Somehow, looking at the somewhat relieved SNSD seniors, he suddenly and inexplicably remembered another girl group Kara.
Kara, who debuted in the same year as SNSD, had no success and was unknown when he debuted. The company did not support him, but he tried his best to exploit it. It can be said that it was a terrible start.
However, after personnel changes, persistence, hard work, luck and care, they finally became one of the most popular first-line girl groups on the peninsula. At the same time, they became more successful in the neon market and overshadowed the girls who had no rivals in the peninsula market. era.
Thanks to the neon market, Kara should have been the most profitable girl group after Girls' Generation among second-generation girl groups in the past few years. When EXO debuted, they were still at the height of their popularity and could basically stand out in any activity. In the C position in the front row, I have greeted Chi Jingyuan at several year-end award ceremonies.
Unfortunately, in early 2014, member Nicole quit the group because she was really dissatisfied with the company's oppression, causing an uproar among kara fans.
Although there were only 4 people in Kara when they debuted, and there were personnel changes early on, but no one cared about it at that time. Later, when they became popular, there were only 5 people, and the 5 people were the ones who made the biggest success, and fans only recognized these 5 people.
Kara's performance on Peninsula in 2013 has declined somewhat. Although they became the first Peninsula girl group to perform at the Tokyo Dome, the title song "Damaged Lady" from Peninsula's comeback incredibly dropped off the Melon annual chart.
If they can hold on to the neon market, they can stabilize the decline, at least enough to provide for their retirement.
But Nicole's withdrawal dealt a fatal blow to the entire group. Kara's recent achievements are hard to describe. The sales advantage it has always been proud of is no longer there, and the neon market is shrinking at a speed visible to the naked eye.
It is said that member Kang Ji Young has also had conflicts with the company and may leave the group soon, adding insult to injury.
Once very popular, Kara, one of the three major girl groups that debuted in 2007, was the first to fall behind in 2014, officially kicking off the collective decline of second-generation girl groups.
Kara has left the track, now it’s Girls’ Generation’s turn…
Pei Xiuzhi smiled and took a trophy and began to express her gratitude, while Chi Jingyuan quietly looked at the familiar sisters on the right, with complicated thoughts in his heart.
Girls' Generation's national recognition in the peninsula is unparalleled. It has become a symbol of an era, and its health bar is extremely deep.
But no matter how thick the blood is, there will be a day when it will all fall away. This time, the decline has been obvious, both in terms of music source and sales.
It would be really difficult if the next album still fails to rejuvenate, or if the romance of a few more popular members is exposed.
Chi Jingyuan couldn't say that he was sad for them, but he felt a little emotional for a moment.
After the encore stage, the two returned to the lounge, packed their things, and then Chi Jingyuan took his leave and prepared to leave.
He followed Park Jae-hyun and his assistant, and was stopped by Pei Suzy as soon as he walked out of the lounge door.
Today is the last time they will play songs as a temporary group, and there will be no official joint activities after today.
Of course, there will definitely be advertising shoots and some product platforms that require them to work together. With the momentum and results of "Some", they will definitely attend various events together at the end of the year.
But I probably won’t see him at least in the past few days.
Pei Xiuzhi stopped Chi Jingyuan after walking out, looked at him with a smile for a few seconds, and then gently smoothed her hair: "When are you free to go have dinner together?"
Her way of eating may be a little different from other people's. Of course, it doesn't just mean eating. This is also a direct tacit understanding between the two. 'Eating together' has become something that only Chi Jingyuan and Pei Xiuzhi understand in their hearts. hint.
"hehe……"
Chi Jingyuan's voice was a little hoarse and he laughed and said, "Let's wait until I get better from the cold."
After leaving a sentence, he made eye contact with the other person, turned around, and waved his hand behind him: "See you in two days."
"Tch, I can't speak clearly anymore and I'm still pretending to be cool..."
Pei Xiuzhi watched Chi Jingyuan's figure disappear around the corner, chuckled, curled her lips, wandered back into the lounge and closed the door.
………………
On March 16th, the singing activity of "some" officially ended, but the song's brilliant achievements continued. It has set many astonishing records since its release on the 21st.
One of the thirteen singers.
The Genie list has broken the chart 62 times in total, which is the first time it has broken the chart since the list was established.
It has been at the top of the Genie charts since the release of the song, which has lasted for 242 hours, and there have been no strong competitors recently. It depends on the situation and it will continue to remain so.
