Chapter 154
Chapter 154
TeSTAR’s upcoming album was naturally met with overflowing expectations from fans, but at the same time, it also faced concerns from some.
It was because of the announcement of solo tracks for each member.
Of course, the digital chart performance of a solo song didn't directly represent a member's individual popularity. Since the songs were released as part of one album under the group's name, the rankings would ultimately be determined by the song's public appeal.
However, given the nature of a group born from a survival show, it was inevitable that people would treat the "TeSTAR members' individual chart results" like a real-time scoreboard.
While those slight concerns grew amidst the swelling anticipation, TeSTAR’s teaser was announced. It was a video premiere notification using WeTube’s "Premiere" function. This meant the video would be released exactly one day later.
[TeSTAR ‘Haengcha (present)’ Official Teaser]
A thumbnail with very little information—an arrow stuck in a tree in a dark forest—appeared with it. Since it didn't spark much interest, people were lukewarm.
However, the situation changed completely once people checked the video information. The length of the video was a staggering 8 minutes and 12 seconds.
K-pop music video teasers were usually short, under a minute. Eight minutes was exceptionally long. Of course, being long wasn't necessarily a fatal flaw. Teasers these days served more to satisfy fan expectations than for actual promotion anyway.
Still, some fans who cared about the group's performance expressed disappointment. Since few people besides fans would watch a teaser to begin with, an 8-minute runtime was bound to lower the view count.
Moreover, with their appearance on an American program going well and the expectation of a new influx of international K-pop fans, they had wanted to see clear indicators of success quickly.
Of course, since they couldn't let anything dampen the mood right before a comeback, fans pushed a positive atmosphere on public communities and social media.
Hoping that this anticipation wouldn't cool down the moment the teaser was released, fans waited anxiously.
And on the day of the release.
The people waiting for the premiere in the teaser video’s real-time chat were collectively stunned.
As the fans had guessed, the teaser was a full-blown historical concept. However, the roles the members played were not human.
The video began with a massive palace, drawing the viewer inside as if sucking them in. It turned corner after corner before opening a set of sliding paper doors. It was a library filled with books.
The camera followed one old, antique book that had fallen open on the floor. Inside, a single arm rising out of the sea was roughly drawn in ink wash style.
At that moment, the video transitioned to an actual beach.
Splash.
The screen plunged into the sea in an instant, revealing a figure lying on a massive rock beneath the water. It was the blonde Seon A-hyun, loosely draped in a white dopo.
Sunlight rippled through the blue seawater onto his pale face. It was a beautiful yet eerie sight. At the bottom, white subtitles appeared in an elegant, archaic font.
[Breath]
It was a track title from the revealed tracklist.
Then, along with the poignant sound of a gayageum, Seon A-hyun’s solo song began to play. At that moment, Seon A-hyun rose and began a slow dance underwater. It wasn't a set choreography for the song, but simply beautiful movement. His hair and robe traced elegant lines in the water.
People were in awe. And they thought, ‘So Seon A-hyun’s solo song is the intro!’
But as soon as the beautiful underwater performance ended, the camera met Seon A-hyun’s eyes amidst the bubbles and shot back up out of the sea. It then approached a strange circular pattern drawn in mother-of-pearl on the sandy beach.
In the dim light of dusk, a figure huddled inside the pattern straightened up. It was Cha Yu-jin, covering his mouth with one hand. On his cheeks, collarbone, and the back of his hand, archaic Korean script glowed like multi-colored mother-of-pearl.
Tididing, ting-ting, tiding!
Along with the sound of a kkwaenggwari, a new song with an intense beat began.
[Rhythm]
It was Cha Yu-jin’s solo song.
The real-time comment section exploded with a mix of reactions to Cha Yu-jin’s performance and strong theories about the current situation. And their theories were correct.
In this manner, all the members' solo songs were introduced one after another.
Following Cha Yu-jin, a blindfolded Bae Se-jin sat perched on an old tree, singing a ballad melody. The subtle sound of a pyeonjong was added to the track.
Then, the video’s perspective entered a cave in the forest, illuminating Kim Rae-bin, who used lantern light like neon. Kim Rae-bin’s solo song was a Future Bass track featuring the saenghwang as the main instrument.
After that, the camera emerged from the cave and headed toward a weathered thatched house on one side of the forest. Amidst strangely colored fabrics wrapped incongruously around the rotting paper doors of the house...
Park Moon-dae was sitting on the wooden porch. And the already familiar sogeum melody of "Flower Dark Moon" rang out.
Finally, the video returned to a lavish palace that contrasted with the thatched house. In the center of it, Lee Se-jin, wearing a waist ornament that looked like a giant tail, performed an acrobatic dance to the beat of a drum. It was a cheerful, easy-listening track.
Naturally, the fans were overjoyed.
However, after Lee Se-jin’s dance ended and he turned with a smirk to disappear into the palace, the screen went black.
