Become A Music Monster Overnight! [EN]: Chapter 91

“The cheers will be deafening.”

It wasn’t for nothing that I secured a 30% stake. I knew this comeback had potential.

I was confident because Lala Land’s comeback had several positive factors going for it this time.

First, the attitude of Red Pink’s fans, who used to be hostile to Lala Land, had changed. Unlike in the past, they realized that their actions had become a major source of instability for Red Pink.

Currently, Alex Entertainment is abnormally dependent on Red Pink. This also meant that Alex Entertainment’s overall success was heavily tied to Red Pink’s performance.

Investors are more likely to appear when a future-oriented image is shown, but in the current situation, it was difficult to attract investors. Alex Entertainment needed a win, and Lala Land was it.

That said, it was impossible for Red Pink, who were nearing their 10th year, to move to a mid-sized agency. Their brand was too big, and they needed the resources of a major player.

It might have been different if they had a high profile overseas, but Red Pink’s overseas recognition was much lower than in Korea.

It wasn’t so much a lack of skill as it was a matter of timing. They simply missed the global wave.

Red Pink’s heyday was on a downward trend when K-pop began to make inroads into the overseas market. In addition, the members’ individual activities became more important for the future, which inevitably led to lower overseas recognition. They were spreading themselves too thin.

Since they would have no choice but to go their separate ways if things continued like this, Red Pink’s fans had no choice but to support Lala Land. They needed to secure the future of K-Pop, even if it meant supporting a rival group.

They said they would help with promotion as well as album purchases, so it would be a completely different picture from the past. The fans were actively campaigning for Lala Land’s success.

In addition, the fact that all six members, including lead vocalist Sera, have steadily improved their skills is another boon. They had been working hard, honing their craft.

“Thanks to that, I was able to raise the difficulty level of Nagging.”

‘Nagging’ has a killing point that only girl groups can pull off: the highly addictive high-pitched part.

The octave is higher than you might think for one person to handle, and it can be tiring for the listener. It’s a real vocal challenge.

However, a high-pitched part with the octaves adjusted with the tones of several people will generate buzz in all kinds of media if done well. It becomes a viral sensation.

On top of that, Alex Entertainment was determined to scrape together investments and poured a whopping 10 billion won [approximately $7.5 million USD] into this comeback. They were betting big on Lala Land.

The plan was to start with ‘Nagging’ as the main track and then go with the double title track ‘When Violets Bloom’, which would likely extend the promotion period to more than six weeks. A full-fledged promotional blitz.

“Lastly, director Hong Ui-chan directed the music videos for ‘Nagging’ and ‘When Violets Bloom’.”

It was the result of a personal request to director Hong Ui-chan. Securing him was a major coup.

Perhaps because of the fact that I had invested 30% in Alex Entertainment, my decision was not viewed negatively within the company. My influence was growing.

And today, Lala Land made their comeback. The day had finally arrived.

Around the time the Billboard Awards were filling up with people.

Lala Land’s showcase came to an end. The first step was complete.

By the time the showcase was over, the reaction to the comeback was already feverish. The internet was buzzing.

-I was honestly expecting it because they said it was a girl group chosen by YC, but wow! This is beyond what I expected!-

└Why haven’t these kids made it until now? It’s not just because they’re from a small agency, their visuals and skills are all insane?

└This is Lala Land’s fan club, dream. Thank you for looking kindly on our kids!

-ㅋㅋㅋIsn’t the high-pitched part of Nagging crazy? It makes you wonder if it was made for humans to sing, but when you see them pull it off, wow~ this song will sweep all the festivals this year.

└I really hope they come to our festival! I heard Sera is so gorgeous in person.

└This is a disaster. I have an exam today, but the high-pitched part of Nagging keeps replaying in my head.

└Is this how another song banned during the college entrance exam is born!

