Raising a Neglected Singer-Songwriter - Chapter 89



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Raising a Neglected Singer-Songwriter Episode 89

89. That difficult thing

“What song have you prepared today?”

“Yes, I-”

The trainee who bowed his head in greeting answered the song title he had prepared.

Perhaps because it was the first turn, his face was clearly nervous.

at that time,

“I guess I’m really nervous because I’m the first one. I know how that feels because I was a survival show contestant too. Oh, on the other hand, I was the last one to be contestant.”

Seongjun picked up the microphone to lighten the mood.

To be honest, I wasn’t nervous at all thanks to the [Myeonggyeongjisu] skill.

Since I took on the role of understanding the trainees, I gave them good-natured sympathy.

Thanks to that, Jin Ha-neul’s expression seemed to have improved significantly.

‘You worked part-time at a convenience store in Yeokchon-dong, right?’

‘Have you seen me by any chance?’

‘Why, I gave you coffee back then.’

No additional greetings of that kind were given.

There was concern that revealing one’s friendship with a specific trainee could cause issues with fairness in the survival program.

If that happens, it won’t be good for the Jin Ha-neul participants either.

So I decided to bury it as my own personal joy.

‘As I saw in the participant’s profile, this guy’s visuals are definitely the best.’

That was the feeling that came to my mind the moment I saw the true sky.

Is it commonly called the ‘Center of Confidence’?

Even when I first saw her at the convenience store, her beauty caught my eye.

Rather than being flashy, the facial features are refreshing and reminiscent of a blank sheet of paper.

Thanks to this, I felt that not only did it perfectly fit the ‘fairy concept’ that MXM Entertainment was aiming for, but it also seemed like it could digest any concept.

Later on, I thought that I would be able to act like Ye-seon without any problems.

“Then please show me the song you prepared.”

“yes!”

Jin Ha-neul took a deep breath and started on stage.

The song she chose was ‘Already 1 O’Clock’ by ‘Jung Ha’, a next-generation female solo artist who is closely following Yuna and is also called the ‘performance queen’.

“How is it already 1 a.m.?”

As the fresh-looking singer’s voice and refined dance moves emerge, the mentors exclaim in admiration.

There are what are commonly called the five elements needed to become an idol.

In general, these are the tools that the public wants idol group members to show on stage.

[Visual]

[vocal]

[dance]

[expressiveness]

[attractiveness]

And Jin Ha-neul was an all-rounder with balanced stats in these five elements.

but,

‘Is it because I was a trainee for only 2 years? My expressiveness still seems a bit lacking.’

[Producing] Sungjun, who reached level 10, clearly saw Jin Ha-neul’s weaknesses that needed to be improved.

After finishing the stage,

“It definitely seems like the level of K-pop idol trainees has gotten a lot higher these days.”

All the mentors nodded at Likee’s words.

As the saying goes, these days, trainees, especially those from the big four entertainment companies, have above-average skills in vocals and dance.

This is because the training system for nurturing idols has been systematized with the accumulation of know-how over a dozen years.

Thanks to this, the 9 trainees who followed also showed a pretty good quality stage.

Indeed, it was the skills of the elite trainees that MXM Entertainment is confident in.

On the other hand,

“But out of 10 trainee friends, 4 are foreign friends.”

The diverse nationalities of the ‘Favorite Girls’ were noticeable.

This was a natural configuration.

Not only MXM Entertainment,

These days, regardless of the entertainment company, having one or two foreign members is an essential part of any K-pop idol group targeting the global market.

If there are foreign members, it can gain interest, recognition, and linguistic and cultural empathy from fans in that country.

Well, to be a little more honest, you can make money by working in that country.

Anyway, for these various reasons, ‘My Favorite Girls’ also had 4 foreign trainees.

First, there are trainees from Japan and Thailand who are pure foreigners.

And the remaining two were a mixed Korean-Japanese trainee and a mixed Korean-Canadian trainee, respectively.

For Sungjun, it was surprising that even though they were all of different nationalities, their appearances were so familiar that it was hard to tell them apart from Koreans and they were also fluent in Korean.

“I heard you well. First of all, your voice tone is very attractive. It seems like you are used to mixing voices in this style. However-”

“I think trainee Haruka should try to remove her nasal sound a bit more than she does now. Then she will be able to sing a wider variety of songs without any problems-”

“Idol singers have to sing while dancing, so you know that breathing is especially important, right?”

As a vocal mentor, Sungjun gave detailed feedback to the trainees.

Hailey, sitting next to him, playfully complained, “If you say everything I want to say, what can I say?”

And so the first practice stage prepared by the 10 girls has ended.

“It’s nice that each of us has different charms.”

“Everyone’s fundamentals are solid. I think it would be fun to mentor them.”

“But half of these have to fall…”

I once again realized how narrow the door to debuting in a girl group is.

Anyway, even in the midst of all this, there were friends that Seongjun and other mentors kept an eye on.

Accordingly, each person wrote an evaluation report.

And the ranking of the trainee girls from 1st to 10th place was decided.

Jin Ha-neul, DMLC’s muse, ranked third.

Currently ranked as a debut group.

one,

“The rankings can change at any time today, so don’t be disappointed or complacent. Got it?”

The first trainee rank was given based on the evaluations of six mentors in each field.

From the next competition onwards, global voting will also be reflected at a certain percentage.

Going forward, only by appealing to fans around the world with their own unique charm can they survive in this fierce debut competition.