The Melon chart has broken the chart a total of 51 times, ranking first after Melon's revision. Counting the pre-revision, it ranks behind PSY's "Gentleman" in 2013. This song inherited the residual power of "Gangnam Style". Melon had not yet revised it, and it was released. The diva broke her watch 89 times in a row, which is really scary.
Although the concept of "breaking the watch" was only proposed in 2011, and songs before 11 years ago are not included in this data, it is terrifying enough to rank second among all songs in the past few years.
The stamina on Melon is even more astonishing, the curve is extremely gentle, and it looks like "Some" is already heading towards the top of the annual charts.
This sound source performance is really eye-catching, and it is also the reason why "some" is so popular nowadays and is shown on every variety show in the streets and alleys.
At the same time, this is also the fundamental reason why many Girls' Generation fans are dissatisfied that this song prevented their idol from winning the title, but they still cannot help but be convinced.
The sound source performance is so good, it’s so popular.
After Yuan&suzy finished singing, all the sones could not help but breathe a sigh of relief. They have really been on pins and needles for the past two weeks. With Girls' Generation's popularity and size, they have only been singing for the first two weeks after returning after more than a year. The position is really unacceptable to everyone.
In the past two weeks, various anti-fans on the Internet and other fans who are watching the excitement have started several rounds of conferences for Girls' Generation, such as "has passed", "love era", and "disband quickly" and so on. All kinds of weirdness, slander and slander simply make fans’ heads burn when they see it.
Now, Chi Jingyuan and the others have graduated. With Girls’ Generation’s level, one of them will definitely be stable next week.
Just when "Some" ended singing, 2NE1, one of Girls' Generation's old rivals, announced their return with their regular second album and started singing.
Further back is next week’s 4minute.
Competition in the peninsula music industry is so fierce. Any time you come back, there will be popular artists attacking you. It is really difficult to find a comeback time without strong competitors. I finally found a time to come back when there seemed to be no great idols, and suddenly they came again. He played a big banging song that came out of nowhere and pushed you to the ground and beat you.
Therefore, the most reliable thing is its own popularity, excellent songs, and persistent fans.
After that, besides running his own advertising schedule, Chi Jingyuan spent the rest of his time with EXO members. The scheduled time for his comeback is getting closer, and the company has already released the news. Recently, they have been working every day They have devoted themselves wholeheartedly to the new album.
At this time, all members of EXO were filming the MV for "Overdose" in a studio on the second basement floor of an office building in Gangnam District.
The second underground floor, which was originally far away from the sun, was now illuminated by ubiquitous incandescent lights as bright as day. SM Company had set up a scene here in advance. A huge white hexagonal cube was standing in it, with the walls of the cube Decorated with a black mosquito-repellent incense and a maze-like frame, this is the logo that EXO has returned to design this time.
The hexagonal cube of this set is really beautiful and a bit spectacular from the outside. It has 360 degrees of no dead ends on all sides and has a ceiling. Being in it is like being in a huge maze, giving people a strong feeling. Stimulation and immersion.
The reason for this design is because the concept of the music and lyrics of EXO's second mini-album title song "Overdose/Addiction" is about a boy who is addicted to the love of his favorite object and cannot extricate himself, like being trapped. Being in a maze and having difficulty escaping.
In order to echo this concept, in addition to building this huge cube as the main location for filming, a real maze composed of foam walls dyed gray was specially built on the third underground floor.
Just from the setting of the MV, it can be seen that SM Entertainment has indeed invested a lot in EXO. At least the construction of this shooting location is more thoughtful than the dark parking lot of Girls' Generation's new album.
The process alone had been rehearsed for a long time. Now the twelve members are filming in the cube. Counting this time, they have danced almost ten times now.
There are many shooting angles. In addition to the camera that is always following in front of you, there are also long automatic shooting poles placed on the slide rails, drones for overhead shots, etc., in addition to lighting. , recording support is all available.
Surrounded by a large number of staff, in addition to those filming the MV, there are also some company staff who specialize in filming behind-the-scenes.
Last year's regular episode of the first episode really made EXO's face shine, and it was well received by fans. It not only had a very good effect in solidifying fans, but also attracted many new fans to join the trap. SM, who reaped the benefits, naturally did this trick this time. Zhongshi arranged for multiple people to shoot the behind-the-scenes footage from several angles. During the break in the MV, the cameras were also given to the members for them to operate on their own.
