. (gets emotional) I just remembered something really beautiful. One day, we were performing an emotional ballad, and for some reason, my emotions hit me especially hard that day. Out of habit, I looked to my left and right—and the members had the exact same look in their eyes that I did. That was the moment I realized, “I’m really not alone anymore.” These guys really are my brothers. 

You almost sound like characters from a superhero comic. (laughs)
Drew: (laughs) You know “Power Rangers,” right? Everyone has their own character. Normally, they’re just ordinary people, but the second they hit that button, they completely transform. That’s what the members are like too. Each of us has that moment onstage where something just switches on.

That feels very SANTOS BRAVOS of you.
Drew: Exactly. (laughs) And I’m the same way too. Onstage, all this confidence and passion comes out at once. But offstage, I’m actually really quiet, soft, and sensitive. I tend to take on other people’s emotions almost like they’re my own. I’m a very empathetic person, so when someone around me is hurting, I end up hurting with them too. I think those two sides together are what make me who I am.

Hearing you talk about that makes me think of another duality that exists within you—K-pop and Latin music. How do those two worlds coexist inside you?  You’ve also talked before about the “K-pop methodology.”
Drew: Honestly, I think I’d already been experiencing something very similar to the K-pop methodology since I was sixteen. I just didn’t have a name for it yet. The dance studio where I trained was also built around really intense, team-centered training. We practiced for eight hours a day, and the atmosphere was very strict. But at the core of it all, there was still a strong sense of mutual respect. Everything was about moving toward the same goal as a team—becoming one for the sake of the performance. In that sense, it really wasn’t that different from K-pop at all. And then you add the emotion and energy that are so unique to Latin music on top of that. I don’t think either one feels complete without the other.

A lot of Mexican American fans say they see themselves in you. What does it feel like hearing that?
Drew: Ah… that honestly brings up so many emotions for me. I feel a real sense of responsibility to represent them well. I want them to look at me and feel like, “I can do this too. I belong here too.” I want them to know they’re not alone—that I’m walking this path with them.

Not feeling alone—that’s clearly something very important to you too. Are there any messages from fans that have especially stayed with you?
Drew: I’ve never really used social media to promote myself. It was always just a place where I could casually share my thoughts. But during the boot camp, when I started reading all the supportive messages fans were leaving for me on Weverse, I realized just how connected people felt to me, and that really moved me. One day, I received a fan letter. In it, the fan mentioned all these darker parts of my life I’d talked about before on the show—some of my weakest and most vulnerable moments—and then wrote, “But you still made it here.” I cried so much reading that letter. I didn’t even know who this person was, but for a moment, those words felt like my entire world. Knowing that there was someone out there—somewhere beyond just my family—who genuinely cared about me… that meant everything to me.

That must make all of this feel especially meaningful to you.
Drew: I cry almost every time I step onstage. Singing and dancing up there feels like I’m slowly healing the version of myself that used to feel so lost. Because of the fans, I feel reassured that I’ve made it this far okay. Whether it’s at a show, through a letter, or somewhere else entirely, it always feels like the fans are right there beside me.