Chapter 100
Chapter 100
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 101
Chapter Title: Budokan Invitation
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Before long, Yeonwoo had released a total of 24 songs, including those in Japan.
Out of them, 13 had charted in the top 10 on major music platforms, and every single title track had claimed the number one spot without fail.
All of this had been achieved in just a year and a half. There probably wasn't another composer who had reached this level of success in such a short time.
In truth, it was an absurd track record.
The very idea that one person could produce over twenty songs of diverse styles and high quality, all worthy of the popularity charts, in such a brief period.
The realm of creation was that painful...
- Shut up, you fake composers lurking around the composer gallery out of boredom.
- For real lololol That 7-year-old kid Yuin put out twenty completely different songs in a year and a half, and here you hacks are copying chords and copy-pasting. What do you know about the pain of creation? lololol
- And what makes you different, saying that?
- Yeah, same here lolol But I don't go around badmouthing Yuin from behind like some worm whining about the pain of creation.
- Have you ever seen me trash Yuin? Or talk about the pain of creation? Don't make stuff up --
- lololololol Just search your IP and it's all there lololol Not using VPN and living honestly is your charm, huh?
- For real, anyone gallerying without IP spoofing? Impressive lololol
- And this guy's daily Yuin hate and jealousy lololol Pain of creation bullshit lolol
- But real geniuses are on another level...
- That's why I quit being a composer. Still wanna taste the entertainment world, so thinking of becoming a manager...
- Might be the smart move lololol
...Truly painful.
However, there was some cynical atmosphere in certain corners.
In any case, Yuin's value only continued to rise with all this.
- The composer gallery's gallery lord is Yuin now.
- Isn't that obvious?
- The popular music gallery next door has Yuin as gallery lord too?
- Producer gallery's Yuin as well lolol
- Isn't Yuin just the community lord for all music boards?
- I even joined the fan cafe lol
- Can you survive there?
- Isn't that place just for sucking Yuin's face?
- For real, heaven for fanboys.
- Yuin is handsome, yeah.
- Is he really?
- You don't look in the mirror?
- Nah... he's pretty ;;;
- Yeah, he is.
Every music community started with Yuin and ended with Yuin.
Was it just here? No.
Due to the string of successes, places reaching out to somehow get a song or production from Yuin were piling up.
But Yeonwoo didn't work with or give songs to just anyone.
For one, he was busy taking care of his own label's artists, from the label to headquarters.
Most importantly, there was no one who gave him that "Ah, I have to give a song to this person" feeling, like Kim Beomsin or Lee Si-eun.
Thinking about it, the only people Yeonwoo had wanted to give songs to were Kim Beomsin and Lee Si-eun.
Among them, Kim Beomsin was the most perfect.
Unlike Lee Si-eun with her one-tool voice, he combined voice and vocal ability seamlessly—the singer closest to a complete package by Yeonwoo's standards.
That's why he was targeting the Melboard charts with him. With country music, no less.
In Korea, country music was notoriously the least recognized genre, but America was different.
Unlike other genres fading into obsolescence with age, country music retained its traditional essence while also transforming into a sleek, modern form through young artists' innovations.
It had evolved further as black and Latin artists joined what was once almost exclusively white territory.
There was no law saying an Asian, a Korean, couldn't sing it.
Yeonwoo had listened to country music, received fairy guidance on chord progressions like royal roads, and created several samples.
Starting from traditional regional country, he made modern styles too, and now prepared his own country music.
What he focused on here was making it fresh without feeling too alien and causing rejection.
Examining Japan and America, Yeonwoo realized these people were more conservative than expected.
Of course, they had a tendency to embrace the new, but they resisted outsiders drastically innovating their established culture.
No, was it like that everywhere?
Anyway, Yeonwoo composed accordingly.
The song delivered that way was set for Kim Beomsin to release in September.
"Hey, Sangcheol. You think we can drop this song now?"
"...Wouldn't it be better to hold off a bit?"
"You think so too?"
"Yeah."
Kim Beomsin irritably scratched his head.
"Whoa, easy there. Hyung's got an age, you know. Treat that hair right or it'll all fall out."
"No, what the hell is up with that Yoo Jaehyeok bastard? You saw the video, right?"
Park Sangcheol nodded at Kim Beomsin's words.
A video where he unleashed insane high notes past four octaves—not with shouting technique, but a beastly roar.
That video had already hit 3 million views and was being hailed as a legendary stage.
Honestly, it couldn't be helped.
Park Sangcheol, who had rolled in this industry so long that stages barely moved him anymore, got chills.
Kim Beomsin was no different.
Once shoulder-to-shoulder as one of the Four Heavenly Kings, Kim Beomsin had prided himself that Yoo Jaehyeok just yelled while he couldn't touch him—but he had to admit it after that stage.
The reborn Yoo Jaehyeok was, bluntly put, insane.
