Raising a Neglected Singer-Songwriter - Chapter 61



Only Krnovel

61. You want me to act?

It’s already been four weeks since ‘Who’s the King’ aired.

The public’s perception that Saturday = ‘Who’s the King’ air date has gradually become established.

Meanwhile, the previous episode 3 ended with number 49 saying only one phrase in a heavy bass voice, “I’m walking.”

It was a completely different, if not completely opposite, atmosphere from the hopeful arrangement of Team 7, which had previously chosen the same song.

What kind of arrangement is this?

And who will win?

These two question marks have been on the fans’ minds for a week. They’re so curious they’re dying!

The broadcast began amidst such extreme expectations.

In episode 4, just like in the previous three episodes, the battles between other teams were shown first.

And this time again, it was the last turn, and stage number 49 returned.

A brief war of nerves between numbers 49 and 7.

The highlight of the ‘Walk’ stage chosen by Team 7 and the judges’ rave reviews.

Next, the previous episode was quickly summarized by showing that the song chosen by team number 49 was also ‘Walk’.

And finally, number 49 spoke up.

“I walk.”

Extremely heavy bass that hits hard from the start.

The chords that have been transformed into a minor key make the mood of the song more tense.

“Still, walk.”

A pitch-black stage, as if a curtain had been drawn.

The lighting is dark, the LED background behind is black, and the lyrics are gray.

The voice of number 49, blurted out in it, was filled with despair and resignation.

His eyes, glaring at the camera, were also empty.

And it was all presented as if I was wandering alone in the dark.

– What, it feels so different from the original song?

– I’m so nervous my heart is pounding.

A completely different arrangement from the emotional song played by number 49 at the inauguration ceremony.

Fans were bewildered by this twist, but they couldn’t help but hold their breath and watch the stage due to the overwhelming charisma.

at that time,

“I walk.”

As the second verse begins, a change in atmosphere occurs.

The dark stage was lit up with moonlight, and number 18 appeared, standing with the keyboard.

Then the minor key changed to a major key, and bright vocals were added on top.

“Walk without giving up.”

The face of the singing number 18 was lively, unlike the empty expression of number 49 just a moment ago.

The fingers playing the keyboard are also confident and nimble.

Then the two people enter the bridge area and face each other.

Two people, swinging guitars and keyboards like a storm, are captured at an intersection and on one screen.

A state of no self.

There was no other word to define the two people who sang as if they were crying.

yet,

“”Walk.””

The song ends with the faces of two people smiling at each other.

Right after the stage ended,

-······.

The fans in front of the TV just froze with their mouths shut.

Even though the stage was only about 4 minutes long, it felt like only a minute had passed.

It was such an immersive stage that it felt like time had been erased.

– This is crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The fans who had been ‘frozen’ by the first person to come to their senses and post a comment started going crazy.

– No, seriously, seriously, it was so creepy that I still get goosebumps. I can attest to the goosebumps.

– The arrangement was really good! Especially in the first verse, I thought my heart was going to stop. No, there was a cavernous bass sound from the beginning!

– I’m sharing the interpretation of this arrangement with Brainpische. First of all, there is only one speaker, but there are three egos. First, the first verse is the steps of the gloomy reality’s self walking without meaning in life, and the second verse is the steps of the hopeful self looking forward to the future. I divided it into minor and major keys. In the last third verse, the two egos merge into one······

– Oh, thank you for the translation!

While the bulletin board was heating up, the judges’ rave reviews were pouring out on the broadcast.

“It was a close game for both teams.”

“I’m worried. At this point, I think it’s probably just a matter of taste.”

Soon, the scene of the judges’ discussion was shown.

With serious expressions, they each blurted out their thoughts one by one···.

A subtitle appeared saying that the meeting was going to be long.

At this point, here’s a brief commercial break.

– Ohhhhh…lol

The tense atmosphere relaxes for a moment.

No one could easily move their butts or change the channel, thinking that the results might be announced in an instant while they were away.

Thanks to this, this mid-roll advertisement enjoyed the greatest exposure effect ever.

Anyway, after the commercial ended, the result of the match between No. 49 and No. 7 was finally revealed.

“The winner and loser were decided by a one-vote difference. The winner is… the ‘I Want to Live’ team! Congratulations!”

Following a cross between a surprised-looking number 49 and a somewhat uneasy-looking number 7, the reason for this decision is explained.

“Only number 7 stood out so much. It was a team mission, after all.”

“On the other hand, the ‘I Want to Live’ team had great synergy due to the harmony between the two.”

After that, the first ranking announcement ceremony was held.

The production where each contestant sits on a pyramid-shaped platform was classic, yet perfect for creating tension and fun.

And then the final two people who will soon be competing for the first place in the first round were shown in close-up.

Number 15, white male with a reddish beard.

The other one was number 49, which was also at the forefront of topicality.

As the two took their places on either side of the throne at the top of the pyramid, MC Park Hye-shin announced the owner of that seat.

“Congratulations to candidate number 15!”

And the bulletin board reaction to this.

