Chapter 151

# 152

Counterattack (2)

***

The atmosphere in the album production team meeting room was very hot. This was because heated meetings were taking place over the concept of KK’s next album.

KK’s debut album was created after a long period of careful planning with the participation of not only the album production team members and team leader Shim Jun, but also the rookie development team and production director Kwon Heung-jo.

Brave Only Child came on as a producer and Do-wook also expressed his opinion on the title song, improving its level of completion, but the most basic elements could be said to be the company’s plans.

However, as the KK members’ experience accumulated, albums were no longer created solely through the company’s plans. Members increasingly participated in the album’s early planning and production stages.

As Dowook became a producer, other members also became more active in their participation.

Since it was his album, the desire to do better, the desire to help Dowook, and the desire not to fall behind all played a role.

Thanks to this, members were now giving more opinions and raising their voices at concept meetings than employees.

The staff played a role in actively accepting the members’ opinions, conveying objective reactions from the outside, and pushing the album in a realistic direction.

“Well, the songs with strong vocals as the title track did well, but… Anyway, there is no disagreement that the title of this album should be dance.”

Everyone nodded at Team Leader Sim Jun’s words. Leader Jeong Yoon-gi said.

“I think I definitely get a good response when I show my powerful side through dancing on stage.”

“It’s good to be powerful, but when it comes to dancing, I think you should go for the ‘blue sky’ vibe. “We are continuing to maintain the image of ‘passionate youth’ that KK has promoted.”

When one of the members of the album production team mentioned ‘blue sky’, he said:

Originally, at Hit Entertainment, in the case of a singer who has established a certain image after debut, songs that fit that singer’s image will be released, so when they receive the song, they say, ‘This is it!’ I chose the method of choosing the best song I wanted as the title.

Once the title was decided, a strategy to promote the album was developed from various angles, and the detailed concept of the album was supposed to follow.

However, for this KK album, we decided to select a title with a more detailed concept.

This was possible because Do-wook is an all-round producer and composer who excels at any genre, and it was also something that Do-wook suggested first.

The latter method was good for building the desired image, and Do-wook had recently realized that working with a clear concept suited his style rather than working on a song blindly.

“I think there were a lot of fans who were happy to play with me during ‘Blue Sky’.”

Hearing his teammate’s words, Ahn Hyeong-seo nodded, thinking of the exciting stages he had played.

When singing ‘Blue Sky’ at a concert, it couldn’t be more exciting and enjoyable when the fans sing along as one and the singing voices fill the concert hall.

There was a time when I couldn’t control my excitement while singing, so I hit an extremely high-pitched ad-lib and my voice went out of tune during the concert.

“I like singing because it’s exciting.”

“And then you also have a sound deviation?”

When Jeong Yoon-gi added a word to Ahn Hyeong-seo’s words, Ahn Hyeong-seo frowned and answered without giving up.

“brother. “Is it because you were excited that you chewed on the lyrics last time?”

Jeong Yoon-gi closed his mouth at those words.

The hot potato of the current conference was genre. There was no disagreement about the dance genre itself, but opinions diverged in two directions.

One was to use a powerful electronic song as the title, such as ‘Very Sorry’ or ‘Howl’, with more emphasis on individual performances.

The other was to focus on pop dance with a popular melody that is easy to sing along to, such as ‘Blue Sky’.

“The best response so far is ‘Blue Sky.’”

A team member added:

Statistically, it was true that ‘Blue Sky’ received the best response. Not only did the album sell well, but it was still ranked in the top 100 on the music charts.

However, Team Leader Sim Jun’s thoughts were a little different.

“But then it seems like it’s going too easy. no?”

“Easy isn’t a bad thing. “Why bother taking the easy route…”

A team member refuted Team Leader Sim Jun’s words. Because it was not a matter of right or wrong, but a difference of opinion, opinions could be freely shared regardless of rank.

The KK members also looked worried. In fact, it was more of a problem because no matter which direction I took, I liked it in different ways.

Kim Won, who was thinking quietly, said.

“Umm… I think the reason people were able to sing along to ‘Blue Sky’ after hearing it just once and the variety of reactions was good was that it was a remake song.”

Kim Won glanced at Do-wook sitting across from him and continued speaking again.

“If you want to make it, you have to be able to make it, but composing a song that can take over the public faster than a remake song…”

It was something different from my faith in Do-wook. The assistant manager of the album production team, who was quietly listening, spoke.

“KK has been growing its fandom and gaining popularity step by step. It is difficult to say that the success of ‘Blue Sky’ is simply the success of the blue sky itself…”

Team Leader Sim Jun gestured as if asking him to continue talking.

“If you look at the data analyzed by the fan-marketing team at the last regular meeting, there was a significant increase in the size of KK’s fandom once during ‘Very Sorry’ and also during ‘Howl’… and with the OK album and Dowook’s solo. “It was steadily increasing even while the album was released.”

“That was it.”

“If you think that the firepower gathered like that exploded from the ‘blue sky’…”

When Team Leader Sim Jun asked the assistant manager what the conclusion was, the assistant manager answered.

“The reasons for KK’s musical success can be found in so many different places. However, as Yoongi said, I think a powerful stage would be better for growing the fandom.”

