Chapter 108
Chapter 108
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 109
Chapter Title: Who is BSK?
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-Who the hell is BSK?
-Going Home is the best country song of my life.
-My dad hates modern country music because it doesn't feel country enough, but he said he really likes this one. But who's the singer?
-Don't you guys watch YouTube?
-I mean, if you just search BSK on YouTube, there are tons of videos of the singer performing it himself.
-These idiots wouldn't think to search YouTube.
-Yeah, those damn algorithms.
-But honestly, didn't we discover BSK thanks to the algorithm?
-Exactly, if it weren't for YouTube's algorithm, we wouldn't have known about it.
Kim Beomsin's "Going Home" climbed to 25th place on YouTube Hot 100 in its fourth week.
It was a ranking no one had anticipated, and it was high enough to start drawing attention from American online communities.
Country music might be commonplace, but an unknown singer with zero info hitting 25th? Impossible not to take notice.
Most of them assumed, being country music, that 25th place was purely due to American listeners.
It wasn't entirely wrong—streaming numbers from Asia were noticeably low for "Going Home."
It was popular in Korea, sure, but in the 2020s, Korean idol tracks dominated the charts there.
As if sniping that exact issue, the singer's official homepage streaming counts were shut down, download limits per user dropped from four to one, and to curb duplicate streaming abuse, Melboard charts only officially counted plays from the Mango player.
Of course, it wasn't openly targeting Korea alone.
This came right when Korea was embroiled in chart manipulation scandals, coinciding with similar controversies in the US, so it was a global measure to stop all singers' loopholes—and high-flying Korea took the biggest hit.
In any case, with Korea's population barely scraping 50 million, it couldn't wield massive influence on Melboard charts.
That meant relying on other Asian countries for a boost, but "Going Home" wasn't getting any Asian love.
Kim Beomsin's "Going Home" reached 25th thanks to heavy influence from white-dominated Spotify and YouTube Music, plus the upstart Melboard player borrowing Melboard's name.
American community users in the know might see it as bias, but they pegged BSK as an unknown American singer.
But users who loved the song enough to search the artist were in for a shock.
A sophisticated yet rustic country tune sung by an East Asian? How could they not be stunned?
-No way, an Asian doing country?
-What's the rule saying Asians can't sing country?
-Fucking racist right here.
-No, that's not it—it just didn't sound Asian when I listened.
-You damn bastard, so how should Asians sing it then?
-That fucking racist probably thought it'd be like ching-chong-ching inside.
-I said no.
-Eat shit.
-And he's Korean, not even American, but his English is solid?
-Another racist up top.
-Asian English sucks, huh?
-No, you idiots, he's not a native speaker—he's purely Korean. Can you speak Korean well?
-What's so hard? Sibal?
-Fxxk you.
……Anyway, getting famous without anyone knowing, then learning he's Korean late? Turned out great.
If they'd known he was Korean upfront, it might not have succeeded at all.
And so another week passed, hitting the fifth week.
Melboard HOT 100
11 Going Home – BSK
Last week: 25th / 5th week
BSK now had the Hot 100 top 10 in sight.
After the de facto breakup of that world-shaking idol group, it was the highest any Korean singer had achieved.
[Kim Beomsin hits 11th on Melboard Hot 100—World Stunned by Shocking Achievement.]
[Kim Beomsin, Forgotten Balladeer's Triumph!]
[How Did Kim Beomsin Crack the Melboard Charts?]
[Kim Beomsin & Yuin, the Perfect Partners Delivering Results.]
Korea was floored by the feat, with every media outlet splashing it across front pages.
It even made the main evening news.
"Uh, PD Kim? Yeah, that sounds good. Could there be a better day than today? What? You want me on your variety show? Let me check my schedule. Ah, no. I'm swamped right now. You know me~ Have I ever said no when PD Kim calls? Yeah, I'm really busy, okay? Sorry, gotta go!!"
Kim Beomsin hung up and smugly sank into the sofa, glancing around.
Across from him sat Park Sangcheol and Ellis.
"See that?"
"See what."
Park Sangcheol asked flatly, and he replied.
"Didn't you see me straight-up roast PD Kim on variety?"
"I saw you grovel and explain your way out of it, though?"
"What? When did I grovel, you punk! I said I'm busy, no dice! Didn't you hear how firm I was?"
"Tsk…… You're not old enough for dementia yet……?"
Kim Beomsin scowled.
"Who talks to a Melboard-charting singer like that? What if I switch agencies? You think you guys can survive?"
"But…… this is your brother's company……?"
"I could do my singing at another label, punk. Transfer to SSHIN for real?"
