As soon as the live broadcast was over, I called the company and talked to the management staff on duty.
It was going to be released at the same time as Youngrin's.
And the company was said to have turned upside down. It was worth it. Here was a summary of Youngrin's recent performance…
'Ranked 3rd on the largest music site in Korea.'
To provide comparative data, TeStar's latest song 'Call' was ranked 37th in the yearly music charts.
Besides, there were only four songs by Youngrin in the TOP50 on this yearly chart. Two title songs, one OST, and one variety collaboration song.
It was a shameful number.
'We'll never win.'
She was not only popular, but her fandom was quite solid, so there was no corner to dig into.
In a word, the simultaneous release of both of our songs.. It was like an honorable death.
Of course, it was not just the company that had turned upside down.
"With Youngrin sunbaenim?"
"Yes."
"Ha… …"
Even within the group itself, the first meeting of the new year was convened.
We came to greet the new year with a lot of work, but actually, that was not important compared to the other situation.
I judged more calmly.
'I just told them on purpose.'
There were four days left until the comeback, but it was impossible to move the date.
The request was to tell them to at least prepare their minds in a situation where a major response was impossible anyway.
It could be seen as a favor, so there was no need to consume emotions. From the point of view of competition in the first place, this was a bit annoying, but the benefit was right.
… Yes, it was okay to be upset.
"Moondae."
"What?"
"Are you sure about that information? Where did you hear that?"
"From VTIC."
Keun Sejin looked this way with subtle eyes. Roughly translated, it looked like he was trying to say, 'Isn't that what they told you to fuck with your mind?'
Yes. Just in case, I checked that too.
I said this as I picked up my smartphone.
"I didn't know, so I asked Youngrin directly. They were right."
"Whoa."
With less than four days left and the timing of the comeback overlapping, Youngrin did not bother to lie.
I was just curious.
- It's been a while since we decided, but it's amazing that Moondae-ssi knows about it.
I heard the staff talking about it, but I looked around saying that I had asked just in case.
The crew she worked with would be caught in a bit, but there was no time to care about it compared to our current situation.
'This is driving me crazy.'
I pressed my temples. Then, Cha Eugene raised his hand.
"Hey! I have a question!"
"Yes, tell us, Eugene."
"Why can't we work with Youngrin sunbaenim?"
Ryu Chungwoo replied.
"… Youngrin sunbaenim has a strong image that people trust and listen to. We will be pushed a lot on the music charts."
"We don't know what will happen before we even try it! We have to try it!"
Yes, the ambition was strong and good, but… It was a matter of atmosphere.
How much would morale drop if we couldn't even get first place in the real-time entry of music charts with a full-length album?
And Youngrin would have more listeners as time goes by, so this situation, which was released just one day after Youngrin's new song, was really the worst.
To release a new song when Youngrin's song was at its peak.
'We can never be number one unless it is a site on the outskirts.'
The regular record was about to collapse.
"… …"
And Cha Eugene shrugged his shoulders when he saw the atmosphere of the members who were still immersed in thoughts and worries.
"Okay. It's okay if we don't win first place! We're good. We can do it well on stage!"
"… !"
"Let's get first place on the stage!"
It was a simple statement. However, the atmosphere was a bit ventilated.
"Yes, it's been a while since we've released an album, so it's important to do well and finish it safely."
"No, that's right. B-because we prepared hard… Wouldn't it be a fun activity if we focus on showing a good image..?"
Yes, such positive thoughts were good too.
But… Also, I'd like to win.
Let's think.
I tapped the living room floor with my finger.
'How to beat Youngrin on the music charts?'
First of all, it was clear that Youngrin was not promoting this song at all, and there were hardly any rumors in the industry.
The reaction of Youngrin herself was the same, and the reaction of the company was also the same
'It's still T1, but they know all the comeback rumors of quite a few big singers.'
Youngrin herself said it was only a few days ago that it was confirmed that she'd release the song during the new year, so in this case, Cheongryeo had particularly good information that others didn't know about.
'Then, if TeStar takes aim at that point and turns the public promotion to the entertainment side…'
No, this wasn't it. All the things to appear at the end of the year had already been released, and the variety shows caught at the beginning of the year were already enough. Further increase would only increase image consumption.