-Has anyone listened to ‘When Violets Bloom’? Ah, I’m 30 years old and I cried while listening to this song. Ah, I’m so embarrassed.-

└I heard they’re going with a double title track. I think this is the song.

└All the songs on this mini-album are crazy, not just this one?

If this was the reaction of ordinary fans, there was an even more enthusiastic response from the stock gallery [online forum for stock traders]. The investors were ecstatic.

-Alex Entertainment shareholders, take off your pants and scream!-

└Ahahaha! Ehehe! Hehehe!

└Thank you, YC. Thank you. I will sincerely pray for your success every time I go to dawn prayer.

└Everyone, don’t forget to buy multiple copies of the album, okay? We need to promote it from time to time. Let’s push those numbers up!

-Let’s go! Let’s go! Let’s go to 20,000 [referring to a stock price target of 20,000 won]!-

└Is it okay to get in now [invest in the stock]?

└Haha! You haven’t gotten in yet? Welcome. This is just the beginning.

The stock gallery was already in a festive mood, as expected. The positive sentiment was palpable.

Well, it was only a matter of time before they took the top spot on the Lemon Chart [a fictional Korean music chart, similar to Billboard], and they had already taken the top spot on other music sites, so it was no wonder. The music was resonating with the public.

Above all, the main reason was that Alex Entertainment’s stock price was in such a terrible state. They needed a boost.

Even though the entertainment company’s stock price had risen a lot because of me, it was still less than half of what it was during Alex Entertainment’s heyday. There was still a long way to go.

In addition, the fact that I, the main cause of this good news, was participating in the Billboard Awards was bound to have a significant impact on this upward trend in the stock. My presence at the awards added credibility and excitement.

“Hey! It’s starting.”

Just then, I heard the news that the Billboard Awards were about to begin in earnest from my bickering uncles. The main event was about to begin.

I put my phone away with regret. It was time to focus on the awards.

Kelly, who was the host of the Billboard Music Awards, began to introduce the performers.

The top singers who sweep the Billboard charts every year were introduced, and the fans cheered every time. The atmosphere was electric.

“Awesome!”

“Wow, that guy came out too?”

“Mary? It’s really Mary. I wonder if I can get an autograph later?”

“Why are you making such a fuss! Do you think this is a local market? Act your age.”

“That’s funny. You can’t say that when you took a picture with Jack.”

“…….”

The uncles’ excitement grew as the performers were introduced. They were starstruck.

Well, I was also excited because there were quite a few rock legends who hadn’t been seen this year, so I knew how the uncles who were invited to the Billboard Music Awards for the first time felt. It was a special night for everyone.

Then Kelly introduced us.

“Are there any Black Tiger fans here?”

-Wowwwwwww!-

At the same time, the camera caught us, and the fans poured out as if the studio would collapse when our faces appeared on the screen. The reaction was overwhelming.

Kelly looked momentarily flustered by the cheers, which were incomparable to any of the performers who had come out so far. We were a sensation.

The camera seemed to find Kelly’s flustered look amusing, and instead of moving on, it began to focus on us more closely. The spotlight was on us.

When the close-up focused on me, the decibel level of the cheers, which were already shaking the studio, doubled. The screams were deafening.

-Kyaaaaaa!-

I couldn’t hide my embarrassment for a moment at the sharp screams of the woman, as if she was about to faint. The intensity of the fans was something else.

But when I realized that there was no problem, I couldn’t help but smile, and the cheers that seemed like they would never stop suddenly stopped as if by magic. My smile had a powerful effect.

“???”

I was bewildered by the sudden phenomenon, but I soon understood the situation when I saw the reactions of the people around me. The silence was filled with anticipation.

‘The serious version must be quite to the taste of Americans.’ My stoic image resonated with the American audience.

Uncle Kim Il shook his head and couldn’t help but say a word because the reaction was so dramatic.

“It’s already like this, so the future is going to be a big deal. I heard that American fans are so aggressive that Asian extreme fans are nothing compared to them.” He was worried about the potential for obsessive fans.

