Plastic Nostalgia Leaps into the Charts
EP Plastic Nostalgia, with its rough sketches painted in colors that didn't quite match—a sunset hill where a colorless girl in a school uniform gazes at the sky. A running turtle and a swimming whale. A sky with both night and sun coexisting. It captured the restless emotions of kids just escaping puberty, trying to embrace a positive future (or at least that's what the artist claimed)... This was the album art for Group Sound's first EP.
Most tracks blended pop and J-Rock. But it wasn't chasing the current Japanese music trends. Each song had its own subtle genre, but the overall vibe was consistent. Five tracks in total. The pre-release single Ashen Days. Then Sternstunde, which had earned praise from active musicians. I Wish Someone Would Buy Me Some Meat, quietly singing the joys of everyday life. Exposed Fingers, weaving through elusive, restless emotions. And the title track Leaping Over That Street, a world apart from the pre-release in vibe.
If Ashen Days whispered something like an inexpressible longing for the past, Leaping Over That Street was a bubbly, cute, ticklish love song. While Ashen Days and the others nailed the tastes of critics, indie fans, and hipsters... making Leaping Over That Street the title track was a bold bid to reach the mainstream too. And that bold move paid off handsomely.
At first, their songs lingered like those from an ordinary indie band no one noticed—stuck outside the charts. Fans tried hyping them up: "Our girls' song is so good!!" Listeners would go, "Wow, nice~" but there was no sign of real buzz. But bit by bit, oh so gradually... people hit like. Someone tweeted, This track slaps~ First time hearing this band, newbies right? or posted stories. Others shared it further. They popped up in playlists from small YouTubers, then bigger ones picked them up... and it snowballed.
Like that, they started quietly heating up corners of the internet communities.
"Eat your rice."
At her mother's words, Hyeona stopped mid-piano phrase. She unplugged the AUX speaker, slipped on her headphones for evening practice, and stood.
The meal proceeded in silence. Hyeona chewed wordlessly. With band practice scaled back since the EP dropped, now was the time to grind for college entrance prep.
"Hyeona."
"Yes?"
Lost in aggressive rice-shoveling thoughts, Hyeona looked up as her mother spoke.
"That... band thing. You gonna keep doing it? It's time to get serious about entrance exams."
Hyeona thought, Here it comes. For months last year, she'd justified band as "good for exams." Lately, just mumbling, "I'll quit when it's time." She hadn't decided her path yet (truth be told, she wanted both), but to Mom, it was irrelevant to exams. Years of prep from elementary through high school—you couldn't toss it for a hobby.
"I'll quit when it's time."
"How many times have we had this talk? I think it's really time to stop now."
"It's still fine."
"Jeong Hyeona. Are you seriously—?"
Voices rising gradually. But just before faces flushed, a deep voice cut in low.
"...I think keeping it up is fine."
"Why?"
Mom shot back, caught off-guard. Dad showed his phone instead.
Melon Daily Chart
Rock/Metal Genre: #96
Leaping Over That Street(Group Sound)
"Asked some young folks today—they said it's super tough for a rookie band to chart. But they did it anyway? Shows real talent, right?"
"Still, she's prepped for years..."
Her tone softened a bit. Hyeona held back from begging approval, waiting on Dad.
"In the end, shouldn't it go whichever way Hyeona wants? And like I've said before... honestly, making a living off piano ain't easy."
"Then band makes it easy?"
"That'll be tough too, but she's already proven it. Chart entry. Isn't that reassuring enough?"
As her parents talked, Hyeona sighed inwardly in relief. No clue how it'd play out next, but it felt headed positive.
Melon daily Rock/Metal chart: #82. No telling tomorrow's score, but #82 was the peak so far. No overall chart entry, but for a band not even major-debuted (by Japanese standards), hitting the daily was unprecedented success.
Myeongjeon set her guitar on the subway floor, straightened her turtle-neck posture, and peered at her phone.
Hyeona's idea nailed it...
Originally, she'd pushed Sternstunde as title. Ashen Days was somewhat mainstream (she thought), so title needed indie appeal. But Hyeona disagreed.
"To aim for success, we need a more mainstream title track."
Myeongjeon resisted at first—indie-level "mainstream" was pointless. But after persistent pitches, "Fine, let's try it." And results were solid.
Never thought about playlists...
She figured she'd caught up on modern tech, but still gaps. How could an old-timer grasp why a "solo-listen good" song blew up as "playlist-friendly neutral bop" without living it? Even experiencing it barely clicked. She checked her stop—time to get off.
"Long time no see."
"Oh~ Hey, hitmaker."
Studio 20 minutes early. Junhong was there, guitar aside, on his phone. Myeongjeon nodded politely. Bowing to a much younger junior felt weird at first, but now it was normal.
Plus this guy's...
Combined with "Seo Myeongjeon" era, her career dwarfed his. But as "Ha Suyeon," just a year into guitar, less into sessions... Not only subbing for peers, he'd shoved her to rhythm and taken lead. And without complaint? Miraculous. She'd have raged.
"Good chart showing."
"Thanks. Hoped for overall, but no dice."
"Nah, overall's impossible. Daily entry alone is huge. What's even on overall rock? Like four? Pure band tracks? Way less."
Junhong pulled out his beat-up phone, fiddled, missed, pocketed it.
"Korea's charts don't handle albums well like US or Japan. Hard to track EP sales. Streams won't pay much either."
"I know."
"Good if you do. Bands all start rough... Echo Sound's indie-famous, can't touch majors. Expect 1-2 years grinding indie."
Myeongjeon nodded—no need to reply, she knew. But to Junhong, she looked like a kid hit by harsh reality post-hype.
"Don't be so down. Got good news too."
"Good news...?"
Incomprehensible from him. As Myeongjeon puzzled, people trickled in.
"Oh, Suyeon! Long time. First since then?"
Today's client: Pioneer judge, Taylor'd leader, now solo-bound Kim Cheol-yeon.
"Lead guitar done for today! Short break, then other instruments."
Studio speaker relayed from control room. Myeongjeon bowed, grabbed her guitar, exited.
"Seriously, how do you shred like that? Secret trick?"
"Just practice."
Myeongjeon answered matter-of-factly. Barring body-swaps, what else? Geniuses all bled from fingers practicing. Her too.
"That ending—Smiths vibe?"
"Telly reminded me."
Jangle sound masters? Half name Johnny Marr of The Smiths. He used Tele early; she'd brought one per Cheol-yeon's request, it clicked.
"Wasn't intentional. But yeah, better tone than expected. Recorded fast too."
Cheol-yeon muttered, paused, then:
"Remember that Pioneer mess?"
Myeongjeon nodded.
"Checked later—our judgment was hasty. Should've dug deeper. Institutions, us... bias blinds you."
"Understood."
He eyed her complexly.
"So, we're headlining a festival. Wanna join the stage?"