Chapter 54 Come and Go
ng the fans' emotions. Many fans who had come specifically to see them excitedly received the gifts, their hands trembling visibly."Happy New Year, everyone."Thank you everyone...In the end, the nine...On the morning of the 24th, **'s official SNS account first released the pre-release group poster for EXO's third single album "O".
This promotional poster uses the photos taken during the time when Ji Jingyuan and they filmed an MV wearing football uniforms.
In a locker room-like setting, nine members stand shoulder to shoulder in front of the camera. Their protective gear, including shoulder pads and jerseys, makes them look strong and powerful. The uniform deep blue baseball caps, coupled with the worn details on their clothes, give the impression that they just finished playing a game and walked off the field.
The blend of sporty and cool style is eye-catching. The two white incandescent lights on top are bright and radiant, but the back and surroundings are shrouded in dim darkness. The stark contrast between light and shadow in the composition creates a strong sense of depth and texture for this pictorial.
The center of the top of the cover is marked with artistic lettering, "EXO, 《O》, 《lht》", introducing and revealing that the title song for this release is 《lht》.
"Wow, this promotional poster is so cool!"
"It's another iconic jersey number, Yuan is 5, Sehun is 94, Suho is 01, I remember them all. Seeing this picture really makes me think back to 2013's "Growl". Could it be a similar style of song"
"A rugby jersey What does that mean, is it a new concept I'm really looking forward to it."
This promotional photo shoot is really well done, both in terms of lighting and composition. The football jersey also gives it a visual impact. After being released, it immediately caused fans who have been eagerly awaiting his return to leave comments. Most people think the photos are great and express their anticipation for his comeback next week.
Chi Jingyuan also thought the video was pretty good, but he didn't understand why the main song "lht" is styled to be lively and refreshing, while the lyrics tell a story about driving on a trip with someone you like, wandering through the universe at night. There isn't anything related to football in it at all. But the MV and promotional posters focus on football.
The only connection is that the MV and stage outfits are in an American school style, which is a bit of a stretch to go with the football uniforms.
But anyway, a magazine picture, as long as it's pretty and can promote things, that's enough.
After ** Entertainment released an announcement this morning, YG Entertainment followed suit at noon by releasing promotional posters for Big Bang's comeback.
This time's promotional poster for BIGBANG is minimalist in style, with a red background and black text. Five horizontal lines arranged neatly in the center showcase the main logo of this comeback. Below, in black artistic font, is written the group name "BIGBANG".
Although there are no member photos, it inexplicably gives off a sense of luxury that leaves their fans very satisfied, who have been raving about it.
At the same time, YG also consecutively sent out multiple announcements. Besides wishing for the successful opening of BIGBANG's world tour Seoul concerts on the 24th and 25th, it also explained BIGBANG's comeback mode once again, confirming that a single album will be released every month from May to August, and a regular album will be released in September.
Two major companies consecutively announced the return of the hottest two male groups, EXO and bigbang, and they chose the same day to make their announcements, one after another. This easy-to-perceive "waiting for you" sensation gives a sense of rivalry that deeply excites fans of both groups, igniting their anticipation, enthusiasm, and competitive spirit, while also drawing significant attention from the public.
The past two months of watching EXO felt kind of tiring, but finally things are getting interesting again. One is a second-generation group that was the hottest boy band before, and the other is a third-generation group that's the hottest now. Is this considered a passing of the torch between old and new A battle for the top spot among boy groups
"Support bigbang! I've been disliking EXO for a long time, it's time for the seniors to give the newcomers a good lesson."
"Why YG, a bunch of troublemakers and bad artists like Bigbang can still make a comeback Looking forward to EXO surpassing Bigbang and topping the charts!"
Fans rushed to the scene to cheer and engage in mutual tearing, while passersby watched and cheered, adding fuel to the fire at the same time. For a time, it was a chaotic uproar.
Besides, there's another news story that directly topped the trending topics today. This time it's not just in the music industry.
The host of the Baeksang Arts Awards, Sports Daily, announced the nominees for the 51st Baeksang Awards through media and official SNS accounts on the 24th. The list includes nominations for all awards categories in both film and television drama.
As one of the three most prestigious awards ceremonies in the film and television industry on the peninsula, and also the most valuable award for TV dramas, the list naturally attracts a lot of attention as soon as it is released.
Last year's blockbuster movies and TV shows were nominated for awards, piquing the interest of fans and casual viewers alike. Everyone started looking over the nomination lists for each award category, eager to see if their favorite films, TV shows, or actors had made the cut.
When there are results, they praise and boast. When there are none, they criticize and ridicule. This is the pattern every year.
But soon after the list was released, people discovered a surprising place about this year's Baeksang Television Awards nominations.
That is, the name 'Chi Jingyuan' appeared repeatedly in the list of TV drama nominations, and at first glance, it was extremely eye-catching.