Uncle Kim Il’s worries were not in vain. The attention was already intense.

There were already more than a dozen paparazzi following us. The media frenzy had begun.

Thanks to the large-scale security team that we had invested a lot of money in, it was relatively quiet, but if that wasn’t the case, all kinds of photos would have been splashed across the media. Our security was essential.

The silence was broken by Kelly, who had regained her senses. She was back on track.

“……I’m sorry. But I think everyone here will understand. How can you think of anything else when you see YC’s smiling face?” She joked about my captivating smile.

She said that and then told everyone a surprising story. A major announcement was coming.

“That’s why I’m really looking forward to it. Tonight, there will be a performance by YC & MABIN that everyone is waiting for.”

-Wowwwwwww!-

Everyone in the studio cheered at her words. The excitement was palpable.

Not only the fans, but all the performers who were invited to this event applauded and cheered. Even the biggest stars were eager to see our performance.

This is because it is the first performance of Painkiller, which is causing a huge sensation on Billboard right now. The world was waiting for this moment.

Among the performers on the screen, even the legends who hadn’t been heard from in a long time were clapping with expectant expressions. Our performance was a must-see event.

‘Would it be an overstatement to think that those people came to this event to see this performance?’ The thought crossed my mind.

But it was hard to say no, as the appearance of the legends who hadn’t even talked about a comeback was questionable. Their presence added to the mystique.

In the award process that began in earnest, we won awards in two categories. We were being recognized for our achievements.

“The winner of the Top Social Artist award is Black Tiger! Congratulations.”

“The winner of the ‘Top Duo/Group’ Artist award is Black Tiger! Congratulations.”

To be honest, these two awards that we received earlier were so difficult to receive that I wondered how we received them. The competition was fierce.

The Top Social Artist award is given to those who are hot in areas such as SNS [Social Networking Services]. It’s a measure of online influence.

In fact, it would have been difficult to receive the award if it hadn’t been for the Ice Bucket Challenge using brilliant struggle, as the other candidates were very strong. That challenge had significantly boosted our visibility.

Justin, who has been active on YouTube since he was a child and has built up his recognition, and Ari, who has absolute support from young people through a teen TV show, are social artists who would not have been able to compete with us under normal circumstances. They were social media powerhouses.

However, Black Tiger became the winner, beating them out. We had defied the odds.

The candidates for the ‘Top Duo/Group’ award were also formidable. The competition was stiff.

From an alternative rock band that has been receiving absolute support for a long time since 10 years ago, to a team that has been writing legends from the underground, to a team that swept the hip-hop market last year. All were deserving contenders.

In fact, it wouldn’t have been strange if any of them had received the award, but we still received this award. We had surpassed expectations.

This happened because their popularity is on the decline, while we are still on the rise. Our momentum was undeniable.

In short, the timing was right. We were riding a wave of success.

“Then I’ll go.”

-Nod nod-

I barely held back my laughter at the sight of my uncles, who were nodding silently with their eyes swollen with tears behind their sunglasses, and got up. They were overcome with emotion.

Marvin had already gone to the stage to prepare for the performance. He was getting ready to make history.

Originally, I should have been there with him, but since I was the only one who could properly deliver Black Tiger’s acceptance speech, I had no choice but to stay here until now. My responsibilities kept me here.

But now that we had received all the awards, there was no need to stay here any longer. It was time to join Marvin.

* * *

-Doo doo doo doo!-

-Ta ta ta ta!-

After the last rehearsal of the Painkiller stage, Youngchan and Marvin looked at each other and smiled silently. They were ready to unleash their performance on the world.

“I feel like I want to record it again.” Youngchan was a perfectionist.

“Hahaha!”

Marvin burst out laughing at Youngchan’s sincere joke. He understood the desire for perfection.

He was also a producer, so he understood Youngchan’s feelings all too well. They shared a common passion for music.