Prince From Another Dimension Becomes An Idol [EN]: Chapter 158

The song 〈Umbrella Shade〉, a track from their first full album, began with a repeating, low bass guitar riff.

Classified as modern rock, the song’s composition wasn’t particularly extravagant.

Even the melody was quite repetitive.

Nevertheless, the reason it’s included in MOST’s masterpieces, as chosen by fans, is likely because the melody itself is beautiful, and the charm of the vocals elevates the simple composition.

Or, conversely, one could argue that the simple sound and composition allow the vocals to freely transform the song; that’s the essence of 〈Umbrella Shade〉.

Moreover, as the title suggests, 〈Umbrella Shade〉 is a very emotional song.

If 〈First Date〉 was written to directly convey excitement, 〈Umbrella Shade〉 is the kind of song that, even if you listen to it alone with earphones late at night, you might suddenly find yourself overwhelmed with emotion.

This is largely due to the poignant lyrics that accompany the lyrical melody.

For teenagers…

No, anyone who’s ever liked or loved someone will find a corner of their heart touched.

-I have something to say to you

The fans gasped as Dojae uttered the first verse as if murmuring.

The repeating bass guitar sound and Dojae’s voice blended perfectly.

“Oh my god. Are they going to sing 〈Umbrella Shade〉! I love it so much.”

“To think I’d get to hear this live…”

As the other instruments joined in, Gyuseong and Louie headed to the side protruding stages, leaving Dojae in the center.

The fans in the left and right sections of the protruding stages stirred, looking up at Louie and Gyuseong as they passed by.

Dojae slowly closed and opened his eyes, continuing the song.

The sight of Dojae filling the screen captivated the fans.

The fans perked up their ears, not wanting to miss a single breath of Dojae’s.

-At the end of a noisy day.

There was a night I couldn’t sleep-

The low, sweet voice sang as if speaking calmly.

His expression made it seem as if he might come down from the stage and confess to someone at any moment.

Honeyed, but not too sweet.

A plainness that makes it even more intense, and a feeling that once you fall into it, you can never escape.

That’s what Dojae’s singing was like.

“What, does it sound even better than the recording?!”

“Oppa…”

In MOST’s stage choreography, Dojae was most often positioned in the center or on the left.

Therefore, a considerable number of Dojae’s fans were gathered in that area, whether standing or seated, and they were nearly fainting at Dojae’s first verse.

That’s because any Dojae fan couldn’t help but notice his vocal growth in just that first verse.

It was something they had been sensing little by little since the concert started with 〈Dynamic〉.

The sound was strong, and he was already so good that it was hard to pinpoint exactly.

They were fans who simply thought that the live performance had become a little more polished.

Dojae also sang the previous three stages without much noticeable difference, in order to maintain harmony in the song and balance with the other members.

However, when they heard a song that strongly featured his vocals, the fans could immediately tell.

His pronunciation had become clearer, and his tone itself had subtly changed.

It had changed for the better.

Dojae’s sweet tone had the potential to sound bland if he made a mistake.

This was the opposite of Gyuseong’s strength, which was that his tone became more distinctive as he sang higher.

Their weaknesses were also opposites.

If Dojae was sometimes told that he was too stable and lacked uniqueness, Gyuseong sometimes lost his balance and became unstable when he added too much technique.

Both of their shortcomings were only apparent in the pursuit of perfection, and were minor errors that even non-experts could hardly notice.

Nevertheless, they continued to work hard to compensate for their weaknesses…

At some point, Gyuseong suddenly surpassed his previous skill level and took a step closer to becoming a complete vocalist.

It was during 〈Jo Jung-yeol’s Music Talk〉 [a fictional Korean music talk show] that Dojae realized Gyuseong’s growth.

On the other hand, Dojae…

‘There were too many things I wanted to do.’

It wasn’t just that he wanted to do them, but the problem was that he *could* do them, and he was good at them.

While Dojae was devoted to composing, writing lyrics, and other aspects of their work, he couldn’t focus solely on vocals.

However, this couldn’t be an excuse.

Even Gijun was constantly honing his rap skills so that they wouldn’t rust while producing the album.

‘I want to grow more as a vocalist. I don’t want to settle down.’

The reason he initially wanted to become a singer was to sing.

He liked making songs, but he also had a strong desire to sing better.

He wanted to sing with a richer tone.

The moment he heard Gyuseong’s song on 〈Jo Jung-yeol’s Music Talk〉, Dojae was greatly stimulated.

And Dojae worked hard to think about and practice that aspect while preparing for the concert.

Dojae knew very well that it wasn’t a problem but a point to be supplemented, so he didn’t feel much pressure.

He approached it with the mindset that ‘the secret weapon gets better the more you hone it.’

Thanks to this, he was able to learn a singing method that was as comfortable as before, but also able to shine sharply in the song when he could add an edge.

This would also be included in his growth process later.

Dojae’s eyes sparkled as he walked to the front of the stage after finishing his part.

-On a night when I can only take very faint breaths, I almost called you when I was surprised by the sound of tossing and turning

Louie’s beautiful voice quietly heightened the song’s emotion.

“I almost called you-”

The fans sang along in loud voices.

Gyuseong, standing on the left protruding stage, continued the song.

