Become A Music Monster Overnight! [EN]: Chapter 120

Music Monster Overnight! 111

-A Cable Creates a New Competition Program!-

-This Time, Trot? Interest Pouring in From the Start!-

-‘Trot Revolution!’ Voting Through YC Revolution!-

-Child Actor Kang A-young, Already Generating Buzz! Uploaded Hot Video!-

Especially, unlike rock, ‘Trot Revolution’ managed to attract the attention of those in their 50s and older to the struggling trot market, which was a huge achievement.

This was akin to drawing in an age group that had been a blind spot for YC Revolution.

At the heart of this attention was Kang A-young.

Once a famous child actor in the 90s, she was now active as a relatively unknown trot singer, which immediately garnered media attention.

The catchphrases spouted by the adorable child actor back then still circulate as memes, eliciting reactions even from younger demographics outside the primary consumer base.

With such keen interest, Kang A-young appeared on the first episode of ‘Trot Revolution’ and rose to stardom with just that one performance.

The audience’s murmurs instantly ceased when she, now in her 30s with traces of her childhood face, stepped onto the stage.

She was so transformed by her appearance on stage, dressed in a glamorous dress and managed by top professionals, that the term ‘unknown trot singer’ seemed inappropriate.

-Thwack!-

Having silenced her surroundings, Kang A-young stood at the center of the stage, and at that moment, a beam of white light shone down on her.

-Ah!-

Simultaneous exclamations of admiration echoed from the audience.

“Ah…….”

It wasn’t just the audience who exclaimed in admiration. The veteran trot singers who came to judge the stage also couldn’t hide their awe.

There was a reason why they were so impressed.

It wasn’t just because of her beautiful appearance, befitting her background as a famous child actor. Rather, it was because of the unique aura she exuded at that moment.

What should I say?

It was as if they were seeing a shaman [a spiritual medium] who served the gods in ancient times.

She was so elegant and dignified that people were bound to be amazed.

They came to see a singer who was a sensation on social media, but the person who appeared seemed like someone who would command respect.

But what really surprised people was when she sang the song ‘Muhui’ (舞姬, Dancer).

-Da-da-da-danda!-

‘Muhui,’ which begins with the sound of a piano, was such an enchanting song that it captivated even those who were resistant to trot in an instant.

But what was truly amazing was Kang A-young, who performed ‘Muhui.’

She didn’t overdo it, nor did she try to stand out.

She simply and calmly conveyed the sorrowful climax of the song with a trembling singing style reminiscent of folk songs, filled with deep-seated sorrow (恨, *han* – a Korean concept of deep-seated resentment or sorrow).

However, the unique poignant flavor of trot, combined with that calmness, made the listener’s heart ache.

It felt as if she was reduced to ashes, so full of sorrow.

-Sniffle!-

-Sniff……Sniffle-

As a result, the audience was already a sea of tears.

Considering that only the first verse had ended, her ability to convey lyrics was simply incredible.

However, even surrounded by an audience in tears, she continued to maintain her unique calm demeanor.

The more she showed that side of herself, the more the emotions around her became intense, like the eye of a gradually growing typhoon.

-Da-da-dan…… Dan-dan-dan…… Dan!-

Afterward, ‘Muhui’ ended with the same heavy piano sound that made everyone hold their breath, just like at the beginning.

-……Clap clap clap!-

Having been shaken to the core by the surge of emotions, it was quite a while before the applause began.

“Ah!”

Only then did Kang A-young return to another version of herself, as if breaking free from a trance.

That appearance was different from the dignified figure that had dominated the stage a moment ago, but it captivated people with another pure charm.

Jang Hee-young, known as the queen of trot, could foresee the future in her, who was welcoming the applause and cheers pouring in on her like a teenage girl with sparkling eyes.

“It’s going to be hard to hold onto the title of trot queen now.”

She had prepared herself for the day to come, but she was just surprised at how calm she was.

But soon, she realized why she was being like this.

“It was that good of a performance.”

Since it was the first episode, there were some surprisingly talented performers among the earlier contestants, but Kang A-young was on a different level.

She had enough skill to be called the queen of trot, so it was hard to understand why she had been relatively unknown until now.

In particular, her delivery was spine-chilling.

“Above all, the song was so good.”

‘Muhui,’ which seemed to bring out all of her potential, was not a song that an unknown trot singer could easily receive.

So she hurriedly looked for the composer of ‘Muhui’ and nodded with a knowing smile.

“I knew it.”

The reason she was feeling so empty was that the person who composed ‘Muhui’ was none other than Youngchan, the CEO of YC Entertainment.

Kang A-young was listed as a co-lyricist, but that wasn’t important.

‘I didn’t know he was interested in trot too.’

Therefore, Jang Hee-young was tempted to receive a song from him, but she soon shook her head.

Was she the only one who wanted to receive a song from him?

She heard that even the biggest singers on the Billboard charts wanted to receive songs from him.

It was only natural, as there was hardly anyone who had failed among those who had received his songs and ventured onto Billboard.

However, Youngchan was more involved with Kang A-young than Jang Hee-young thought.

The beginning was surprisingly through Director Hong Euichan.

“Why didn’t Kang A-young continue acting?”

“Yes?”

Youngchan was puzzled by those words that Director Hong Euichan, whom he met while preparing for the G1 band’s comeback music video, said to him, so his wife and assistant director, Kim Do-ah, stepped in to continue the conversation.

