Raising a Neglected Singer-Songwriter - Chapter 30



Only Krnovel

30. Thin and sassy

There are seven judges on ‘Who’s the King’, but if we had to pick the main one, it would obviously be Ryu Young-seok, who sits in the center.

When he concentrates on music, his strange gaze and humorous way of speaking come out without him knowing it, and his middle-aged character are combined to give him the nickname ’emotional uncle’.

Thanks to this, the public sees him as simply a fun musician, but his skills are considered to be among the best in the industry.

A producer and singer-songwriter with 30 years of experience who debuted as a one-man band called ‘Joy’.

He has a very wide spectrum of musical tastes without any bias, and is respected by many musicians.

That Ryu Young-seok-

‘Wow, what is this?’

He is looking at one of the contestants with his mouth open.

It was number 49, the last turn today.

At first, I was going to laugh lightly and enjoy the show, feeling confident and not being intimidated by the star-studded judges.

Because when I looked at the application form, I saw that, unlike the other participants, I was a regular person with no industry experience or background.

Having already hosted several similar audition programs and met hundreds of contestants, I thought the level wouldn’t be that high.

Today was a day when Ryu Young-seok’s prejudices were completely shattered.

Number 49 closed his eyes for a moment and seemed to take a deep breath,

“Drink me like coffee~”

He started singing, plucking the guitar strings as if a switch had been turned on.

From the first note, to the precise timing, to the precise pitch, to the setting of the mood.

It’s an immersive speed that rivals that of a professional.

Thanks to this, Ryu Young-seok also became immersed and opened his ears and began to concentrate. He started analyzing.

‘First of all, the song composition is good.’

Although it uses popular codes, the melody progression is not obvious.

It’s not boring because it gives points at the right places.

I wonder if this has what commercial composers are aiming for these days.

‘Next, the vocals are top-notch.’

It is rare to find a singer-songwriter with this level of singing ability.

Among the top 49 ‘Who’s the King’ members, he is ranked in the top five.

In particular, the unwavering live performance is impressive, which stands out even more when compared to the unstable vocals of the previous contestant.

‘Besides, the voice tone is also attractive.’

It has been gently polished to follow the emotional flow of the song, but occasionally, you can catch a glimpse of its inherent power.

Emotional vocals and powerful vocals. A voice with a strange appeal that cannot be defined by any term.

‘Where on earth has this man been? I wonder, I wonder!’

These things combined to pique my curiosity.

Then at one moment.

“?”

Number 49 stops playing.

As I was absorbed in the song, the song ended before I knew it.

Meanwhile, when he came to his senses, Ryu Young-seok’s right hand was pressing the ‘crown button’ on the desk.

A red crown is shining on the LED in front of the desk.

Ryu Young-seok looks around.

Seven crowns, including his own, are lined up without any gaps.

That is.

“Seven Crowns, all crowns.”

The fifth protagonist of All Crown, which has only appeared four times including yesterday, has been born again.

As soon as the show ended, the judges began to express their thoughts one after another.

“I listened carefully. I liked the familiar yet fresh melody, especially-”

“You sing so amazingly. I didn’t realize it was live.”

“Did you write the lyrics yourself? Where did you get the inspiration for them? Yes? Were you having coffee at a convenience store?”

The female judges’ reactions were also enthusiastic.

“His voice is so captivating!”

“Me too. I pressed it as soon as I heard the first verse.”

“You two shouldn’t indulge your selfish desires on air.”

The variety show character ‘Brave Cat’ scolds Im Mirae and Choi Ha Na for making a fuss.

A recording studio filled with laughter.

Considering that it was the end of the recording, it was a tension that was hard to see.

It was at this time.

“Now, lastly, does Deacon Ryu Yeong-seok have anything to say?”

MC Park Hye-shin asked Ryu Young-seok.

Then, Ryu Young-seok, who had been listening to the judges’ comments in silence, opened his mouth.

“Can I hear one more song?”

*

‘Can you play me one more song?’

Ryu Young-seok’s request was a very embarrassing and sudden situation for Cha Seong-jun, who was catching his breath after finishing singing.