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In addition, there is also m's program team. SM and ment have agreed to cooperate. For the promotion of this second mini-album comeback, EXO's second group variety "Hot Moment XOXO" will be filmed, mainly to record EXO's journey. The achievements we have achieved so far, as well as various behind-the-scenes during the production of "overdose", as well as some private chats and interviews with the members.
However, the planning of the group show this time is very small, with only 4 episodes in total. The level of intention is far less than the previous first group show "EXO Showtime", it is purely for publicity.
A shooting scene on the second underground floor gathered three waves of staff, and it was really lively.
"This is overdose."
"CUT, take a rest first. We will summarize the problem in ten minutes."
"Kang Sangmita, thank you for your hard work."
As the accompaniment ended and the PD shouted, the members all stopped. After dancing nearly ten times in a row, everyone felt very tired. After saying thank you, some pinched their waists, and some simply said Sit on your butt on the ground.
As soon as Chi Jingyuan stopped, he immediately found a wall, put his hands on it and kept breathing heavily. He only felt dizzy, chest tightness, and his throat was uncomfortable. Because he had no appetite and had eaten less in the past two days, his whole body I feel very weak and light.
He has had a cold for more than a week. Even after taking medicine, it keeps coming back and forth, and it is getting more and more serious. Recently, the symptoms of fever and dizziness have become significantly worse. After strenuous exercise, he feels a little confused. .
"Jingyuan, drink some water quickly. Do you want to go to the hospital for a check-up after today's shooting?"
Li Chenghuan, who had been watching, quickly came up with a bottle of water, turned it away and handed it to Chi Jingyuan while expressing concern.
"I just went there two days ago..."
Chi Jingyuan took a few sips of water, closed his eyes hard and then opened them again. He took a breath and said in a weak voice: "The doctor said there is no big problem, but besides the medicine, the most important thing is to have a good rest." sky……"
As he spoke, he pursed his lips at Li Chenghuan, saying nothing.
"..." Li Chenghuan also knew the current situation. He frowned and hesitated for a moment, but still comforted: "After the MV shooting, I will ask for two days off for you. You can have a good rest in the dormitory and recover from your illness first." ."
Several members who were closer also looked at him. They looked a little weird after hearing this sentence, especially Luhan, whose eyes flickered and his face looked a little ugly.
Chi Jingyuan took another sip of water, then wiped his mouth, screwed on the lid, and handed the water cup back to Li Chenghuan, smiling: "Let's talk about it..."
Li Chenghuan nodded lightly, patted Chi Jingyuan's shoulder and turned to leave. At this time, several members came over and gathered around Chi Jingyuan. Wu Shixun frowned and looked at Chi Jingyuan's ugly face and said in surprise. :
"Why is your cold getting worse? Jingyuan, did the hospital give you the wrong medicine, or did you take it wrong?"
Chi Jingyuan glanced at him sideways, as if looking at a retarded person, which made several people around him burst into laughter.
Wu Shixun was a little annoyed by this look. When he was about to retaliate, he remembered that the other party was not feeling well and was a little defeated. He curled his lips angrily and sat down next to him. Several other members also sat down together.
"The more you delay, the worse it gets. If it doesn't work, just like Brother Chenghuan said, take two days off."
Do Kyungsoo blinked and made a suggestion.
Chi Jingyuan leaned comfortably against the wall of the cube and nodded slowly.
Ji Jingyuan seems to be in serious condition, but in fact many people in EXO have injuries. They have suffered from leg injuries, back injuries, colds and fevers, so both the members and Ji Jingyuan himself feel that they are still okay. Okay, it does feel a little uncomfortable but it’s not a big deal.
Several members cared about Chi Jingyuan for a while, and then talked about other topics, from the MV to the new album, and finally turned to the female idol.
Female idols are really the end point for any topic they talk about. No matter what they talk about, they will involuntarily turn to this topic while chatting.
Not all of them are natural changes. For example, Park Chanyeol, Kim Jongin, and Oh Sehun will always take the initiative to bring the topic to this aspect, making it impossible for them not to talk.
"Look at the songs played by the seniors of Girls' Generation this time around. I think the style of this suit is really cool and very charming."
"Handsome is handsome enough. As for charm... I think Girlsday and AOA, which came back at the beginning of the year, are more attractive, especially AOA. The choreography is really... big!" Kai smacked his lips and shook his head at the same time.
"Oh, I saw them playing a song last month. They really made a big splash and their style has completely changed."