“What he means is that Kang A-young was born with the face of a fox.”

“The face of a fox?”

She went on to say that most people born with the face of a fox are successful as actors.

It’s not just about having an attractive appearance, but also about being able to show various emotions and atmospheres, like a face of a thousand masks.

The reason why she stood out so much as a very young child actor was because of that fox-like face.

“I think she’s good at singing too, but acting would be her true calling…….”

Youngchan knew that Director Hong Euichan, whose standards had been forcibly raised by him, would not say such things easily, so he became interested in Kang A-young.

And after belatedly looking up her childhood and watching her stage videos that had become viral several times, Youngchan nodded.

“I don’t know about acting……. She’s quite good as a singer?”

Even he, who wasn’t very interested in trot, was immediately captivated by her vocals, as her voice was so charming.

In particular, what Youngchan paid the most attention to was her expressiveness.

There are people who have the talent to make the listener’s heart ache even when reading the same text. This can be improved to some extent through vocalization and experience, but anything beyond that is still in the realm of innate talent.

In that regard, Kang A-young was, in his view, another kind of monster.

“Hmm. Certainly, if she were to act with that kind of expressiveness, it would be extraordinary.”

Even Lee Na-eun, the only singer and actress at YC Entertainment, was being recognized for her unique and heartfelt emotional expression, wasn’t she?

Although the approach was different, Kang A-young was the same.

As several questions arose, Youngchan decided to meet Kang A-young.

“Ah, hello. I’m Kang A-young.”

Youngchan had a strange feeling when he first met Kang A-young in person.

He heard that she was 31 years old, but she didn’t look like it at all. Her appearance was youthful, but more than that, it was because of the pure, almost innocent atmosphere of a teenager that made it hard to believe that she was living the harsh life of an unknown trot singer.

Youngchan, who was observing her as she seemed nervous and couldn’t even dare to make eye contact, simply exchanged greetings and then asked her what he was curious about.

The first thing he asked was why she had quit acting.

Even from a brief search, she had filmed as many as 12 TV commercials during her child actor days.

“Ah…… that.”

At that question, Kang A-young hesitated for a moment and then told him a reason that was perhaps common in the entertainment industry.

To put it bluntly, the problem was that her parents had gone crazy over the money that a successful child actor earned.

Her parents were ordinary salaried workers who lived on her husband’s meager income.

When they received money close to a year’s salary from just one commercial, they couldn’t handle the sudden wealth.

They began to spend the money their daughter earned like water, and each had a lover. Naturally, the family atmosphere could not be normal.

Fights broke out almost every day, and in the process of getting a divorce, they fought really hard to take Kang A-young with them.

Naturally, this became a huge trauma for her, who was only 9 years old at the time.

She would have a seizure even if she went in front of the camera, let alone act.

‘They killed the goose that laid the golden eggs.’

Youngchan thought so, and on the other hand, he admired his parents, who had supported him in his memory.

Anyway, when she learned that she couldn’t earn money after following her mother, she naturally ended up at her grandmother’s house.

Fortunately, unlike her daughter, her grandmother had a good character and cherished her like a treasure.

Thanks to this, she was able to overcome some of the trauma that had even caused her to develop mutism, and she was able to grow up relatively normally.

“Why did I become a trot singer? That’s…… my grandmother liked trot.”

Although this is true for many people, her grandmother especially liked trot.

She was also quite good at singing, and at that time, she would boast to her granddaughter, who was clapping, that she had received an offer to become a singer when she was young.

“She said that she might have become a singer if she hadn’t met my grandfather.”

She often showed regret, and she unknowingly fostered a dream of becoming a trot singer in Kang A-young.

“After my grandmother passed away, I went to Seoul to become a trot singer.”

However, becoming a trot singer, even after quitting her job, was by no means an easy profession. The reality was too cold for an unknown trot singer.

But she continued to pursue her dream while working as a coordinator and driver.

Because she was so happy when she sang trot on stage. Surprisingly, she had even overcome her camera phobia, which was her trauma.

Youngchan, who had heard all the stories he was curious about from her, fell into thought for a moment and then accepted her into YC Entertainment.

She was dumbfounded when she suddenly became a singer under YC Entertainment from a one-person agency, but there was no time to be simply surprised.

Because the homework given to her before the Trot Revolution competition was considerable.

The most difficult task was given by Director Hong Euichan, who was also famous on Billboard.

“Do you want to sing trot well? Then you have to act.”

“Yes?!”

“This is a prescription that the CEO has made after much deliberation, so accept it.”

“……Yes.”

She remembered her past trauma and answered weakly, but surprisingly, she completed this task very well.

No, it would be more appropriate to say that she devoured it.

Anyway, the talent that had shown outstanding acting skills to the point of becoming the center of attention as a child actor had come out into the world again as if it were a lie.

“Haa~ this is a monster?”

Hong Euichan thought that she was indeed a fox, as she showed acting skills that Lee Na-eun might not be able to achieve even if she studied acting for several more years.

“I don’t know why you’re a trot singer, but anyway, take this opportunity to think about acting again.”

“Yes. I understand. Director. Thank you. Thank you so much.”

She left a few words of gratitude to the benefactor who had rediscovered a treasure that she had forgotten for the past two weeks.