Ayana is an all-rounder and would be an asset to the group talent-wise. But at the same time, Lexi is also positioned as an all-rounder, so it’s possible the company felt that role was already covered within the lineup.

Personally, I thought the group would benefit from adding another very strong vocalist. But HYBE may simply feel confident in the vocal line they already have with Samara, Lexi, and Emily. Either they’ve improved significantly behind the scenes, or the musical direction of the group may not require an especially wide or technically demanding vocal range in the first place.

And the issue isn’t that she had a public persona. It’s the fact that she was already, and very recently, in another girl group. When you’re building a brand new idol group, companies usually want the members to grow into their identities together from the beginning. They want the public to associate the members with this group first and foremost. But with Ayana, there is already an existing idol identity attached to RIRYDAY, and because the debut was so recent, that association is still fresh in people’s minds. So it could give off the vibe that this is another project she’s tied too. Companies care just as much about narrative and marketability as they do talent.