'Hmm.'
As I was rubbing the back of my neck, I met eyes with Kim Raebin, whose expression was dark.
"… Does it bother you a lot?"
"What? N-no!"
Yes, he deserved more attention. Because he worked on half of this album.
When I found out that he worked even when we were in a disaster on the deserted island, I was honestly embarrassed.
"Just… Youngrin sunbaenim's new song satisfies the desire to discover a new song, so I'm somewhat worried that there are many listeners who don't even try to listen to our song."
Yes, it meant that he had so many worries that it was enough for him to pour out sentences just because I poked him once.
And he was picking up the points properly.
"That's right. If a person with strong popularity gets all the attention, oftentimes, it is their own league that has a relatively stronger fandom than the public."
It was an inevitable flow.
"… …"
After thinking about it some more, I finally opened my mouth.
"So, for now, I think we have to assume that we can't win no matter what we do with the music."
"… I guess so."
"Yes~"
"But I think we'll win first place on music shows."
Bae Sejin, who had a serious face, was a little surprised.
"… How?"
"That's right, Youngrin sunbaenim is only releasing a song, and we're releasing an album, right? There's an album score."
"Ah."
Yes. We were releasing a full-length album after a while, and Youngrin was just releasing a surprise single to celebrate the new year.
'The fans will try to give it first place by raising another score somehow.'
Because trophies were important.
I was grateful and sorry, but the public reaction to this was not difficult to predict.
-Honestly, Youngrin should have won first place, but TeStar pushed it with their fans.
-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ A soloist who didn't promote at all VS. male idols who can't come up with a storyline ㅋㅋ Aren't they ashamed?
- TeStar ㅋ ㅋ ㅋ ~ Their fans worked hard
-Wow, it's really distorted. In reality, everyone only listens to clever songs;
It was the time to raise the story of the group with the first full-length album since their car accident.
Victory would cool down at the point when it was time to fill up the people watching TeStar with excitement.
So, in the end, there was a line that couldn't be retreated.
'Even if the music is given, popularity should not be pushed aside.'
The perception that 'it deserves to be number one' and the public ripple effect must be maintained.
"If we lose on the charts music-wise, we should somehow go all-in in getting more popular so that the activity becomes famous… This is my suggestion."
"… !"
"The order of promotion, publicity, mention, disclosure… Everything."
Extreme selection and concentration were required.
I spoke, and each member seemed to be lost in thought.
And from Keun Sejin, he raised his hand.
"I agree. Isn't this the most reasonable way? There is no other option."
"Okay. It's a time when strategies are important."
Kim Raebin also nodded.
"I believe that if our activities become famous, more people will try to listen to our songs even late."
He was a pretty tenacious guy.
I smiled and then nodded.
Bae Sejin opened his mouth with a nervous face.
"So, how can we get more popular?"
"We need to discuss the specifics a bit more, but… After all, wouldn't shock be the answer?"
This was the right thing to do since Youngrin wanted to steal the talk of the town with a surprise announcement.
"Let's hit people on the back of their heads first."
"… ??"
Unexpectedness. It'd be a surprise.
• * *
After some time, on January 5th.
The music video for TeStar's new song was released smoothly at midnight on the same day.
The title was 'Wheel (Day)'.
-Turn the wheel
To fly away
The melody resonates and is beautiful
It touches my heart, let it pop
The music video was beautiful.
It took place at an amusement park in the midday sun.
The dreamy filter and the overlapping effect of time and space gave off a mysterious atmosphere.
In an old amusement park, as beautiful as in a novel, captured by a fixed camera, it boasted outstanding visual beauty.
And there was another member at the front in the corner of one screen, and the unrealistic scenery brought out a strange feeling.
-Tok tok tok
A mixture of space and time.
There was a boy with his arms wide open in front of a spinning golden Ferris wheel under a blue sky.
Anyone could see that it was a spiritually authentic successor to their debut song 'Magical Boy'. It was a masterpiece that was faithful to their concept and gave a subtle impression.
But… it was a bit boring.
- The song is really good.
- Sounds good to hear while celebrating the new year
- It feels a bit like a carol and it makes my heart flutter
Even as fans said these things, they couldn't erase the bitter feeling of being 'bitten'.