Chi Jingyuan rarely interrupted because of his physical discomfort, but he still listened silently with interest. At this moment, he was somewhat impressed by the AOA mentioned by Kai, because he had seen it twice during the "Idol Games".
Speaking of which, "Idol Games" is really a good place to meet people.
This girl group is another group that has reached the center of the earth since their debut. Because their company FNC is better at running a band, AOA is not yet a pure idol group. After their debut, they were divided into a dance group and a band group, and the MV will be shot in multiple version, the songs are not played together yet, but they do it in a flashy way, more tricks than EXO and KM.
It's a pity that no one paid attention to them at all. For more than a year after their debut in 2012, they had no name in the peninsula music industry. They stumbled and survived until 2013. The company finally couldn't survive anymore. The two units were merged and replaced with new members. What kind of band was thrown aside, they decided to focus on the girl group and changed to a sexy route. They released their first single album in October last year. The title song "Shake" received a very good response.
At the beginning of this year, FNC continued their efforts, and AOA released "Short Skirt". Not only did the music perform well, but they also won their first No. 1 song. They can finally be considered a popular girl group.
Coincidentally, both AOA and Girlsday have been struggling for a long time since their debut. When they were about to disband, they switched to the sexy route and instantly reborn, which also means that there is a market for the sexy route in Peninsula.
And compared to other styles, it is relatively simple, the choreography is a little more provocative, and short skirts and black stockings are enough to go to that station. No wonder all the recent girl groups are flocking in this direction.
Although this style of girl group can easily attract attention, the biggest problem is that it only attracts male fans but not female fans, and there are very few die-hard fans, so sales are not good.
"I think Suzy is really beautiful..."
Wu Shixun did not agree with their opinions. After thinking about it, he looked at Chi Jingyuan.
"Guess, I also think that the nation's first love is so popular, Jingyuan is really happy." Jin Junmian also nodded in confirmation, and seemed to have a good impression of Bae Suzy.
Chi Jingyuan tilted his head in front of their envious eyes, but said nothing and smiled in response.
"I heard Suzy is difficult to deal with."
Park Chanyeol smacked his lips and revealed the news he heard in the circle: "I heard from relatives when chatting that although Suzy is often rumored to have scandals and seems to be a boyfriend who is constantly in love, she is actually not easy to pursue at all."
"She is very face-conscious and prefers male artists with good looks and good figures, but her requirements are also very high. They said that since Suzy debuted, especially after she became the nation's first love and became popular, many people are chasing her, but she can't look at ordinary idols. Those who are accepted must at least be actors, and they must be good-looking."
"I feel like the person you are talking about is Jingyuan?"
Do Kyung-soo blinked and tortured his soul.
"Uh..." Park Chanyeol, who was eloquently talking, stopped and turned his head stiffly to look at the smiling Chi Jingyuan. He suddenly felt that he had lost interest in the conversation.
Several other members, including Jin Junmian and Wu Sehun, also looked over. They all seemed to be very interested in Pei Xiuzhi. If Chi Jingyuan didn't want to talk, they would probably have asked about the relevant matters.
Chi Jingyuan glanced at the members and felt very interesting.
It’s time to fall in love. As an idol, what you come into contact with every day is either fans who are crazy about them and regard them as gods, or female idols who are young and beautiful, and each one has a better body and appearance. In this environment, you have to continue to It is really difficult to insist on being single and not falling in love.
After chatting for a while, the PD clapped his hands and called all the members over. He watched the entire clip just shot with them, then pointed at several members in turn and began to say:
"kai, before the last chorus, when you take a close-up of your solo part, put on a little more expression. This part is very charming. I asked you to do it because your stage presence is very good. Take a look at it for yourself. Was your expression just now expressive? Did you sleep well? "
"wise man……"
PD's eyes turned to Byun Baekhyun, and then looked at "And..."
His gaze was stern and his frown made both of them nervous.
They know what their problems are.
"Why are you two always slowing down your dance moves? Everyone else is in good order during the group dance, but you two are either slow down, or your movements are not strong enough, which makes you look conspicuous and awkward. Did you take it seriously when you practiced?"
"Mi ah nada." The two of them quickly bowed their heads and apologized without any intention of defending themselves.
The two of them are the last two members to join EXO besides Chi Jingyuan. Their practice time is very short. They were selected into the group because of their unique voices and singing skills. They performed very well as the lead singers. It can be said that EXO The vocal level has been raised to a higher level.