– What, wasn’t it 49 times 1st place? I thought I would definitely get 1st place because I won 7 times.

– But number 15 was also pretty awesome. That white guy’s song was really good. The original is clearly a ballad, but I thought I was listening to a pop song.

Although opinions were divided, it was not the case that there was no agreement.

After that, an explanation of the 1:1 battle mission was given.

A songwriting mission where you choose one of 15 keywords and create a song that matches it.

“You can nominate your opponents in order, starting from 1st place.”

The camera captures Park Hye-shin’s words 15 times.

Then his finger pointed at someone.

Then, cheers and screams can be heard from around.

“I’ll choose number 49.”

Episode 4 ended with number 15, who was in first place, pointing out number 49, who was in second place, grinning and showing off his white teeth.

And the trailer for episode 5… didn’t appear.

– Huh? It ends like this? Why isn’t there a trailer?

– What, so it’s really 15 and 49? Is that right?!

– That white guy is a gambler? He’s saying that if he drops number 49, he’ll definitely win first place, so he’ll eliminate me in the next round!

While fans who enjoyed analyzing the trailer hints and guessing the next episode were confused, the ‘Who’s the King’ gallery was in an uproar.

This was the strategy of PD Park Yong-oh, a master of broadcasting tricks, to train viewers with the same format every time and then make them even more impatient with one change.

Oh, if you’re curious, watch the next episode~

But here something happened that even Park Yong-oh did not expect.

The attention of fans who lost their favorite topic was diverted to one place.

It was the second sound source of the 2:2 battle mission that was released at noon the very next day.

Fans who had their toys taken away by the evil PD’s schemes mostly consumed this song mercilessly to vent their anger.

Also, among them, there was a song with a very dark introduction, as if representing the hearts of these darkened fans…

[Walk – I Want to Live (‘Who’s the King’ No. 18, No. 49)]

The impactful main stage and the 49-time popularity that seemed like it would stab you in the eye.

Lastly, the firepower added to the special nature of the trailer not being aired was tremendous.

It climbed up the charts like riding an elevator.

As a result, the next day, Monday.

[Kiwi TOP100]

···

5th place (-) One Step Behind (Drama ‘Your House’ OST) – Yeseonha

···

9th place (↑1) Flower Dance (Webtoon ‘Reincarnation of Heavenly Horse’ OST) – D.Voice

10th (New) Walk – I Want to Live (‘Who’s the King’ No. 18, No. 49)

‘Who’s the King’ broke through the TOP 10 barrier for the first time.

*

– What’s going on, Sungjun! Two of Sungjun’s songs are in the Kiwi Chart TOP 10!

Seol Hye-yoon’s voice was filled with excitement as she made the call during her lunch break.

“Is that so?”

Even Cha Seong-jun himself, who is asking the question, is dumbfounded.

Of course, I knew that it was popular thanks to the impactful editing that ‘Who’s the King’ gave to number 49.

However, it was unexpected that the song would enter the TOP 10 in just two days.

Seol Hye-yoon said with a sly smile.

– There’s another healing concert meeting in the afternoon, and we’ll talk about Sungjun. Oh, and did you know that Sungjun is a superstar these days, not just in the general affairs team, but in the entire company? It seems like all the team members get a lot of calls about Sungjun. Especially, requests for autographs.

However, Seol Hye-yoon tells everyone not to worry because she is cutting it well and doesn’t want to bother everyone who is busy.

‘It’s a sign···.’

I think I saw it briefly in the checklist that MXM Entertainment sent me.

When an album is released and events such as fan signings are held, autographs are essential.

To be honest, there were some parts that I had put off because it didn’t feel real yet, but after hearing Seol Hye-yoon’s words, I think I should start seriously planning the script.

Very artistic.

“Oh, please tell your teammates that I was grateful for their consideration. And actually, I don’t have an autograph yet.”

– What if the person who is going to sign hasn’t signed yet until the wrist falls off? Hehe.

After that, we chatted about various things like how many boxes of Mocha Sweat were left, and I ended the call with Seol Hye-yoon.

Then I prepared to go out for the afternoon schedule.

We are going to MXM Entertainment to record the remaining 3rd and 4th tracks out of the 4 songs that will be included in the EP.

I headed to the subway station to get around.

Originally, MXM offered to send me a van, but I declined.

What about taking a van from Eunpyeong-gu to Yongsan?

It’s much more comfortable and faster to take the subway.

♪~ ♬~

I was sitting in my seat when suddenly I heard music.

It was from the female student sitting next to me.

I don’t know if I turned up the volume to the point of losing my hearing or if I didn’t put my earphones in properly, but

Anyway, the familiar lyrics, ‘Walk~’ were flowing out from the sound leaking out.

‘Wow, this is my song…’

It is not shown as internet reaction or chart ranking,

It was a strange and amazing experience to actually witness someone listening to your own song.

I arrived at MXM Entertainment, trying hard to suppress the corners of my lips that were sticking out.

As I opened the door to the 11th floor recording studio, the engineer in charge, Jinwoong Jeong, greeted me.