Idol-turned-actor Park Ji-hun, thanks to his phenomenal success in the hugely popular television drama "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" which aired in the latter half of last year and sparked widespread social interest, has been nominated for three major awards: Best Actor, Best New Actor, and Most Popular Actor.
You should know that besides the "Popularity Award" which is decided by fans, the first two awards are very prestigious. The "Newcomer Award" can only be won once by an actor. Moreover, especially the "Best Actor Award," this award is considered one of the highest honors for male actors in the peninsula drama industry, often referred to as "Emperor" by media and netizens. It's highly sought after every year. Besides occasionally being won by younger actors, it's mostly bagged by well-established senior actors.
The following two awards, "Popularity Award" and "Newcomer Award," can be overlooked, but the fact that Chi Jingyuan, born in 1994, was nominated for "Best Actor" at the age of 22 came as a real surprise, immediately sparking widespread discussion.
"Are you kidding me He's nominated for Best Actor at such a young age And he's an idol turned actor! What is the organizing committee doing Are they just trying to hype up the ratings by choosing someone as popular as Park Jeong-won"
"Come on, you guys need to be serious! Did you even watch the TV dramas last year Sure, he's a little younger, but it's totally normal for the male lead of "The Untamed" to be nominated. It was a huge hit!"
"Indeed, although 22 is a bit young, I think it's normal if he was selected based on Zhang Klai's role in "The Untamed". The TV series was well-made and influential, even changing the law. 池景源 (Ji Chengyuan) acted very well too, with full emotion, his expressions and eyes were all very convincing. He wasn't overshadowed by 李星民 (Li Xingmin) and several other powerful supporting actors. There are several scenes that I still remember vividly to this day, so objectively speaking, the nomination is definitely justified. If it was something like "The Heirs" – a shallow idol drama with no substance, just relying on looks – then it wouldn't work…"
And being nominated doesn't mean you'll win. The competition on the list is still very fierce. I think both Jo In-sung and Choi Seong are more likely to win, but I also think it would be acceptable for Park Kyung-hwan to win, after all, he's Jang Keun-suk.
"Ah ah, XO really did great! Yuan and both won the 'Popularity Award' and 'Rookie Award', they are so amazing! Oppa fighting! We will definitely vote for you!"
Besides Park Kyung-soo, DO also was nominated for two awards thanks to his role in last year's "It's Okay to Not Be Okay". The fact that both members were listed on the same list caused a flurry of excited cheers from fans.
Regardless of what Chi Jingyuan personally thinks or cares about, many people in the Peninsula entertainment circle still believe that actors have a higher "sense of presence" than idols. Fans don't really care whether they win the award in the end, as long as they are nominated, it's a good way to enhance their image and represents a successful transformation from idol to actor. Not to mention the many benefits it brings to the main person, even when arguing online with competitors, they will appear much more confident.
Lastly, Music Bank announced that Park Jun-seo and Yoon Bo-ra will be leaving today. The next episode will have new fixed MCs, and instead of revealing their names, they teased that this time the two fixed MCs are from the same company.
However, this news generated less discussion.
"Music Bank" already has a low viewership rating, and the MCs of music shows aren't usually that important. Many viewers tune in to watch their favorite idols and performances, and few people really care who the MC is. In fact, many people watching live find the MCs annoying and either ignore them, play on their phones, or switch channels.
Before, there weren't any singing programs that became popular or significantly increased viewership just because of their fixed MCs, so not many people paid attention to them.
Park Jun-seo and Paula have been fixed MCs for over a year, however, if you ask some KPOP fans now, they probably wouldn't even know that the current "Music Bank" is hosted by them.
However, some fans were curious about the modifier "same company" and made many guesses. Some even connected EXO and Red Velvet, though not many people believed it.
Today's hot topics are constantly changing, with one trending topic after another. It seems that the peninsula music scene, which was relatively quiet in late spring and summer, is becoming increasingly lively and diverse. It's no longer like in March or April when there were only a few popular voices.
……
Did you watch our press conference yesterday
As the days of preparation for their comeback and concert flew by, it was almost a week. On the 30th, at noon, EXO had just finished a promotional event for the ice cream brand BaskRobbs. They found a nearby restaurant to grab lunch before the food arrived, Ji-sung took out his phone to check the messages he hadn't replied to during the event earlier. Among them was one from Tzuyu.
Without even thinking, Chi Jingyuan replied "No."
Actually, he did look. Even though he was very busy yesterday, running around with many appointments and still recording "boywithlove" for the first time with Sun Shengwan in the evening, he still took some time to check it out.
Previously, there had been announcements and public disclosures made by all members, and JYP also held a press conference in collaboration with M on April 29th to announce the survival audition program for a female group, . At the conference, the concept and general process of the program were introduced, photos of all participating trainees were released, and it was finally announced that the show would officially air on M on May 5th.