It was because the momentum of Youngrin's new song, which was suddenly announced yesterday, was tremendous.
-Awesome, Youngrin ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Wow, what about TeStar?
-This is so much fun (popcorn)
-TeStar's new song… ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ I express my condolences in advance… It's too bad. I heard it's a full-length album.
It was like lightning In the dry sky, and the day before the comeback, fans were stunned and astonished, asking what kind of disaster this was.
Among the things they were aiming for, the music category was judged as unachievable.
-Ah, why?
-The members were preparing hard for this, so why are you doing this? Really ㅠㅠㅠㅠ
-I bet everything on it. I'm so upset right now. I feel like I've been beaten with cold water..
- ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ The T1 bastards are so bad at doing their jobs that they can't even set a proper date for their comeback.
-Please stop screaming before opening the lid… It's been a while since TeStar has been active, so let's enjoy it. We just have to work hard.
Still, they waited for the music video, but they lamented that TeStar made a song that was easy to listen to.
In addition, some of the expected elements were missing, which made it less exciting.
- Moondae has black hair.
-ㅋㅋㅋ It's just.. it's like reflected light
-Ahhhhhhmm
In particular, the fans who were excited when they saw Park Moondae's year-end photos, saying that it was clear that he had dyed his hair black, somehow became discouraged.
It was the same with the other members. It was all natural. There was an atmosphere, but somehow, the impact was lacking.
It was a comeback against a music superpower. They'd never be able to win no matter what they did.
After being screwed up so many times in the most important full-length album, they lost their energy and felt defeated for no reason.
- Let's just do our best to stream.
-It's a great song again. Let's do it properly. They worked so hard.
Fans first tried hard by streaming the pre-released title track from the album on music sites, but the result was as expected.
[TeStar's real-time entry to 1st place failed]
[Comparing Youngrin and TeStar entry graph]
[TeStar's somewhat shocking music]
TeStar's hate rampaged on all kinds of sites for the first time in a while.
As many people wanted TeStar to do better, there were also many people who were interested in their sluggishness.
-TeStar's songs are good, but there are limits to male idols. There is a considerable difference between users
-The fans gritted their teeth and swarmed and followed this much. Muggles are definitely choosing Youngrin ㅋㅋㅋ
-Did they try to focus your firepower on the pre-release of the title? If they just lined up the B-side songs, it would have been in shape, but it seems to be losing shape now.
Even after making a comeback, they were in a situation where their energy was draining.
It would have been nice if they closed their eyes and ears and just enjoyed the content. But just when the fans were having a bit of a hard time…
[202X ToneA / 01. 08. Fri]
The day had come when the T1A Awards Ceremony, where TeStar's first comeback stage will be held, would be aired.
Fans still waited for the members' performance, recovering their anticipation and energy from being able to see the stage.
They predicted that it would be a leisurely and light stage, like during 'Picnic'.
But their expectations were shattered.
-????
-Crazy
In a good way.
After a long wait of three hours, what appeared behind the scenes… They were seven people wearing giant doll masks that an amusement park employee would use.
However, the vague and clear feeling of the pre-release music video was nowhere to be found.
It was intense glow, puncture, and zippers and luster that took its place.
They were like dark gangsters.
Wherever the light passed, the luminous paint that spattered randomly on the puppet masks sparkled.
[Wow.]
The guys dressed up in stage costumes like hoodlums walked out without hesitation, flicking their cute-looking doll masks to create a sense of incongruity.
And in the introductory part that began, there was a flamboyant action as if riding a human motorcycle.
Drr, Drr, Drrrrrrrrrr-!
It was a galloping sound, like the sound of an engine exhaust.
The electronic sound mixed with the snare of applause and the sound of a bell on top of it heightened the atmosphere.
The lighting flashed back and forth between warm and cold colors.
The members quickly hit each other with choreography, striking an exquisite balance in an instant.
Then, between the formations that were pulled from both sides and separated, a member with the dog mask jumped out!
He tossed his mask.
[Hi?]
It was Park Moondae.
His pink hair fluttered to the side with a perm.
-Oh my gosh
It was the double title of this album that they had been waiting for without intentionally releasing it in advance.
'Drill (Night)' started.