Raising a Neglected Singer-Songwriter - Chapter 33



Only Krnovel

33. Easy win

‘Monsta Z’ is considered one of the top three male idol groups of the 4.5 generation.

As expected from a group under MXM Entertainment, which is known for its talented artists, they are a self-producing group that produces all of their albums themselves.

All members participate in writing lyrics and composing, but the main composer is the leader, Jiwoong.

For a total of 5 years, including the trainee period and debut period, he was trained rigorously through the company’s hard training.

Thanks to this, his songwriting skills are truly at the idol level.

The title song of his last album, which he composed and produced, even won first place on music shows across all three major broadcasting stations and general programming channels, beating out strong senior idols.

Therefore, Ji-woong had considerable pride in his skills.

His shoulders were also raised.

But recently, those shoulders have been slumping.

Because I received a fairly heavy mental shock.

The cause was the cover song challenge of ’26’ by senior singer Yuna.

To be a little more honest, it’s because of some influencer who participated there.

They stayed up all night preparing the ultimate Monsta Z version of ’26’ as support from senior Yuna, a surprise gift for fans, and most of all, to show off Monsta Z and Jiwoong’s ‘amazing skills’.

Since the cover songs of previous influencers also received quite a good response, they expected the response to theirs to be even more explosive and waited for the results.

however···

‘···It’s quieter than I thought?’

Of course, it had high views and enthusiastic responses from fans, but it fell short of initial expectations.

It was because of the YouTuber who started the cover song challenge, if not for any other reason.

– Monstars did pretty well, but the Devoice version was better…

N Honestly, it’s too much. I feel sorry for Jiwoong oppaㅜㅠ

N This is the difference between an idol and an artist.

N Artist. He’s just a cover song YouTuber who plays songs.

Although it is said that things have changed a bit these days, it is still common for idols to be lumped together and evaluated as ignorant and devalued. In normal times, I would have just ignored it and let it slide.

But this time, Ji-woong couldn’t do that.

Because the opponent was DeVoice, who is so hot on YouTube these days.

He was so famous within the company that his name was heard everywhere he went.

Thanks to that, I also naturally learned about his recruiting process.

‘They said that both CEO Choi and Director Baek went in during the meeting.’

The head of an entertainment company and number 2, who say time is more precious than gold, are meeting with an influencer.

I’ve been in this company for five years, but this is the first time I’ve heard of it. I never imagined something like this would happen unless I was with high-ranking executives from broadcasting or sponsorship partners.

This meant that DeVoice was a person of such high status that two giants had to be mobilized.

The views of Choi Max-heon, who had the foresight to recognize timber, and Baek Seok, a cool-headed and calculating businessman, were in agreement.

It was for that reason that I harbored a sense of rivalry in my heart.

Jealousy about stealing the attention of CEO Choi and Director Baek, who have been like family to me for five years.

‘That’s why I worked hard to cover the song ‘Kneel Down. This is the eye level between you and me’ for this ’26’ challenge.’

Rather, the opposite result came out, so I was left feeling empty and disappointed.

In such a complicated state of mind.

Last Friday and Saturday, I participated as a judge in the recording of ‘Who’s the King’.

And here I received my second shock.

The world was vast, and there were many composers.

Even in the industry, I was less shocked because I knew that famous singer-songwriters were very talented.

The last time, a completely unknown man who had never been heard of before appeared,

‘Ah, I’ve been so proud all this time.’

I realized once again that I too was a frog in a well.

Ji-woong, who was so stimulated, was locked in the recording studio all day yesterday and today.

I’ve been focusing on melting away my recent feelings of inferiority into passion.

Thanks to working hard like when I was really immersed in music, I was able to come up with a couple of drafts of songs that will be included in the next album.

The reactions from the members and producers were also good.

So I opened the door to the recording studio and came out to take a nice break.

By this time, all the other composers would have left work.

I walk down the hallway thinking I will be left alone,

“huh?”

One recording studio still with its lights on caught my eye.

It was definitely empty when I checked the recording studio schedule yesterday. It seems like an unexpected reservation came in.

Looking at the recording studio usage log, I found that recordings by external influencers were recorded.

But the name is-

“Device?!”

(Even if it’s one-sided) Isn’t that the person you’re considering as your rival?

Ji-woong happened to be curious about what kind of person Devoice was.

‘I’ll definitely check his face today.’

With a strong determination, I decided to sit on the sofa in the lounge and wait for him to come out.

I am currently exchanging messages with my fans through a real-time communication app.

‘huh?’

Someone was loitering in front of the snack vending machine.

Why was he dressed up like a butler… Was it cosplay? Anyway, he was a man wearing strange clothes.

What should I say… a little eccentric?

‘Could that guy be DeVoice?’

Jiwoong stares at the cosplayer as he randomly presses the vending machine buttons.

At that moment,

‘···Huh? Number 49?’

Suddenly, the man’s face seemed familiar, too familiar.

It was a face I had seen at the recording of ‘Who’s the King’ just a few days ago.

Even though I don’t wear glasses now, I can’t forget it.