Just as fans were getting flustered, wondering if one member was left out and if they weren't going to show the title track at all, the screen flickered back on, making them sigh in relief.
But the screen showed Seon A-hyun underwater again, accompanied by the gayageum sound used in his solo song.
It wasn't an error.
The Seon A-hyun on screen stared at the camera for a moment before vanishing, followed by a cut of Cha Yu-jin on the beach staring at the camera. Then came Bae Se-jin.
However, even as the people changed, the traditional instrument sounds playing in the background didn't disappear; they remained and continued to layer on top of each other.
The members each took a traditional instrument from their solo song's beat and melody. As those instruments were harmoniously added one by one, a new beat and melody began to take shape.
Finally, when the screen showed Lee Se-jin, the sound of the drum was added, and the song began to form a skeleton. The moment modern instruments filled the gaps...
The song suddenly stopped.
And on the screen... a hand appeared.
[…….]
A large, firm hand picked up the book that had fallen on the floor. It was the book from the very beginning, the one with the strange ink wash painting. The camera caught the spine of the book.
[Yokai Exploration Record]
"Shall we head out?"
The camera followed the hand up to reveal the owner of the arm. It was Ryu Cheong-woo, dressed in a cheollik.
Regardless of what the comment section screamed, the Ryu Cheong-woo in the video dusted off the book and tucked it away with a complex expression. Then, with clear eyes, he answered someone off-camera.
"I suppose we must."
As the camera captured Ryu Cheong-woo’s back as he turned and left the library, the melody exploded. Walking out past the walls, Ryu Cheong-woo pulled out a bow slung across his back and aimed into the forest. It was a traditional Korean bow, lacquered in black.
[Now, you have appeared
Warning, and warning again
Approaching in a figure-eight
Slow and thrilling]
The arrow flew with a sharp whistle and embedded itself deep into a massive bamboo tree.
[Me.]
The video ended by showing the arrow stuck in the tree. It was the thumbnail.
The members' solo songs connected to form the title track. And through the visuals, it hinted at the story of the music video. In a sense, it perfectly fulfilled the purpose of a teaser.
Moreover, the structure clearly showed that they had considered the organic completeness of the entire album. This point was made even clearer by the information intentionally added to the "Show More" section of the teaser video. It included the list of lyrics, composition, arrangement, and copyright holders for every track in the album.
Though the order varied, the names of various members were visible on every track. It was the same even for songs that weren't their own solos. And the fact that they chose to show all of this connected from the teaser felt like a clear statement of intent.
‘The songs in this album are collaborative works made as a group.’
It meant that even if popularity rankings based on fancam views might emerge later, they had pre-emptively provided a logic to defend against comparing individual performances for the album's tracks.
Most fans who liked the group as a whole or individual fans who weren't aggressive seemed satisfied. However, Ryu Cheong-woo’s fans had a complicated reaction. Looking at the end of the teaser, it seemed Ryu Cheong-woo was the center of the title track, but his solo song hadn't actually been introduced.
Arguments like "You're overreacting before the comeback even starts" and "Of course we're upset when his song didn't even appear in the teaser" were subtly exchanged.
Fortunately, before those could be screenshotted and displayed everywhere as "Controversial topics within the TeSTAR fandom," a post was uploaded to TeSTAR’s social media.
*
Hello, Loviewers. Did you enjoy the teaser?
I’ve been hearing throughout the process that my role in this promotion is significant, so I’m a bit nervous, but I hope you look forward to the album.
Ah, this is Ryu Cheong-woo. (Smiling emoticon)
*
It was a post with the nuance that there was no need to worry about Ryu Cheong-woo’s screentime.
"Will this be enough?"
"Yes."
"Hmm, it feels a bit arrogant."
"It’s not, so don't worry."
"Haha, alright. ...Thanks."
"...Don't mention it."
Ryu Cheong-woo smiled and turned off his smartphone. He didn't seem particularly bothered by the reactions. He knew they would subside once more content was released over time. Still, I thought it would be good to reassure them at this timing, so I suggested it.
‘That takes care of that.’
After confirming that the sentiment among Ryu Cheong-woo’s fans had settled into "let's just wait and see," I pulled up the articles I had been looking at earlier.
‘This is more concerning.’
It was an article about the group that included Gold 1.
[Monster Rookies Golden Age, Countdown to Comeback]
[Golden Age from <Aju-sa>, Will They Meet TeSTAR?]
[Turbulent August in the Music Industry... From TeSTAR to Golden Age]
In short, they were articles announcing that this group’s comeback happened to overlap with TeSTAR’s promotion period. Naturally, a certain scenario came to mind the moment I saw it.
‘Our debut.’
TeSTAR’s debut, which had launched at the same time as the immovable top-tier VTIC. This simultaneous promotion reminded me exactly of that setup.
‘Look at them.’
I clicked my tongue. Now I had a clear feeling.
The agency for these bastards is good at their job.