Gehlee Dangca: The Darling Idol Comes Back and Rises Again

After making her mark on the K-pop stage with UNIS, Gehlee Dangca returns home with a solo career ahead of her, a growing sense of self, and the same little-princess spirit that has always been hers.

“I feel like essentially, I’m still the same, like a little princess, still bubbling with confidence and still feminine.”

Now back in the Philippines after her time with UNIS, Gehlee is entering a new chapter as a solo artist. Her first solo single, “Closer,” released in October 2026, introducing audiences to Gehlee beyond the identity they had come to know through UNIS. After years of working within a group, she now gets to discover what feels right for her individually.

A Different Kind of Freedom

Being part of a group means learning how individual personalities and strengths can work together. During her time with UNIS, Gehlee grew alongside seven other members, adjusting to different backgrounds and learning to collaborate. As a solo artist, however, she has the opportunity to explore a creative direction that is her own.

“In a group, concepts are meant to bring members individually together, even if some concepts naturally complement other members more than other members. And it’s just something that makes the group all like overall more cohesive. And as a solo artist, I’m really excited to be exploring stuff that suits me individually, as well as stuff like my own sound, my own personal style, and my own capabilities.”

Rather than rushing to define herself as an artist, Gehlee is interested in discovering what she can do. She sees this next chapter as a chance to experiment, learn, and allow her audience to witness the process with her.

“And I think a really beautiful part of this journey is that I get to grow in front of a lot of people and let them discover these things along with me.”

Her time with UNIS also shaped how Gehlee approaches the people she works with. Having come from different backgrounds and brought their own strengths to the group, she says working alongside her former members taught her patience, understanding, and open-mindedness. Now pursuing a solo career, she hopes to carry these lessons with her and continue appreciating the people who become part of her journey.

The People Who Keep Her Going

Pursuing a dream in another country means adjusting to unfamiliar surroundings while being away from the people and places that feel like home. For Gehlee, those experiences have taught her about love, passion, and the importance of having people who believe in her. Despite the challenges of building a career away from home, Gehlee knows she has people she can count on.

“The short answer is my beautiful, beautiful fans. Like, everything I do is for the fans.”

Beyond their support, she says it is her own desire to keep pursuing something she truly wants that motivates her. Knowing that people are rooting for her gives her another reason to continue, even as her career takes a new direction.

Outside of performing, Gehlee has plenty of interests and ambitions she wants people to get to know. She describes herself as curious and ambitious, with a desire to challenge herself through experiences she has not yet explored. Her solo career gives her another opportunity to do exactly that.

“I hope that people learn more about how curious and ambitious I am. I love to challenge myself in things that I haven’t really explored thoroughly, and I just—I’m on a never-ending journey of self-growth, is what I’m saying.”

Coming Home, Carrying Her Roots

Representing the Philippines abroad made Gehlee appreciate her home country even more. She admits that she became more homesick than she expected while living in Korea, and that being away made her realize how much being Filipino means to her. Wherever she goes, she says she will always carry the resilience, warmth, and kindness she grew up with.

“I will always carry the resilience and the warmth and the kindness of a Filipino person, and I will never forget my roots.”

Her plans for the future also extend beyond her career. Gehlee looks forward to continuing her education, which she considers just as important as her professional ambitions. Although she has not started schooling yet, she wants to make room for both as she builds her future.

“I actually haven’t started schooling, but it is something that I’m looking forward to prioritizing just as much as my career, because I feel like education is super important. And if they’re both something that I want to focus on, it’ll still be me investing in my future, and work-life balance is super important.”

Balancing education with the demands of an entertainment career will require discipline, something she has already begun developing through her experiences abroad. For now, she plans to take each responsibility as it comes and do her best to manage them both.

Finding Her Own Signature

Gehlee has her own way of putting together an outfit, and fragrance is part of it. She likes choosing scents that complement what she wears, whether through the color of her clothes or the overall aesthetic she’s going for. Her preference? Something sweet.

“I personally like to match my scents with outfits, so it might be the color of my outfit or like the aesthetic of it, but I mostly lean into sweeter scents, because that’s my preference.”

She even has a particular goal when it comes to how she wants to smell, regardless of the kind of day she’s having.

“It’s like my personal goal to smell like a sweet treat even when I’m in a bad mood.”

It’s a rather fitting preference for someone who still proudly identifies as a little princess. Her playful approach to fragrance also finds its way into her collaboration with BW Women, a partnership she says holds particular significance as she begins her solo career.

“This collaboration is immensely significant to me as a solo artist, leaning more into things that make me feel like myself, that help me learn more about who I am and what defies me individually, and with the way it encourages women to express themselves in their own unique way. I super love that I get to celebrate such a beautiful thing with BW Women.”

For Gehlee, being part of a fragrance line that encourages women to express themselves is something she genuinely enjoys. As she explores her own preferences and develops her identity outside the group, she appreciates having opportunities to celebrate individuality in different ways.

Her Own Time to Shine

For young women who look up to her, Gehlee hopes to offer a simple reminder about confidence. Her career has already brought her opportunities many aspiring performers dream of, but she understands that growing into oneself does not mean having every answer.

“Confidence to me is feeling comfortable even when you don’t have everything figured out yet. You don’t have to know everything to believe in yourself, and I hope that women—young women who look up to me and aspire to be somebody like me, continue to keep that in mind and don’t feel the need to compare their journey with anybody else’s, because we all have our own time to shine.”

The little princess Gehlee has always described herself as is still very much there. She remains confident and curious, but has also become more independent through her experiences in Korea and with UNIS. Now pursuing a solo career and making time for other ambitions, she knows she still has a lot to learn and experience. As she puts it, everyone has their own time to shine.

Publisher | Richie de Quina (@richiedequina) & Gwynn Crisostomo
Editor-In-Chief | John Luke Chica
COO & Advertising Head | Josh Austria (@imjoshaustria)
Digital Manager | Allen Esteban (@iamallenesteban)
Marketing Head | Regino Rubi (@rgnjnrb)
Words by Bea Averilla (@bbeacore)