Chapter 398 - 398

Chapter 398

There were no special difficulties in our comeback.

Everything went smoothly as planned.

The members were almost free of fatigue, and everyone was in a great mood because they were continuously getting good results.

In particular, the Music K Countdown stage where Kang Si-yoon was the MC left us with a unique memory.

"Hey, Si-yoon ssi! It feels weird to be here and then stand on the other side with the members!"

"Ha, ha, ha! I thought it was time to show off a little bit of my main job moment!"

"Then, can I ask Si-yoon ssi to introduce this album?"

Kang Si-yoon continued to talk really passionately while going back and forth between MC and guest.

We had also prepared for the interview, but the female idol seniors who were MCing with Kang Si-yoon seemed to have set their goal as him.

So everyone cheered enthusiastically from the side and praised Kang Si-yoon for speaking well.

'You look really happy.'

I saw a bright smile that was genuinely happy on Kang Si-yoon's face the whole time.

There was no playful atmosphere like usual.

As he said at dawn, it seems that he was really looking forward to the day he would stand here with the members.

And maybe we were influenced by Kang Si-yoon's energy, and after a brief communication with fans that was even more energetic and lively, we finished the first music broadcast of perfectly.

Of course, since it had only been two days since comeback, we were not nominated for first place right away, but everyone must have thought the same thing when they saw the trophy that Kang Si-yoon was holding.

Next week, that trophy will be in our hands.

"Oh, something's missing."

"Why? Wasn't everything okay today?"

"It's just my personal greed... I thought maybe we could have raised the pitch a little."

Although they put on a satisfactory performance, the members still did not forget to return to the waiting room and give their own feedback.

Heo Yu-bin showed off his impeccable vocal skills to others, but it seems that he felt that there were some parts that were lacking.

'Even if you say that, it was perfect to me.'

It's a good thing.

In any field, you need to be satisfied with your current position and try to move forward.

If you rest on your current achievements and stay still, you'll easily be eliminated.

I wiped off my makeup and thought about what would happen tomorrow.

'In order to definitely beat Connex, we have to be even more determined.'

Currently, Seleste's is showing good growth.

The fact that it's narrowly beating , which felt like a mountain, is huge news.

However, Connex's new album will be released tomorrow, so people's attention could easily be divided.

Even if that happens, it's important for us to maintain our own pace without being swayed by external factors.

It was a necessary pledge for the team and for my personal quest.

However, despite this upright mindset, things that went against everyone's expectations started to happen the next day.

"Hyung, hyung! Did you see this?"

"Hmm?"

8 PM on June 4th.

While I was resting in my dorm after finishing work, Yoo Min-ha read something and called me over.

"What's the reason?"

"Connex's new song came out and it's not normal. Hyung, did you see the reaction to the music video?"

I immediately turned on my phone at Yoo Min-ha's words.

I knew that Connex's new song was released at 6 PM today.

However, I had barely paid attention because of my busy schedule, but after hearing Yoo Min-ha's words, I remembered that I had originally intended to check the reaction.

'Judging by those reactions, both good and bad come to mind.'

Why would Yoo Min-ha call me so urgently?

Is it because Connex's new song is so good?

Or is it because an issue broke out in an unexpected place?

"Hyung, listen to the song first before looking for reactions."

"Okay."

I quickly logged onto YouTube to resolve that curiosity.

Connex's new title song, , released 2 hours ago, was rushing toward 2 million views.

Looking at the numbers alone, it seemed okay, but when I clicked on the video and listened to the song, I understood why Yoo Min-ha told me to listen to the song first.

'...... Why does it feel so unorganized and messy?'

There were many parts where the code changed, and overall, the sound felt like it was jumping around here and there.

Just like my first impression, the word 'messy' seemed the most appropriate.

, which Heo Yu-bin poured his heart and soul into, firmly pushed forward the concept despite choosing the experimental genre of new jack swing.

However, Connex's left a strong impression that it seemed like a mixture of numerous genres, and the main melody line was not memorable.

"Hyung, did you feel a little crazy?"

"Yes. The song... seems too experimental."

"I was surprised when I heard this too. Honestly, there were a lot of good songs among Connex's songs, right? So I was worried this time too, 'Oh, what if they come out with a really good song?', but I didn't know they went in this direction."

If I remember correctly, the part I liked the most was the part I heard in the highlight medley.

Since the medley only lasts a few dozen seconds, I guess they gave us the best part in , where the genre changes quickly.

However, when I actually listened to the entire 3 minutes and 20 seconds of the song, I didn't remember the part that was in the highlight medley at all.

'It seems like they really made too experimental a choice.'