-What does that umbrella you gave me mean

At that moment when your clothes were all getting wet

Gyuseong’s voice, as if soaked wet, resonated in their hearts.

The harmony of Dojae, Louie, and Gyuseong’s voices was truly perfect.

The fact that the song, originally sung by all six members, was arranged for three people added sophistication.

-The thing that looked back at me was looking at me-

Dojae raised his voice, holding the microphone tightly and looking into the distance.

The voice, which seemed to be mixed with air, became stronger as it went higher.

Dojae was also skilled at emotional delivery when singing.

The fans clutched their hearts at the rapidly changing emotional lines.

-The thing that looked back at me was looking at me!

Behind Dojae’s song, Gyuseong and Louie built harmonies and repeated the chorus.

Gyuseong’s ad-libs, which had a strong tone and seemed to ride the beat, added color to the song, preventing it from becoming monotonous.

And Dojae’s voice once again added weight to the stage.

-Even in a dark and dark room

I need a shade to cover me

As they entered the interlude, huge cheers erupted.

Behind the members, an LED video played, simulating falling raindrops.

And something shining in various colors slowly descended from the sky.

It was an umbrella with the upper part covered in stained glass-like colors.

The three grabbed the umbrella that descended from the sky.

Then, as they spun the umbrella around, it shone dreamily under the lights.

“Wow-!”

The fans let out huge exclamations at the dazzlingly beautiful sight.

The three people’s singing and atmosphere were all perfect.

The three smiled at each other as they walked to the center of the stage.

-There’s something I couldn’t return

The words you didn’t say to me

-Even if the swaying wind reaches the fifth season, I’ll try to say it there

-What does that umbrella you gave me mean

Your clothes were all wet

As the second verse continued, the fans slowly shook their fanlights, immersed in the emotion of 〈Umbrella Shade〉 as if rain was really falling.

The moment of seeing the three shining people on stage was pure happiness.

In particular, Dojae’s fans were only a month and a half away from the last music broadcast before the concert.

They watched the stage with emotion, unable to hide their feelings about how much Dojae had practiced for this stage.

They even had the thought that this moment would last forever.

***

However, it was only the beginning of the concert.

As soon as 〈Umbrella Shade〉 ended, the intro to 〈Don’t Mess Around〉 began to play.

It was an arranged version in which Woochul, Gijun, and Heungmin’s parts were connected.

While the three who sang 〈Umbrella Shade〉 went to change, the other three led 〈Don’t Mess Around〉.

Woochul, Gijun, and Heungmin, wearing shorts that came down to their calves and hip-hop style tops, energized the stage from side to side.

Because it was a light and exciting song, they naturally got excited.

And as Dojae, Gyuseong, and Louie, who had quickly changed, joined, the stage was full again.

In the interlude, dozens of dancers came out and performed a group dance.

“Applause!!!”

When Woochul prompted a response, the fans clapped their hands to the beat.

“Kyaaaaaaak!”

At the same time, Louie and Heungmin showed intense choreography.

The fans were even more enthusiastic about the two people’s dance, which had different styles but perfect harmony.

***

In that way, the stage continued from 〈Don’t Mess Around〉 to 〈Yours〉 and 〈outro 1/1〉.

The members did their best to show everything they had prepared, or even more.

As if knowing all the members’ hearts, the fans watched not only the stage but also the concept video for the concert that the members had prepared in advance, determined not to blink.

The concept video, in which the members who had been wandering in a lush forest came out one by one and looked at the scenery of a beautiful space city, showcased the members’ individuality and beauty.

In particular, the part where Louie was wandering in the forest strongly resonated with the ‘Louie Fairy School’ fans, who strongly advocated the ‘Louie Fairy Theory’ [a fan theory that Louie is like a fairy].

-Here is…

It could have been another dark history video for Heungmin, who even delivered the short line ‘Where is this’ awkwardly, after Byeolbyeol Chicken [likely a reference to a past embarrassing commercial or video].

Of course, Heungmin’s fans thought that even that side of him was cute and charming.

In fact, the image of him coming out of the forest with fierce eyes was a video that showcased Heungmin’s external charm well enough to be called legendary.

After that, the members continued the stage without a break.

〈be amazing〉

〈Remember〉

〈We must go〉

〈out of sight〉

The members almost collapsed in the section where these four songs were played in a row.

If they didn’t have basic physical strength, one of them would have collapsed for sure.

The fans cheered at the intense stage.

The heat of the concert hall was getting hotter and hotter.

〈Like a Habit〉

〈JUMP〉

〈Ma day is coming〉

The rapper line played a big role in the three songs that followed after a short talk.

In particular, Heungmin and Gijun reinterpreted Sprint’s rap part in 〈Ma day is coming〉 in a different way, clearly revealing their capabilities as rappers.

Sprint, who was invited to the concert as a guest, was also surprised and stuck out his tongue.

After the performance rushed in that way.

During the short time when the members went down the stage.

The huge cheers that rang out again in the darkened concert hall began when the same video was played simultaneously on three large screens.

“Kyaaaaaaak!”

“Crazy!!!”

“Babyyyyaak!”

“Oppa!”

Screams and exclamations were rampant.

Photos of the members with youthful faces from their trainee days were passing by in turn, dating from at least 3 years ago to as long as 5 years ago.