As the name of the program suggests, you have to become the ‘favorite girl’.

‘So, cheer up, part-time girl.’

Cha Seong-jun left a quiet message of support for Jin Ha-neul.

*

The next day,

“It’s done.”

I completed the Shark Samanco CM song requested by Banggeure.

All it takes for a commercial song is 15 seconds.

But basically, the way we work is to first create a 30-second version, and then edit that into a 15-second version.

So the version I made now is 30 seconds long.

“Where, let me hear if it came out well.”

The finished song was played through speakers.

First, I use the cello to create an ominous atmosphere where a shark might appear.

It pays homage to the theme song from the movie series ‘Jaws’.

You think a dark atmosphere doesn’t fit with an ice cream commercial song?

Of course! The introduction is fake!

As soon as the real song begins, the mood of the song changes 180 degrees.

And then the melody and lyrics of conversion appeared.

Baby shark samancococo~ Delicious samancococo~

Mom Shark Samancococo~ Delicious Samancococo~

Daddy Shark Samancococo~ Delicious Samancococo~

So that anyone, regardless of age or gender, can easily remember and sing along,

An easy-listening song made with repetition of the same melody and lyrics.

The message is also simple, clear, and precise.

“Shark Samanco is freaking delicious!!!”

Personally, I couldn’t help but be extremely satisfied with the result.

Still, since it is my first CM song, I think it would be good to get feedback from people around me.

If possible, it would be best to hear from both groups: the general public and musicians.

but,

‘It’s not something you can ask just anyone.’

Even if it is a demo, the unfortunate incident of the CM song being leaked before the advertisement must not occur.

So, just one person from each group.

I decided to select someone who I was close with, trustworthy, and had musical knowledge.

“Okay, I’ve decided.”

After careful consideration, we have decided on two advisors.

First, a message was sent to representatives of the general public group.

This is a former coworker who was recently discovered to have joined my fan club.

– Shinestar, I made a CM song. Could you please listen to it? By the way, it’s a song that only two people can hear, so please do not leak it.

Shine + My Star = Shine Star.

It was a new nickname that Cha Sung-jun came up with to tease her after meeting Seol Hye-yoon at a fan meeting.

Of course, for Seol Hye-yoon, it was a word that reminded her of the embarrassment of that day.

-···I told you not to call me Shine Star, right?

– Why, I was really moved that day.

– Haa, if I knew I’d be teased, I wouldn’t have gone to the fan meeting… Anyway, if you send me the song, I’ll listen to it.

And a little later,

– Wow, what is this? It sounds like a children’s song, but it’s so catchy! And it’s easy to sing along to!

Seol Hye-yoon gave Sung-jun exactly the reaction he wanted.

Next, it’s time to contact a representative of the musician group to get more professional feedback.

– Yuna, if you have time, would you please listen to this song and give me your opinion?

We asked the top female singer in South Korea, with whom we often talked about music while working together on ‘Jinnungkaebi’, for her opinions.

Of course, this time too, we emphasize the strict prohibition of leaks.

And after a while, a reply arrived from Yuna,

– Oppa! Isn’t this really new? The cello part in the beginning is an homage to ‘Jaws’?

You immediately recognized the Jaws homage, you really have a keen ear.

Yuna then mentioned things like, “I think the hook part could be used as a challenge,” and what to keep in mind when editing the 15-second version.

Anyway, I was able to receive positive evaluations from representatives of both groups.

After completing the verification, I immediately sent an email to the person in charge at Bangre.

And the next day, the person in charge who finished the meeting called me with an excited voice.

– ‘Baby Shark Samanko’ is amazing!!! Of course, we did it, but the cinematographer and music director who were in charge of the commercial also gave it the okay right away!!! They said it was a perfect fit for the story they had envisioned!!!

As a huge amount of advertising money is invested,

It is not easy to satisfy both the demanding advertisers and the director at the same time.

It was common for requests to modify a song to come in at least three or four times, or at most five or six times.

But the first demo passed right away.

Seongjun did it again, it was difficult.

– Then I’ll see you on set soon!

Seongjun hung up the phone and smiled proudly.

And then I was lying down on the massage chair and taking a break –

Brrrrrr-

Not long after, the phone vibrates again.

‘What, was there more to say?’

Seongjun’s eyes widen as he checks the sender.

“uh?”

I wasn’t the person in charge of Bangre.

Instead, a name I hadn’t seen in a long time appeared.

[Judge Choi Kang-san]

It was Choi Kang-san, the vocalist of the legendary band ‘Halla’ who formed a relationship with ‘Who’s the King’.

As I happily pick up the phone, I hear Choi Kang-san’s characteristic husky and deep voice.

– Seongjun, how have you been? You seem very busy these days.

“No, Judge. I hope you are well too, Judge.”

The two people laughed and shared their recent news.

And soon, Choi Kang-san revealed the reason he had called.

– Seongjun, do you remember when I told you last year that I was planning to hold a Halla 40th anniversary concert early this year?

“Yes, you said you were putting a lot of effort into preparing for it. You said it might be your last concert.”

– Oh, you remember all that? That’s touching.

“I originally had a good memory. Especially when it came to my respected seniors. Hehehe.”

At Sungjun’s nagging, Choi Kangsan’s hearty laughter can be heard through the phone.

Then, out of the blue, he made a meaningful suggestion.

– Actually, I contacted you today because of the concert. Would you like Seongjun to be the opening guest for this 40th anniversary concert?