There must be people who like this type of song.

However, the moment the evaluation that 'it's divisive' comes out, the confrontation between us and Connex is ruined.

The fandoms on both sides have similar firepower.

That means the competition will be decided by how much they can capture the hearts of non-fans.

The music chart rankings don't simply rise with the fandom streaming.

Other people have to judge that the song is really good and play it repeatedly for it to get a high ranking.

Under these prerequisites, if we put , which has strong popularity, and , which is divisive.......

The goddess of victory can't help but smile at us.

I immediately went to the SNS platforms that fans frequently use to check out people's exact reactions.

As soon as I went in, the comments I saw were divided into 'Connex's song was good?' and 'The song is really bad.'

And while I was exploring a little, there was one post that caught my eye.

[Connex Let It Exe Evaluation.jpg]

This was the evaluation of left by music critics.

I was curious about how it sounded from the perspective of a professional, so I clicked on it right away, but the moment I saw the text, I doubted my own eyes.

'This is how brutal it is.'

[Connex : ★☆☆☆☆

Connex, who came out with a concept of a warrior guarding the darkness, came with a completely different direction from , and their intention to pursue a concept different from the music they've done so far was conveyed. However, that intention was too excessive.

They tried to gather energy and gain strength, but the energy did not gather in one place but was dispersed. On top of that, the members' vocals were too flashy, the awkward rap that was not found in their previous songs, and the bridge had a somewhat embarrassing development. The atmosphere that changes with each verse to a different concept only makes the listener feel confused.

I understand wanting to try something new, but there definitely needs to be some compromise. It is expected that many fans will not understand why Connex, who has been focusing on popularity, suddenly made this decision.]

Reading the article that really broke down the composition of in detail, I felt like I was being killed.

The impact was enormous when the feelings I had in my head were neatly organized into text like this.

It was full of content that would make Connex fans somewhat angry, but what was even scarier was the fact that some fans left comments saying that they did not understand this song.

I thought deeply as I reread the critic's analysis.

'Why on earth did they take such a risky step at such an important time?'

The conclusion I could draw now was simple.

Connex and COC Entertainment must have known that their comeback overlapped with ours.

Then, there was a high possibility that they too had similar thoughts about 'having to beat Seleste'.

Someone must have felt pressured to release a song different from what they've done so far in order to beat Seleste.

The song they made for that purpose was probably .

In short, they were so conscious of us that they ended up digging their own grave.

"Hyung, did you read that critic's article?"

"I just read it. I realized once again how scary critics are."

"I felt scared when I read it just now."

"......Surely. We didn't get such harsh reviews, did we?"

"Nope!"

Yoo Minha proudly puffed out his chest and smiled brightly.

"I looked it up in advance! I was really nervous, but fortunately the reviews were good."

"Then I guess I can feel a little relieved."

I found the review of on the same critic site and read it slowly.

[Seleste : ★★★★☆

It's weaker than and , which boasted intense atmospheres, but stronger than , which created a refreshing atmosphere. It's a song with a very outstanding overall tempo and tempo. The seven members, who have excellent skills, brought out the youthfulness of the song while not forgetting Seleste's unique identity of power.

It gives a strong impression that the 'horror' concept found in the music video was appropriately cut off. Unlike the somewhat eerie track, it presents a refreshing and easy-to-listen-to top line, giving it a new sense of freshness. It's neither too heavy nor too light. Seleste's strategy was perfect.

The melody of New Jack Swing is naturally blended with the sophistication of Progressive House. Thanks to this, a melodic hook was born that maintains the addictive feeling of the old 2nd and 3rd generation hook songs, but is not old-fashioned at all. It is no exaggeration to say that it opened a new paradigm of easy listening, and it is a sophisticated interpretation of the genre called New Jack Swing.]

As soon as I read the critic's article, the thought that came to my mind was that I had to show this article to Heo Yu-bin right away.

I wanted to let him know right away that his album, which he had finally completed after going through a lot of trial and error, was receiving such favorable reviews.

"I feel a sense of relief when I read this."

Yoo Min-ha exhaled slightly as he lay down on the bed again.

"It is so fortunate that the album we worked so hard to make was well-received."

"Especially because Yu-bin worked so hard."

"Yu-bin worked hard, the company staff worked hard, and the other members worked hard in their respective positions, so it turned out well."

While Seleste, who had overcome the burdensome situation, was sighing in relief and joy.

"...... Didn't I tell you not to do this from the beginning?"

"That's right, I should have said it more firmly. What can I do now?"

"Ha! This is ridiculous, seriously."

The atmosphere at Connex wasn't that good.

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