The last contestant, number 49, was the one who gave him a fresh shock and stimulation.

But how did number 49 get here···?

“hey-”

I was so surprised and happy that I tried to call number 49, but the timing was off.

Number 49, who had seen everything, left his seat.

The man headed to the recording studio.

Ji-woong followed her into the recording studio as if possessed.

There are currently only two recording studios with the lights on.

The innermost room, number 1, where you are working.

And the third room on the outside, closest to the soundproof door on the same line.

Room number 3 was the very room that Devoice used.

That means,

‘Devius=49. Are they the same person?’

“This is a jackpot…”

Jiwoong’s eyes widen.

On the one hand, I feel like I’ve discovered a huge secret,

‘thank god.’

Ji-woong felt a strange sense of relief at the fact that the two people who had made him feel defeated were actually the same person.

And at the same time, it was waited for.

(I had no intention of doing so) When will the day come when number 49, who participated in ‘Who’s the King’ while hiding his identity, will reveal himself?

At that time, how will people react?

“It’ll be more fun from now on. Who’s the King?”

Jiwoong’s eyes lit up like a child’s.

*

*

*

I almost died last night too.

It was 11pm when I finished recording and editing.

Since I was late, I couldn’t refuse the offer to take me there, so I broke my promise to take the subway and got into Seol Hye-yoon’s car.

The predicted nightmare has come true.

“Hey, save me!”

Seol Hye-yoon at night was faster than Seol Hye-yoon in the morning.

After that, I clearly deleted it as a self-defense mechanism because I don’t remember much.

And at noon today.

Yesterday’s duet song was uploaded on MXM Entertainment’s official channel.

The reaction was nothing short of explosive, almost like a Big Bang.

[Bitterness – Covered By D.Voice

– Crazy!!!!!!! Is the Durahan couple collaboration real!!!!!

N Even Durahan took a picture with his head up lol

N Thank you! Thank you so much!

n If it’s a duet like this, I am all for it.

– The quality is crazy! My eardrums are melting!

N As expected from YouTubersㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Since there seems to be some demand, they immediately do a collaboration

N So you two are dating?

ㄴ Since it was a celebration of 2 million views, let’s go for 3 million views too!

Fans went wild and crazy over the unexpected duet between the two.

Naturally, the number of channel subscribers also skyrocketed.

[D.Voice] 450,000

[SHYine] 440,000

With the number of subscribers surpassing 400,000, it is now clear that it is no longer a rookie.

Meanwhile, when I got home last night, there was a package there.

As I opened the well-wrapped box, a heavy silver plate came out.

“We’ve finally arrived.”

It was a YouTube silver button that had flown in from across the sea and across the sky.

It was a shame to leave it at home. I thought it would be perfect to hang it in the studio next to Yuna’s autograph frame, so I packed it in my bag and brought it to work.

Anyway, I received the silver button, and since the monetization requirements were met, I simply wrote my email address in the channel description field, which I had originally left blank, last night.

And now, I checked my mailbox.

‘What the heck is this…!!!’

Dozens of emails piled up overnight.

There were collaboration offers from other cover song influencers, as well as advertising sponsorship inquiries from various companies.

– Sir, I got an ad!

I reported this to my senior YouTuber, Shine, and I received a reply with congratulations and advice.

– But that doesn’t mean you should just accept anything. From now on, the ‘Device’ branding is important.

This was followed by specific advice from former marketing team leader Seol.

First of all, the concept of Devoice is a mysterious figure with his face covered.

Since you have to hide it because you work for a company, it would be better to avoid direct collaborations with influencers as much as possible.

Also, I think it would be better to boldly pass on small amounts of advertising sponsorship and only accept those from companies with a certain level of recognition.

– I think it would be a good idea to first select and receive advertisements worth over 2 million won.

– Oh my, only those expensive things?

– The value of the device will increase in the future, right? This is the first time, so I set it low.

I was trembling at the bold pruning, but I decided to accept it because it was sincere advice from my mentor.

So, by filtering along the lines suggested by Seol Hye-yoon, the number of cases was reduced from several dozen to about three or four.

‘It’s complicated.’

It would be quite a hassle to go through all of this on your own.

I have to go to work and prepare for auditions.

So it wasn’t strange for the thought to come to mind, ‘It would be nice if someone could do it for me.’

When I asked Seol Hye-yoon for an idea, she unexpectedly gave me a clear answer.

– In that case, are you signing a contract with MXM Entertainment? Not an exclusive contract, just channel management.

Seol Hye-yoon, who is subject to the same clause as Cha Sung-jun on working a part-time job, is also currently contemplating.

He also said that he plans to ask about profit distribution ratios and other things, and that he would share the information if requested.

Of course, it’s not free.

– Instead, the menu has changed from the one I bought to commemorate the Silver Button last time. It won’t be Chinese food.

– Then the form···?

– Hmm… Let’s have meat. Beef, not pork. How about that, Dill?

I also have a lot of spare money from the cover song project.

Besides, there’s no reason to refuse when someone offers to take care of the annoying work for you.

– It’s a call.