Among the previous contestants, only a few famous people were asked to perform a short medley of their representative songs for broadcast.

But who would have thought that the same request would come to someone with no experience?

It was something I could never have imagined.

So I just stood there with a dumbfounded expression for a moment,

“I’m not trying to scold you, so you don’t have to be so frozen.”

Ryu Young-seok explained the reason with humor, as if trying to ease the tension.

“I think I’ve become a fan of candidate number 49. That’s why I asked you out of personal greed to hear one more of your work. It doesn’t matter if it’s a vocal song or not. Please feel free to do it comfortably. Of course, you can decline.”

Does that mean that in this situation, there is really someone who would refuse a request?

That’s an idiot who kicks away an opportunity that comes his way.

‘One More Song’ is not only a sign that the judges are expecting and paying attention, but it is also an additional chance to promote oneself.

‘But on the other hand, it can be a double-edged sword.’

If you show a sloppy performance, it could end up pouring cold water on the high expectations.

Of course, Cha Seong-jun also knew that and was worried.

at that time.

Tiring-

[You can use the SR grade item [Hopi Pattern Panties]. Would you like to use them?]

Cha Seong-jun’s eyes widen at the system message that suddenly appears.

‘If it’s a Hopi patterned panty, then definitely···.’

It is said that when you wear it in a moment when you need confidence, your luck and momentum will slightly increase, but its use is unknown.

I thought it was a dud item and forgot about it, but it turns out it’s useful in situations like this.

It seems that he has responded to the situation where he hesitates even though it is a decisive match like now. Is this also a tutorial?

Whatever it was, I was just grateful that the system informed me directly.

‘I’ll wear the hopi pattern panties with all my might.’

As I thought to myself, a message appeared as the alluring panties quickly disappeared onto my lower body.

[SR grade item [Hopi Pattern Panties] used.]

[When reusing, it takes 10 days for washing and drying.]

Although it is not a one-time item like henna, it has a fairly long cooldown.

Anyway, since I had changed my underwear, I was back at the crossroads of whether to bump into him again or avoid him.

Is it the effect of the item? The hesitation that I had until just a moment ago has subsided. No, I can feel that my thoughts and actions have become more unhindered.

Yeah, let’s give it a try.

“Yes, I will sing one more song.”

I decided to take up the challenge, following the tiger’s momentum.

So now it’s time to select a song.

I’ve been so busy recording cover songs lately that I haven’t been composing much.

All I can show are two songs that I uploaded to Sound Sky recently: ‘Saturday Night’ and ‘My Room’.

‘Today is Saturday and it will soon be evening…’

You can just fit it in and play ‘Saturday Night’.

The song selection was also cleared with great momentum.

The next thing that remains is to convert this into a vocal song.

‘Let’s see, you can just play the guitar as it is.’

Drum percussion sounds are created by striking the guitar body, imitating fingering techniques.

The bell sound that represented the stars will be replaced with a song.

Don’t worry too much about the lyrics.

Let’s just focus on adding melody.

Cha Seong-jun, who had finished organizing, immediately spoke up and said, “Then I will call you.”

“Rain Drop~”

From then on, I just sang without any self-awareness.

Since it was my first self-composed song and was only about 2 minutes long, I finished playing it quickly.

While waiting for the judging while holding the guitar, the judges’ reaction was somehow strange.

It feels quiet, unlike the noisy reaction from a little while ago.

After a while, Ryu Young-seok grabbed the microphone.

“Candidate number 49. You sang the song just now on the spot, right?”

“Yes, because it was originally a song without vocals.”

Ryu Young-seok’s eyes changed at that answer.

Thin and slender.

“I guess that’s why. I had a strong feeling that something was going to happen.”

He then gave a short commentary, revealing his rosy gums.

“······Number 49, are you a genius?”

*

JBS Studio PD Seat.

There is a man watching the filming site, which has already reached the end, with his arms crossed.

An intercom on his head, and a face with dark circles behind his glasses.

‘Who’s the King’ main PD is Park Yong-oh.

‘Is it almost the end?’

Park Yong-oh glances at the cue sheet.

Filming for the first episode of the program took place over two days, yesterday and today.

