Chapter 501
Chapter 501
Spacer, with a comfortable concept like T-Holic.
Iter, with an intense concept like TeSTAR.
Articles about these look-alike junior groups from swapped agencies cropped up like mushrooms after rain, serving as perfect fuel for social media and online communities.
The articles were provocative, even if the points they made were easy to refute.
Because of that, so many people wanted to chime in that the "aggro" was successfully drawn.
At a glance, it might have seemed like both junior groups were on equal footing, but in reality, there was a decisive difference.
It was a matter of whether a group had a demographic that felt a fierce sense of animosity toward them.
For the record, the latter was Spacer.
The position Spacer took this time resembled T-Holic’s concept from their early-to-mid debut days.
In other words, it was a story from over ten years ago.
Furthermore, since T-Holic had already passed their prime and shifted their positioning, there was no reason for them to be directly compared as contemporaries.
If anything, because the quality was decent, it evoked a strange sense of nostalgia, allowing Spacer to enjoy a promotional boost.
But what about Iter?
The senior idols the articles claimed they were "succeeding" were TeSTAR.
The idols who swept the Grand Prizes last year. The idols currently in their prime, having just hit a career high in album sales a month or two ago.
To claim that a group with less than half the buzz was "succeeding" a living, breathing powerhouse was preposterous.
Park Moon-dae smiled as he scrolled through his smartphone.
‘Besides, the fans have already been talking about how Iter is similar to TeSTAR.’
Now that a "normal" comparison group like Spacer had appeared, the general public was starting to notice it too.
Of course, the articles didn't explicitly claim that Iter was benchmarking and copying TeSTAR’s concept.
They simply stated, quite cleanly, that the two groups were following the paths of their respective senior idols.
‘It shouldn't be too blatant.’
It was a calculated choice to avoid giving off the nuance that TeSTAR or Spacer’s side was manipulating public opinion.
However, even with such precautions, there was no way to suppress the inevitable ridicule and controversy.
Whether it was Spacer or Iter, neither could dare to compare their results to the senior idols being mentioned.
And this was where the flow of public opinion shifted slightly.
People began to appear who compared Spacer and Iter, since they were now in similar positions.
‘They’re trying to see which one is better, at the very least.’
The psychological urge to rank them, to see which rising star had more potential!
The "VS" game.
It was an eternally entertaining fantasy.
And naturally, based on average performance so far, it was Iter’s victory by decision.
The problem was that as these arguments went back and forth, the narrative tended to become extreme, provocative, and aggressive.
For example, like this!
The moment the logic took a leap and became an exaggeration...
It became prey.
Ridicule poured in.
It was different from when they were first mentioned alongside TeSTAR at debut, positioning themselves as rivals or dark horse rising stars.
This wasn't about "Are they fighting TeSTAR?"
It was "Have they succeeded TeSTAR?"
When framed that way, the evaluation criteria became incredibly strict.
Because the benchmark became doing as well as TeSTAR!
A top-tier group with insane recognition that sells millions of albums, tops the digital charts, and takes first place in "Idol of the Year" polls!
In the end, those trying to defend Iter had no choice but to retreat.
Iter fans were now the ones leading the charge, claiming that "TeSTAR and Iter are different."
They had to draw a line.
Of course, beneath the surface, it looked like this:
Regardless, public opinion seemed to be managed, and the situation appeared to be calming down.
Furthermore, as other controversies erupted and a few days passed, the topic slowly began to fade.
But the following week.
When Iter’s new music video was released, gasoline was poured onto the embers once again.
Because now, even the general public could see the blatant references.
TeSTAR!
The night we returned to Korea after finishing the first leg of our tour.
I sat at the dining table in the dorm and logged onto WeTube.
Iter’s new song, Shut Out, was playing as a promotional ad.
[Shoot it out wildly, Yes BAMM
You can't catch me]
It had a sophisticated Oriental vibe, the choreography was cool, and the visual aesthetics were great.
They had produced something decent again.
However.
‘Your cover’s blown, you punks.’
Once a "similarity" frame is established, people will find similarities even if they have to look for them.
But these guys actually did benchmark TeSTAR, so it was bound to be obvious.
The Four Guardian Gods concept, the camera work, the album photos, the outfits, and the choreography—the similarities were overflowing.
Because of this, the "wreckers" came out in full force.
[Wonder Hall copies idols from another agency instead of their own legend, T-Holic]
[Big agency rookie boy group’s lack of originality exposed]
Haven't you seen it? When a celebrity starts getting hate, even trivial facts from the past that weren't an issue before get brought back into the spotlight to be criticized.
This was a similar phenomenon.
Even their previous album was being analyzed under a microscope.
Right. That’s a point that needs to be made.
I nodded and popped the tab of the can I was holding.
Clack.
It was my first beer in nearly a week.