“Tracks 3 and 4 this time are no joke either. Especially the beat and bass of track 4, ‘Eraser’, are a work of art. The sound is really unique. Did you make it yourself and not a preset?”

“Yes, that’s right. I’ve tried the actual eraser and pencil sounds a bit. Judging from the favorable reviews, I guess it was pretty good.”

“It was pretty good. I said it was art. How on earth did you come up with that idea?”

After saying hello to Jeong Jin-woong, who was sticking his tongue out, saying, “Anyway, I hope you do well today,” he went straight into recording.

Jeong Jin-woong in the control room played the MR that was mixed/mastered.

Cha Seong-jun, who had applied the buff, quickly got immersed and finished recording.

After leaving the booth and monitoring, I found that this recording was also very successful.

“So, shall we go down to the meeting room now?”

“Yes, I’m going to listen to the completed versions of tracks 1 and 2 with the A&R team. Will the engineer come with us?”

“I have to work here today. Hehe. You worked hard on the recording today.”

After seeing Jeong Jin-woong off, I went to the meeting room this time.

The A&R team congratulates him as if they had been waiting for him.

“Sungjun! Congratulations on ‘Walk’ entering the Kiwi Chart TOP10!”

“‘Who’s the King’ is already at this level, so if Sungjun releases an EP, all four songs could be in the top 10! Maybe there’ll be a fight between Yuna and me at home?!”

“Before that, there’s also the [Cheonma Hwansaeng] OST and ‘Walk’… Maybe it could become a three-way battle between D.Voice, 49, and Sungjun! If that happens, it’ll be really crazy! It’ll be something we’ve never seen before in the history of the music industry!”

“Oh, everyone, stop. If the reviews are too good, it’s bound to be burdensome. Then, let’s listen to tracks 1 and 2 first.”

The moment I was about to feel embarrassed by the excessive compliments, the team leader coolly intervened and changed the subject.

Then I sat down and listened to the completed tracks 1 and 2.

Cha Seong-jun let out a silent exclamation.

‘This is… a song I made?!’

Compared to the first demo, it’s several times better.

Instrument and instrument, instrument and voice naturally merged into one.

Now it finally feels like a complete sound source.

“I heard that Teacher Jinwoong stayed up all night for several days working on it. He said that he shouldn’t become someone in Seongjun’s song. He said that until yesterday, his dark circles had reached the wrinkles around his nasolabial folds.”

I heard that Jeong Jin-woong stayed up all night.

Somehow you look a little tired today too.

Next time, I should give a box of Bacchus as a gift.

No, let’s just make some medicine and send it.

Anyway, tracks 1 and 2 were perfect enough that they didn’t need any more editing.

So we moved on to the next agenda.

“This is the draft for the album jacket. It was produced by reflecting Sungjun’s opinions.”

Cha Seong-jun looked at the screen.

Among the photos taken at the studio ‘The Vivid’ last time, there was a side photo of him holding a guitar in a white shirt.

The English word ‘LOVE’ is engraved on the guitar body in a circular pattern of four arrows, similar to the recycling logo.

A symbol for the album title ‘LOVE CYCLE’.

In addition, the letters ‘D.Voice’ and ’49’ were written in tiny letters, which they wanted to officially reveal through the jacket photo.

Sungjun, D.Voice, number 49.

That each divinity is one person.

“I think the love cycle symbol came out pretty, but the side photo of me is a little embarrassing.”

“Sungjun. As I said, in someone like Sungjun, your visuals absolutely have to be on the jacket. It makes a difference in album sales. You have a handsome face, so you have to make the most of it. If you try to hide it and cover it up, you’ll get criticized. From people like me.”

The team leader’s self-deprecating jokes created a friendly atmosphere, and the album jacket issue was also approved.

Finally, the most important content from today’s meeting was shared.

“The female lead for the ‘Drink Me Like Coffee’ music video has been decided! A hugely popular star contacted us, saying she absolutely wanted to appear in Sungjun’s music video. And there was no guarantee!”

“Huh? No guarantee?!”

“Thanks to that, the production cost was saved a lot… Oh my, I don’t think this is the right time to talk about that. Anyway! The female lead has a connection with Sungjun.”

I knew who it was at the mere mention of Yeon.

“This is actress Ye Seon Ha, who is currently at the peak of her popularity with her role as Mi Jin in the drama ‘Your House’!”

Of course, it was her.

“I heard that Sungjun-nim covered the OST of Yeseon Ha-ssi with D.Voice, right? After looking into it, I found out that since the drama was doing well and Yeseon Ha-ssi was also doing well, Seon Ha-ssi wanted to repay Sungjun-nim. That’s why she said she would participate this time as well without any guarantees.”

The team leader continued talking after explaining the whole story.

“Anyway, the music video is scheduled to be filmed this Friday. Oh, and one more thing. Director Choi wants Sungjun to also familiarize himself with the MV scenario before coming.”

“Me? Didn’t I just have to get the cuts that I played?”

“Uh… That’s right, after seeing Sungjun’s visuals, it seems like you can alternate between him and the male actor?”

······Huh? You want me to act?