In the meantime, the main participants who will lead ‘Who’s the King’ have been revealed.

Acquired 7 crowns ‘All Crowns’

They are numbers 7, 15, 30, and 31.

First of all, number 7 is a co-composer for ‘SMP’, one of the four major entertainment companies.

He already has a name and a lot of work to do, so he probably participated in the program to create an issue while leaving the company and becoming independent.

The next 15 are the hottest singer-songwriters in the indie scene right now.

The recently released new album has become a hot topic on various SNS channels including TokTok, causing the stock price to soar.

With his warm appearance and sweet voice, he is receiving enthusiastic support from young women.

Meanwhile, numbers 30 and 31 are global participants.

Number 30, from the US, is a fairly well-known user on ‘SoundSky’ who mainly implements synthpop and city pop sounds.

A playlist regular among listeners of both genres.

The final 31st contestant is a female contestant from Japan, who are famous locally as a visual twin duo band.

The younger brother is in charge of the main composition, and the older sister, number 31, is in charge of the songs and sub-composition, and their chemistry is amazing.

Due to my younger brother’s busy work schedule, only my older sister participated this time.

It was a shame. If both had supported it, it could have created some issues.

Anyway, these were the most notable contestants so far.

It has a lot of personality and the drawings are good.

But······

‘I’m saying that something is a little lacking…’

No more, no less, just one.

I think it would be good if there were only participants with different resolutions like these.

So, I was watching the remaining stages to find the last puzzle.

“We’re looking for participant number 49.”

Before we know it, the last contestant has come up on stage.

Park Yong-oh, seeing the young man, pushed up his glasses on the bridge of his nose.

‘If it’s number 49···.’

He is one of the contestants that MXM Entertainment had listed as a potential winner.

Since all of the previous winners were exceptionally talented, I was looking forward to seeing just how great of an artist they would be this time around.

however···

‘···Isn’t it too plain?’

Contrary to expectations, he is just an ordinary person who doesn’t seem to be much of a musician.

Unlike the other contestants with their flashy fashion, her clothes are extremely ordinary.

‘Oh, his face might be a little handsome.’

If you look at it that way, you could say that it feels like a nerd.

‘I guess he’s a good song writer since he’s a candidate for the championship…’

I had doubts because I didn’t see any significant star quality.

Song number 49 began with half-belief and half-doubt.

At the same time, Park Yong-oh’s judgment and tightly locked arms suddenly came crashing down.

‘What, is this the same person from before?’

Because the moment a guitar string was plucked, the person turned 180 degrees.

Even though it was a song with a soft tempo, he dominated the stage with his voice and mood.

The judges seemed to like it too and asked for ‘one more song’.

This is the magic wording that can be said to be the secret to audition program viewer ratings.

In addition, Ryu Young-seok’s sharp comment, “Are you a genius?” was included in the Hwa-ryong-jeom-jeong!

It was chosen as the hook to be included in the trailer.

If that scene is aired on the main broadcast, number 49 is sure to get at least the first half of the public’s attention.

But more than anything else, there was something else that caught Park Yong-oh’s taste buds…

‘I see the narrative!’

It was candidate number 49’s ‘occupation’.

The fact that he came from an ordinary ‘company employee’ background.

One in ten Korean citizens is a company employee.

But, such an ordinary office worker appears on an audition program and achieves excellent results?

‘It’s perfect to be everyone’s idol.’

The Cinderella story of going from obscurity to stardom is always a story that the public cheers for.

If that happens, even that awkward styling can be a plus.

Because it can be used as a device to show dramatic changes as the episodes go on.

I’m drawing a picture like that in my head –

“PD Park. How about number 49?”

An MXM Entertainment representative approached me and asked,

Deputy Director Park Beom-cheol came to the scene as a general manager in place of CEO Choi Ma-heon and Director Baek Seok.

“It’s okay. The skills are good. The distance seems okay too.”

“It looks like a raw diamond, right? I’m sure the PD will turn it into a jewel soon.”

The same smile appears on both of their lips.

This was also a smile that hinted that from now on, ‘Who’s the King’ would be centered around five people, including number 49.

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