Park Sangcheol eyed him, then covered his mouth and said to Ellis.
"Ellis, wanna ditch this place with me and start our own company? Co-CEOs, 50-50 split. You handle music, I'll do all the grunt work."
"Hey, you trying to poach the company's precious talent? If you're leaving, go alone!"
Kim Beomsin snapped at Park Sangcheol like that, but Park Sangcheol ignored him completely, checking his smartphone.
Though practically the company's rep, his top priority was managing Kim Beomsin.
He delegated the small stuff to junior managers, but Kim Beomsin's schedule was either handled by Kim himself or overseen by Park Sangcheol.
Before Cold Night, he had little to do, but post-Cold Night—and now with "Going Home"—things were busy.
Offers were pouring in from everywhere.
"Huh?"
"What's up, ignoring me mid-convo?"
"Hang on, hyung."
Park Sangcheol froze at an email packed with mouse-poison English, then asked Ellis.
"Ellis, can you read this?"
"I'm not great at English either…… But just copy-paste into a translator?"
"Too old for that tech crap."
"Here, gimme a sec."
Ellis took Park Sangcheol's phone and ran it through a translator.
"Uh…… yeah…… It's an American TV show asking if you'd appear."
"What?"
"What show?"
"Edel Richie Show? Whoa…… jackpot!!"
The Edel Richie Show was one of America's top TV programs, hosted by famous singer Edel Richie inviting guests for talks and performances.
"Should I do it?"
"If you're serious about breaking America…… yeah."
As Ellis spoke flatly, Park Sangcheol burst out excitedly.
"Getting face time there could boost the charts more. Hyung, let's go. Has a Korean singer—let alone a balladeer—ever been on a US TV show? Melboard whatever, this is funeral-level epic, the highlight of my life—post it online!"
Seeing hyped Park Sangcheol, Kim Beomsin calmed down and stroked his chin.
"Then…… set it up."
"If we lock it in, big promo blast?"
"Yeah."
Kim Beomsin played it cool, but Ellis spotted his nostrils flaring.
After half a century, facing unthinkable US breakthrough, he was just as pumped as Park Sangcheol—it showed.
* * *
[Kim Beomsin Confirmed for US Hit TV Show, Edel Richie Show!]
['Going Home' Enters Melboard Hot 100 Top 10 at 8th in 6th Week!]
[How Far Will Kim Beomsin's Popularity Run?]
Yeonwoo clicked through article links from his manager Oh Jaehoon on his tablet, mouth agape in an O.
"Didn't expect top 10."
Yeonwoo looked at Shuji's fairy.
"You didn't see it coming either, huh?"
Shuji's fairy scowled briefly, then nodded.
"Yeah, even Grandpa Shuji never hit Melboard. You're clueless about America too."
Shuji had gigged as a jazz guitarist in the US but never managed or distributed there, so the fairy clearly knew no more.
But now it was fine.
Just as Yeonwoo learned Melboard entry this time, Shuji's fairy had upgraded via Yeonwoo.
Proof: the fairy's outline sharper, yellow glow deeper.
"Next time, we nail it?"
You too, me too.
Shuji's fairy nodded.
"Yeah."
Anyway, top 10 achieved.
Yeonwoo opened the Kim Beomsin Uncle folder.
"Time to hand over this track?"
A song timed for release right as it drops off Melboard.
Not country—similar genre to Cold Night.
Honestly, bigger experiment and challenge than "Going Home."
Turning a newly minted country star onto totally different music.
But worth a shot.
Kim Beomsin's name was out there now; curious fans digging found Cold Night, pushing the over-a-year-old track onto Melboard Hot 100's tail end.
The old newbie hit 85th in week two—not bad.
Fans loving the singer ignored race or nationality.
"Gotta give it, right?"
Yeonwoo asked the fairies. They stared like "what?"
Not expecting answers anyway, he fired off the track via BSK's official email.
Subject: [Uncle Kim Beomsin, check this out.]
"Now I can slack off for real."
Yeonwoo shut down the computer decisively.
He left the studio, picked up his guitar.
For break time, what to do? He started catching up on instrument skills.
Piano was now jaw-dropping—even Himari stuck out her tongue—but composing and producing neglected guitar, stalling growth.
So guitar first.
From scratch.
Meaning: ditch great jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery's style for textbook fundamentals.
Montgomery's unique technique hindered genre versatility.
Wes Montgomery scowled every time Yeonwoo played, but oh well.
"Still tough solo."
Yeonwoo steeled himself for a new fairy.
"Who's great at guitar?"