The scene wasn't too big, as JYP's name drew quite a few reporters for interviews. Unfortunately, the response was mediocre and didn't create much buzz online.
"...(Scoffs)"
Zhou Tzuyu replied with an ellipsis and an emoji to express her dissatisfaction, but her dissatisfaction only lasted for a few dozen seconds. Soon after, she happily followed up with: "But after the press conference, it seems that there wasn't much discussion online. I even heard some people complain that these days the internet is full of your news, completely overshadowing the heat of 'Sixteen'."
Chi Jingyuan sipped water while reading the text message, understanding it in his heart.
From the 24th to now, ** and JYP have been releasing new news every day. EXO and bigbang have been promoting back and forth in various ways. It can be said that all the aspects and heat of the music industry this week have been occupied by these two groups.
On April 24th, ** unveiled the first-look poster for EXO's single album 《O》, and revealed that the title track is titled 《lht》. At the same time YG released the artwork, they reiterated their comeback plan, announcing a full-length album release in September.
On April 25th, ** opened the pre-order channel for "", and the influx of orders caused the webpage to freeze for an hour. Meanwhile, YG announced the versions and price for their first album "", which is set at KRW 12,000.
On the 26th, ** released the second title of 《O》, titled "Aiming Sniper", YG opened the pre-sale channel for 《M》, congratulated BIGBANG's world tour Seoul concert on its successful completion, and released a birthday illustration of BIGBANG member Kang Dae Sung.
On 27th, ** released the "lht" preview video, simultaneously unveiling the second version of promotional posters and XO's comeback stage date, while YGLIFE released bigbang's comeback countdown D-4 and D-3 teaser along with promotional posters, announcing the lyricist and composer information for the new song "LOSER".
On the 28th, ** announced that EXO will hold a celebration and return event for fans registered on the official EXO-L app exceeding 4 million users. YG also simultaneously announced that the fifth phase of BIGBANG's fancafe official recruitment has officially begun, and revealed the comeback stage date for BIGBANG.
On the 29th, ** uploaded the third version of promotional posters and revealed the lyrics and music information for the two included tracks in "O," namely “lht” and “Aiming at Orientation.” The latter, composed entirely by EXO’s Yuan, sparked considerable discussion. Meanwhile, YG released a D-1 countdown poster, announcing the lyrics and music information for the new song “BAEBAE,” and revealing that the music video is rated R-19, quickly topping the trending searches.
Two companies and two groups engaged in a fierce competition, each showcasing their prowess. Various materials and resources were constantly poured into the battle, stretching the front line for over a week. This left fans of both groups, as well as countless passersby, bewildered while also igniting a great sense of anticipation and attention. On entertainment hot searches, it soared to the top. Fan clubs and various forums buzzed with discussions about it.
Big Bang itself was once a top male group. Their unique musical style was loved by many people. Although they haven't made a comeback in the past two years, their members have been releasing solo albums one after another without interruption. While there are members like Lee Seung-hyun who haven't received much response, there are also solo artists like Kwon Ji-yong and Taeyang who have won major awards, keeping the heat going continuously.
This is their big comeback after nearly three years, they're putting on a world tour and releasing songs every month. Their momentum is huge, even though several members have various scandals, it hasn't affected fans and passersby's expectations of them.
While EXO is the most popular boy group in Korea and even Asia over the past two and a half years, their second year of debuting saw them sweep across the peninsula, achieving a million-selling record for the first time in many years, causing a sensation throughout the music industry. With a large fan base, strong combat power, and unwavering loyalty, the group also boasts extremely popular TOP members who have gone viral. In recent years, among the three generations of boy groups, this entire group stands out as unique and exceptional.
Although last year saw the group struggle with member dating scandals and consecutive departures, leading to a significant decline in reputation and an increase in fans leaving, their momentum was halted. However, this year's carefully planned monthly comeback, with releases like "E" and "X," has seemingly reversed the previous downturn and even surpassed expectations. This inevitably raises anticipation for their next two albums.
The collision of these two generations of top boy groups is currently the hottest topic. The fight between the eldest and second members has left the third and fourth members pitifully forgotten, leading to other artists who have returned to normal schedules and other entertainment news struggling to gain attention. Unless someone like Yoona senior takes a bold step and reveals a relationship or something similar, it's unlikely to draw any eyes.
It's been a while since Chi Jingyuan heard from his senior. He wonders if her TV drama has wrapped up filming.
As a result, yesterday's release event naturally didn't attract much attention.
Have you complained about it
At this time, the dishes had already been served by the waiter. Chi Jingyuan glanced at them and was about to end the conversation.
Of course, I didn't say it out loud… but there was a little bit of [it] in my heart, hehehe...