Since the reason was a celebratory toast, it was well worth drinking.
Gulp, gulp.
The carbonation slid down my throat. Talk about refreshing.
‘This is it.’
I set the wheat beer can down with a smirk.
For the record, Spacer also saw some reflected benefits in this mess.
[Succeeding T-Holic? A 5-minute summary of why Spacer’s new song is causing such a stir.]
Since the wreckers were latching onto it and causing a controversy, it turned into viral marketing.
As a result, their digital chart ranking rose even higher.
I heard that at the time, whether they were getting hate or not, the Spacer members were crying and snotting all over the place with joy. They even cried when they took first place on a music show.
Honestly, I was satisfied with this.
‘I gave Wonder Hall a good blow, so that’s enough.’
It meant that since everything had gone according to plan and the company’s finances were secured through Spacer’s success, I was planning to wash my hands of it.
To be fair, the Iter rookies probably just worked hard and debuted. As time passed, the people who were attacking them would eventually realize that.
Like this:
So, I had to end it while the agency, which was actually at fault, was the main target of the hate.
‘It’s true, after all. What would a bunch of kids who just debuted even know?’
As long as the agency got smacked in the head and changed their course to avoid being associated with TeSTAR anymore, that was enough.
I was going to end it there, just replying to Kwon Hee-seung’s text. Truly.
But... unexpected fire support suddenly arrived.
"...Whew."
Just look at this WeTube video.
[These kids are the MZ version of us...? We’re MZ generation too! (Fire emoji) <T-Holic's Show Business> Clip]
That’s right.
T-Holic themselves had actually mentioned Spacer on their variety show....
And they said it with a very positive nuance.
‘I wondered if they’d gone crazy.’
But I soon thought of a logical reason and checked.
That meant yes.
It turned out T-Holic had exactly three months left until their contract renewal.
In short, they were throwing a little parting shade on their way out.
‘They must have been through a lot of shit...’
Considering how Wonder Hall invested a fortune into Iter and even created a dedicated planning team for them while changing their direction, T-Holic must have had plenty of reasons to be frustrated during their decline.
It had been quite a while since the T-Holic members’ schedules shifted toward individual activities. They would likely sign with the agencies they wanted and only come together for group activities.
‘That’s not a bad ending either.’
I nodded.
In fact, those guys had even contacted us.
[T-Holic Ha Jin-tae sunbaenim: Moon-dae-ssi, do you want to appear on our variety show again? lol. We can even have all the artists from your agency appear together!]
"......"
Honestly, I don't know if they should be going that far.
‘Won’t Wonder Hall try to kill you guys?’
I don't know what they’re thinking, doing this when the agency might leak dating rumors or club stories to tank their market value or as revenge.
They must have something up their sleeve... but anyway.
"I'll pass."
A group appearance with the whole agency? What kind of mess were they trying to make... We already have too much to do here.
‘The groundwork is already finished.’
Suppressing Iter was just the first step.
Now, even if those guys tried something like a simultaneous release with TeSTAR, as long as they didn't beat us in every single aspect, it would always result in them "falling short of expectations."
Because the "VS TeSTAR" frame was gone, replaced by the "TeSTAR Succession" frame.
Iter would be compared to Spacer, not us, based on "how successfully they emulated their senior idols."
All while they could no longer use blatant benchmarking to pull references from us.
‘Good luck.’
I’m curious to see how those competent bastards at Wonder Hall will navigate this hellish difficulty.
‘Well, even if it’s not right away, an escape route will naturally appear over time.’
I hate to admit it, but Wonder Hall is such a competent agency that they won't let it slip.
And they might even use this moment of being hated as part of the group’s narrative... but,
‘It’ll take at least a year to do it naturally.’
By then, we plan to be at a level where you can't even touch us.
Besides, since T-Holic came out like this... well, it might take even longer for public opinion to rebound.
I shrugged.
Anyway, so what was TeSTAR planning to do after clearing Iter out of the way? I should start with this story.
As everyone knows, TeSTAR had a certain nickname.
It was meant sarcastically, but it was also a plain statement of fact.
Since we debuted through a survival program pushed by T1, we received full support from their broadcasting affiliates.
But now, we were in a state no different from being disowned.
It meant that whether we were "sons" or not, we wouldn't even get a drop of soup.
‘In fact, we’re in an awkward position where we aren't attached to any broadcasting platform.’
The LeTi platform? That’s still in its early stages, and they already have their direct descendant. VTIC.
So.
‘It’s time for us to find a new family too.’
I checked the message from the management staff at our agency.
I didn't appear on that old-fashioned MBS program with Cheong-ryeo for nothing.
‘It was all to build connections.’
That was the deal I made with him.
Now, nothing is holding us back.
‘The Sons of Public Broadcasting.’
Let’s give that a try.