Just because of their average basic skills and short practice time, both of their dancing skills are considered weak. Although they have been practicing and improving their abilities since their debut, they are still a little behind compared to other members, and they often have some problems in dancing. question.
"Jingyuan..."
Finally, the PD waved and looked at Chi Jingyuan to ask him to come closer.
Chi Jingyuan squeezed through the members and stood next to the display screen.
"The MV has several close-ups of you, but look at it... your expression is a bit stiff and not vivid at all. Although you are so handsome, your charm is not shown at all. Your face is too ugly.
PD looked at Chi Jingyuan and his tone was slightly gentler than before, but he did not hesitate to criticize.
Chi Jingyuan pursed his lips slightly and looked at the screen without speaking.
In this "overdose" MV, each member has two sets of clothes, one with some hip-hop casual style, and the other with Western formal wear.
Chi Jingyuan was wearing a pure black suit and trousers. The style was very plain and simple without any decoration, and was lined with a star-studded shirt.
The hairstyle is for the style of this album. Cody redesigned it specially for him. He cut his already long hair a little shorter and combed his hair upwards from the front, revealing his forehead to form a messy wolf-like head.
The hair was dyed dark purple, which was very heavy. If you didn’t look closely, it looked like black hair. It only showed a dull purple under direct light, making it look deep and mysterious.
The styling style of EXO's comeback this time is very different from the college boy style of last year's "xoxo" period. The overall look is much more mature, with a bit of sexiness and nobility mixed in.
Chi Jingyuan's clothing and style at this time were impeccable. Although his face was actually quite ugly due to illness, it was covered up by Cody's heavy makeup.
It's just that the appearance can hide it, but the body is really unable to bear it.
The intense dance movements had already made him feel a little strenuous, and there were some omissions in managing his expressions. He also saw that some of his face-fighting parts were not performed well. The expressions and eyes that needed to be made were not in place. It was not at all. his level.
"Also during the transition, the smacking of your mouth and face with Tao needs to be cute and handsome. It should be very suitable for your style."
"But the close-up is the most obvious. Jingyuan, your condition is really not good." The PD shook his head, looking very dissatisfied.
"Miah Nei."
Chi Jingyuan apologized.
"I have danced this many times, and the problems that arise are similar. You should be careful not to make the same mistakes all the time."
After PD pointed out several people’s problems, he clapped his hands:
"Look at it again and then we move on."
"Inside."
…………
"Jingyuan, have something to eat."
Li Chenghuan saw Chi Jingyuan lying on the sofa with his face covered by a hat. He stood up and walked to him, patted his back gently and handed him a burger.
After a day of MV shooting yesterday, EXO was at the backstage of an exhibition hall. There would be a media interview event that required all members to attend.
Chi Jingyuan feels very bad now. He felt dizzy when he woke up this morning and his body temperature increased significantly.
He felt something was wrong and had already told his agent that he would go to the hospital for a checkup after the interview.
After taking the burger, Chi Jingyuan opened the package, took a few bites and put it aside. When he was sick, he really had no appetite, so he, who had always been a bit of a talker, couldn't eat properly for several days.
During the interview, Chi Jingyuan kept his side to himself the whole time. Sitting at the very back, he tried his best to maintain a businesslike smile without saying a word. The members also knew that he was uncomfortable and took the initiative to take up all the topics thrown at him.
After being interviewed for more than an hour, Chi Jingyuan felt groggy. His whole mind was in a state of confusion. He didn't even know when the interview was over. Wu Shixun, who was sitting next to him, bumped him with his elbow before he knew he was about to step down. .
But just as Chi Jingyuan was following the members and preparing to leave the stage, when he walked down the steps, he suddenly felt his eyes darken. He felt a strong dizziness and his front foot missed the stage. He couldn't control himself and fell straight down.
Fortunately, Wu Shixun and Park Chanyeol who were next to him noticed it immediately, and immediately reached out to pull Chi Jingyuan to prevent him from falling, and then took his arm to lift him up.
The restlessness behind them immediately attracted the attention of the members in front. They glanced back and immediately gathered around.
"elder brother!"
Park Chanyeol and Oh Sehun were supporting Ji Jingyuan, and they were a little panicked when they saw him closing his eyes. Jin Junmian quickly stood up and shouted, and Li Chenghuan, who had been watching from the side of the stage, rushed over and used the same words in a panic. He put his hand on Chi Jingyuan's forehead and felt it, and said anxiously:
"Quick, send to the hospital!"