– Haha. I eat more than you think. Is that okay?

Seol Hye-yoon scares me.

But even so, she is Seol Hye-yoon.

How much can I eat with that skinny body?

– I’ll shoot you a cool shot of Hanwoo Tuple. Enjoy as much as you want.

– Capture complete. Then let’s make a schedule!

And then we made an appointment for a time when both of us could meet.

*

After finishing work, I headed straight to the Ilsan JBS Studio.

This is to participate in intermediate recordings to film the progress of the mission.

Partner number 18 was contacted first to say that he had arrived.

He doesn’t seem to be an office worker like Cha Seong-jun.

After arriving at the studio.

This time, I was guided to a different space, not the waiting room.

There are two keyboards placed on each of the four walls.

In one corner, there is an interview zone that is not missed.

Meanwhile, participants were already working on their tasks.

Some teams are having heated discussions, while others are already singing songs that seem to be close to completion.

“Number 49, over here!”

At that moment, number 18 raised his hand and called.

Today too, the hair is curly and the clothes are hippie-like.

“nice to see you.”

“me too.”

After going to our seats and shaking hands, we had a quick ice-breaking session.

We talked on the phone, but this is our first time meeting in person.

And number 18, Jinwoo Oh was a little, no, quite a sociable person.

He started asking her age naturally, like water flowing, and at some point, he started calling Cha Seong-jun “hyung.”

He says he just turned twenty.

A freshman in the composition department at a famous music university.

I thought we were the same age without a single doubt······.

Well, anyway.

“Brother, then would you like to listen to the arrangement I made?”

“Yes, no, that’s right.”

The younger brother, with a mature face, played the keyboard on the spot.

A variation of a song that was in a major key (major chord) and changed to a minor key (minor chord).

The composition returns to the major key in the second verse after the first verse.

“Are you okay?”

The concept of the song that was conveyed through Kotok is well expressed.

I never thought I could hear something I wrote down in text so quickly.

Let’s give a thumbs up in admiration,

“Hehe. Since I’m a student, the professors give me a lot of arrangement assignments. After doing them for two semesters-”

It seems that I have mastered the speed.

Moreover, he boasted that he was admitted as the second best student in his department.

On the other hand, he added that he believed that freshmen should create future-oriented and experimental songs rather than following current trends, and that his grades were a mess because he followed this.

In any case, it was fortunate for Cha Sung-jun that Oh Jin-woo was the ‘Four Crowns’.

Thanks to that, I got to team up with a quick-witted technician.

After that, the vocal part distribution was completed.

As the mood of the song became clear, the melody variations came out naturally. [Emotional buff] There was also red.

When the song was roughly organized like that,

“We will invite number 49 and number 18 to the interview zone.”

The camera director, or Kagam for short, called the two people.

Then I asked the two sitting on the chairs a few casual questions.

The questions were about the current progress of the arrangement work, difficulties encountered while working, and what the relationship between the two was like.

Meanwhile,

“Okay, this time I’ll try to answer with confidence. It’s a common question and everyone was interviewed with a similar tone, so I’m trying to match that. Okay?”

The atmosphere in Kagam changed strangely.

And then the question came right away.

“You said that the arrangement work has been going smoothly so far. So, are you confident no matter who you meet as your partner?”

“We’ll have to try to find out, but rather than worrying about winning or losing, let’s just do our best…”

“I’ll go back. I told you just now. With confidence.”

When Cha Seong-jun, sensing something suspicious, answers conservatively, Kagam shakes his head.

And then he keeps encouraging people to speak by saying, ‘Confidence, confidence.’

‘···There is definitely something.’

It’s a survival program.

If you just roll the dice a little, you can’t help but see the devil’s intention to draw aggro with his editing.

It was at that moment when I was trying to strengthen my guard even more, thinking that I would not become a sacrificial lamb.

Tiring-

[A special mission has arrived.]

[Be honest in your interview. If you include keywords, you will receive 1 Song Coin per keyword.]

[Keywords: self, easy victory, rotten]

‘Haha, crazy······.’

I was so shocked that I barely managed to suppress my laughter.

Somehow, even the system was encouraging interviews.

If you make a more provocative interview, I’ll give you a bigger reward.

The devil’s whispers tempt you.

‘···There’s nothing I can do about it.’

Let’s put aside our modesty for Song Coin.

Are you really confident?

“I’ll go again. No matter who I meet as my opponent-”

“Yes, I am confident.”

Kagam’s eyes change as he hears Cha Seong-jun’s answer, interrupting the question.

A lively voice asked again as if to confirm.

“Who are you hanging out with?”

“Easy win. I expect it.”

Cha Seong-jun raised one corner of his mouth.

At the same time, bright smiles appeared on the lips of the broadcasting station guys.

‘Ah. I don’t know anymore. Hehe. Hehehehe.’

If you win, it will work out, if you win.

*

The next day, interview John.

“I heard that even if team number 49 faces team number 7, it will be a landslide victory?”

“······yes?”

Hearing those words, the eyebrows of ‘Who’s the King’ winning candidate and number 7 ‘Zeke’ quirked.

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