Team leader Sim Jun, who listened to everything the assistant manager said, raised a new topic.

“Now, let’s think about the target and goal of this album. “While the last album focused on a wider generation, our target this time is the overseas market.”

The team members and other members’ eyes lit up when they heard the words ‘overseas market.’

It hasn’t been long since KK successfully entered the Japanese market and successfully completed its dome tour. Targeting the Chinese market was also successful.

It was also extremely popular in other Asian countries where K-POP culture is already established.

The ‘overseas market’ that Team Leader Sim Jun refers to is no longer just Asia, but the Western world, including Asia.

When Hit Entertainment employees first joined the company, they never imagined that they would produce an album for a singer that would not only become a top hit in Korea but also enter the global market.

As KK grew step by step, so did the company and its employees. Because of this, I was very proud and had great enthusiasm for this album.

“What will work better in overseas markets? What are the global trends? “You have to think about things like that.”

“The global trend is an Anglo-American trend anyway, but it is also a Korean trend, so I can’t help but think about it.”

Kim Won added to Team Leader Sim Jun’s words.

“But I think it won’t work out if we just follow British and American pop. “Anyway, those people are the best at pop music.”

Seok Ji-hoon, who had been thinking about a lot of things in his own way, said. Everyone nodded as if they agreed with Seok Ji-hoon’s words.

Do-wook, who was sitting and listening carefully to everything he said, opened his mouth as if he had gathered his thoughts.

“That’s my opinion too. As Jihoon said, that’s what they do best. “Even if we are targeting overseas markets, I think we should do what we do best.”

This issue was something that Team Leader Sim Jun and I had been thinking about since the end of our last album promotions.

While I was worrying about that, I had the opportunity to work with world-renowned pop star LIL thanks to Team Leader Lee Dae-hyung’s idea.

While working with LIL and talking with staff members on several occasions, Do-wook was gradually gaining direction.

“What I have realized more clearly recently is that you must have your own color. “It would be great if that color works in overseas markets.”

Everyone listened to Dowook’s words.

“And I think it’s important to do what is possible ‘now.’ ‘What I can do well now’. “The fact that you can and can do it later means that it doesn’t have to be right now.”

Team Leader Sim Jun, who was thinking quietly, said.

“If it’s KK’s color….”

KK has consistently put a hip-hop color on electronic sounds and performed strong performances like group dances.

That was what KK did best than anyone else.

No group in Korea had both rappers and vocalists as talented as KK, and there were few groups in the world that were able to perform live and deliver as powerful a performance as KK.

It was a neat conclusion.

‘A stage where you can’t take your eyes off and can’t help but listen! ‘We compete on stage!’

Both employees and members felt like an overall picture was being drawn. Immediately, Jeong Yoon-gi opened his mouth.

“I hope it feels stronger than Howl…”

“Break the beats even more!”

Kim Won joined Jung Yoon-gi’s words. Employees of the album production team also added:

“If the bass feels grand, I think it will be a bigger stage.”

“It feels like KK is completely releasing the youthful energy she has been carrying on! “I think the lyrics should go in that direction as well.”

Taehyung Park, who was quiet, also stammered out his opinion.

“Uh… it’s an interlude… if it’s a song that can include acrobatics or group dances that we’ve done in the past…”

Do-wook met Park Tae-hyung’s eyes and said, I nodded. It was true that they were definitely drawing the same picture.

‘Ah… I hope a good song comes out. ‘I can’t wait to stand on stage with the members!’

Dowook clenched his fists in anticipation.

Team leader Sim Jun smiled and gave a thumbs up.

“Good good. There is a song that Yoongi originally brought to be included in the OK album. Would you like to develop it and include it in this album? “I think it fits well with the concept.”

“Really?”

Jeong Yoongi asked, looking a little surprised. He never thought that his song could be included in KK’s album.

“Really.”

“Then, among the songs I received, I will select and upload songs that are worthy of being included in this album. manager.”

A team member in charge of guessing external songs said.

It was the album name of the next KK album.

***

“So I guess I made a scouting offer to team leader Lee Dae-hyung to come back. And he subtly asked me about Seojun.”

“Seojun?….”

Inside the dorm. Director Oh Baek-ho and Do-wook were talking separately at the dining table.

After finishing a long meeting, the members sat down on the sofa and floor in the living room and watched a rerun of the music show that aired this evening.

Director Oh Baek-ho had come to talk with team leader Lee Dae-hyung while the members were in a meeting.

“It looks like he offered not only an annual salary but also future promotions… In any case, he said that his judgment that he thought there was more he could do here was unwavering. “He said that the reason he was called was not because of the team leader’s abilities, but because he had the feeling that he was targeting KK or you.”

Director Oh Baek-ho frowned and continued.

“They asked if there was anything involved. “For now, I said there wasn’t any.”

Do-wook’s mind became complicated as he did not know everything about Director Seo Jung-won’s intentions.

“Team leader Lee Dae-hyung and I are going to talk about it…”

At that time, the sound of first place being announced was heard from the television the members were watching.

“First place for the second week…! man to man! It’s man to man! congratulations!”

The cheers of Man-to-Man fans seemed to pour out of the television.