"Well, you're still complaining about us! I'm not talking to you anymore. (Goodbye)"
As soon as the message was sent, Ji Jingyuan immediately took back his phone and ignored the vibration coming from inside his pocket. He picked up his chopsticks and started eating with gusto.
After eating and drinking for a long time, everyone felt full and satisfied. Gradually, the members around started to chat more and more.
“The Big Bang’s debut stage is on ‘Inkigayo’ on the 3rd, isn't it because you're afraid that 'Music Bank', our turf, would be too much for you since you became the MC there” Woo Shi Hoon chuckled while wiping his mouth and looked at Ji Kyeong Won with a smirk.
Chi Jingyuan, who had eaten a bit too much and was just drinking some water, was rendered speechless by his words. He put down his glass and gave him a disdainful look: "How is that possible Are you an idiot Just being an MC doesn't make you the host! Besides, they are our seniors. When they returned and happened to run into us, we should have proactively visited them and presented them with albums. You even need to show proper respect when you meet them!"
"Haha, that kind of thing is exactly Suho oppa's going..."吳世勳看起來心情很好，被人罵一句也開心的笑了。
Kim Jun-myeon across from me looked pretty stressed, his brow furrowed and expression not good. “Don't be so optimistic,” he said, “We may not actually win this time.”
"Indeed." Chi Jingyuan took the wet tissue that Bian Bohan passed him, wiped his mouth, and nodded in agreement.
Bian Beran gave everyone a wet wipe. After hearing the discussion, he blinked and expressed his own opinion: "I think it's okay. 'Spring Day' now has such good sound source and word-of-mouth, and its popularity hasn't decreased much until now. There are many praises online.
Since the sound source comeback, "Spring Day" has dominated the Melon daily and weekly charts, taking home the Melon Weekly Chart crown that week. Even though XO didn't appear on stage for the final music show performances, it still achieved three number one spots. Although the subsequent heat subsided and it dropped from the top of the charts, it remains a staple on all major music charts, firmly holding a position in the top ten.
As more and more people give positive reviews, EXO's reputation in the music industry has also improved. Many of their previously released ballads have seen a significant increase in listening volume during this time, even songs like "Go With The Flow" and "Butterfly Girl," which had been off the charts for ages, have returned to the charts.
"That's enough."
Chi Jingyuan took out his phone to look at today's hot searches, and said with a sneer: "《lht》 is a pure dance track. I think it's impossible for the sound source to beat BIGBANG. Their fame and popularity are there. They rely on this to eat, and I even feel that the sound source performance of 《Orientation Sniper》 will be better than 《lht》."
Big Bang's overall appearance is average, and they were even called the "ugliest boy group" when they debuted. Over the years, they have also been involved in various scandals, but they still have so many fans and national recognition because their music quality is indeed good. Many people, even those who dislike or don't like them, will still listen to their songs. The large number of listeners accumulated over many years is a solid foundation that just reversed their reputation, something that EXO is struggling to achieve.
“Honestly, I think our title track for this album *O* is the most average out of all four singles. It's good, but it doesn't really stand out. If it were 'callbaby' or 'boywithlove', I think we would have a better chance. Plus, they're having their comeback after three years, so they'll be putting everything into it – the resources, the song choice – it's gonna be top-tier. Despite that, we’ve managed to keep up with them in terms of popularity, which is already amazing.” Kim Jun Myeon also nodded, bringing down the temperature for some members who had been getting a little carried away after two months of consecutive successes.
After listening to a few analyses, the previously lively and cheerful atmosphere diminished slightly. For a moment, even the most optimistic individuals fell silent.
"How about the sales" Kim Jong-dae asked with some concern after a while.
An idol group's achievements can be defined from many aspects, such as the number of attendees at a tour, endorsement fees, search index, and number of times they are mentioned. However, the most intuitive indicators are two: audio sources and sales volume.
"You can add one more YouTube click."
And all other aspects of performance are derived from these two indicators.
“Sales Sales are definitely our forte, they can't beat us in that department.”
As soon as he heard Chi Jingyuan's name, Yi laughed. After seeing everyone finish their meal and prepare to leave, he stood up while saying, " , he put on the single-shoulder bag that was placed on the stool beside him. The sunlight streaming in from the window shone on his face, making it a little dazzling and covering his eyes. He shook his head and chuckled softly, casually adding:
"Nobody can beat us."
…………
Half a day passed quickly, and it was almost midnight. At this time, one didn't know how many fans of Alice or .P, even the long-awaited audience, had taken out their phones or sat in front of their computers, waiting for the hour hand to reach zero, which was the moment when the EXO and Big Bang groups would simultaneously release their new music.
(The End)
First published on the Traditional Chinese Novels Websiteit will be included in the behind-the-scenes footage of EXO's second regular album release.Chi Jingyuan briefly organized his language, glanced at the paused big screen, and said after a sip of water:...