It wasn't just high notes or technique. The aura dominating the stage, the emotional delivery—even better than before.
"Invincible fever will rage for a while, so we gotta delay."
He sounded calm, but Kim Beomsin trembled his legs in his seat.
After returning to the stage with Cold Night, memories of his youthful stage days flooded back, leaving him craving the stage nonstop.
He wanted to rock out on stage singing his heart. It was thirst, withdrawal symptoms.
"Ugh, itchy, so itchy."
"Go wash up and come back, hyung."
"No, that's not what I..."
"No wonder your cologne was stinging my nose... Tsk."
Kim Beomsin was speechless.
* * *
"You gave Uncle Kim Beomsin a song, so why isn't he releasing it?"
-Who knows?
"Please ask him, Aunt."
-Okay, got it.
After finishing a call with his aunt in a while, Yeonwoo tilted his head.
He needed to enter the U.S., so why wasn't he starting activities?
Yeonwoo, unaware of Kim Beomsin's circumstances, couldn't understand.
Originally, per Yeonwoo's plan, while Kim Beomsin started activities, he'd finish the Power Rangers movie music direction, produce Yuri & Annosuke's new single, watch Chae Hayeon's activities, then return home.
Unexpectedly, Chae Hayeon released a new album first with a Japanese version and started promotions, followed by Yuri & Annosuke's new single.
Yuri & Annosuke's first single 'Let's Take This Road Today' depicted teens' commute to and from school.
A story of finding a new path amid daily routine, with lyrics by Yuri and Annosuke metaphorically capturing teens' wandering fears of the future.
It seemed mismatched for city pop, but surprisingly fit perfectly.
They rode this to continue their popularity post-debut album.
In a historic moment where Yuri & Annosuke and Chae Hayeon both entered the top 10 of Melboard Japan Hot 100, JOP bundled the two for a Japan touring small theater show.
Starting in Okinawa, Fukuoka in Kyushu, Hiroshima in Chugoku, Osaka in Kansai, Nagoya in Chubu, Tokyo in Kanto, and Sapporo in Hokkaido—a total of 7 major cities.
"[If you do more activities, Budokan isn't a dream.]"
Nanase, overseeing the project, consoled Chae Hayeon, Yuri, and Annosuke with lingering regret.
The three were thrilled just to perform, but Nanase thought with more songs, Budokan (Nippon Budokan, known as Japanese singers' dream stage), arena, or dome tours were feasible.
That's how fierce their momentum was lately.
Hadas was the same.
Overturning Korea's idol ecosystem, this rookie had climbed to top-tier idol status and was popular in Japan too.
If they had even a few more songs, distributor JOP could've teamed with BSK for profitable shows.
Viewed that way, Yeonwoo was amazing anew.
Hadn't he made three rookie teams this famous in such short time?
"[Oh, we got a proposal for Yuin-kun too.]"
"[What proposal?]"
"[From Uesugi-san.]"
"[Aunt Himari?]"
Nanase nodded and said.
"[Nanase-san is planning a final Budokan show after returning from U.S. tour. She proposed a joint performance.]"
"[Aunt Himari didn't mention it?]"
"[Probably due to time difference and Yuin-kun's busyness, she talked to the company first. Expect direct contact soon.]"
"[Ah, okay.]"
Yeonwoo nodded, pondered briefly, then said.
"[Does Budokan hold a lot of people?]"
"[Around 17,000 seats. With Himari-san, it'll sell out, so about 17,000 audience.]"
Yeonwoo recalled the rock festival. He'd thought that was crowded, but Budokan was over ten times that.
Thinking of that fantastical stage from the festival made him want to stand on one too.
Audiences watching his performance, blue, yellow, red lights from the fairies.
Just imagining it excited him already.
"[I wanna do it!]"
Yeonwoo shot his hand up without hesitation.
Nanase smiled and nodded.
"[Got it, we'll prepare.]"
"[I'll talk to Aunt Himari!]"
"[Please do.]"
Yeonwoo bounced in excitement.
What to play with Aunt Himari? Ramen? Eel? Probably Mama, the joint piece.
Anything sounded great.
"[Whoa... Budokan's our dream stage, and non-singer Yeonwoo's hitting the dream stage first?]"
At Yuri's words, Yeonwoo asked.
"[Is Budokan that amazing?]"
"[Symbolic stage for singers. Can't perform casually unless you're famous? Something like that.]"
"[But that's Aunt Himari being amazing, not me.]"
Not wrong.
Actually, for Uesugi Himari's level, Budokan might be nothing.
Hadn't she, Japan's top, world's Himari, filled Japan's five major domes with jazz?
"[Even Uesugi-san wanting to collaborate is huge. From our perspective.]"
Yeonwoo made a "Hm, is that so?" face, but couldn't hide his twitching lips.
In moments like this, he was the picture of a child.