wavenovel Chapter 1234 is not bad.
Chapter 1234 is not bad.
Chapter 1234 is not bad.
At midnight on August 5th, Girls' Generation celebrated their 10th anniversary. Their 10th anniversary special album, which is also their sixth full-length album, was officially released. SM Entertainment released all the audio tracks, including the double title tracks "Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter" and "Beautiful," on time.
Fans and passersby who had been waiting for a long time, including Li Yongshun, all clicked on the link immediately.
Perhaps due to Ji Kyung-won's influence, most of the music videos they chose to watch first were "Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter".
After a brief blackout, the screen gradually lit up, revealing a magnificent golden sea of flowers. The blossoms were in full bloom, bathed in the gentle, radiant sunlight.
Kim Tae-yeon and Seo Hyun, the oldest and youngest members, sat in this sea of flowers. One faced the camera directly, while the other sat sideways. Both were dressed in formal attire, and the patterns on their clothes seemed to blend into the surrounding flowers. Their gazes swept over the flowers, and they reached out to touch the blossoms beside them, the petals trembling slightly at their fingertips.
A gentle breeze rustled the flowers, causing them to sway gracefully, and also causing the ends of their hair to flutter to one side, creating an overlap of sunlight and swaying shadows, as if softly telling stories of the past.
The very first shot gave many people, including Lee Yong-soon, a strong visual impact. The high saturation and brightness made the eyes dazzle, but the extremely beautiful and romantic set was not glaring at all. Coupled with the two members' obviously grand outfits, it was a real eye-opener.
Before they could even observe closely, almost without an intro, the accompaniment of guitar and piano began, followed by Kim Tae-yeon's voice.
"At sunset next year, when spring is warm and flowers are in bloom, it will be a midsummer night's dream."
"Autumn colors evoke melancholy, winter brings snow, the seasons cycle, and warm spring is on its way."
Her voice sounded somewhat deep, and at first glance, it seemed a bit out of place against the bright and beautiful backdrop of the flower sea. But as you listened, you inexplicably felt that the tone was very suitable. The melody and the singing blended together perfectly, and the exquisite lyrics were told in a gentle and detailed way, instantly bringing you into this slightly somber atmosphere.
"Now I bid farewell to my once vibrant and passionate youth."
"Our spring, summer, autumn and winter were once so beautiful."
Seohyun's next two lines not only further unfolded the story but also fully revealed the tone and atmosphere of the entire song to everyone.
The background was incredibly beautiful, yet the atmosphere was slightly melancholic.
But... Li Yongshun unconsciously clenched his fist.
This ballad was unexpectedly beautiful and exquisite; it captivated him from the very first line.
As the melody progresses, the scene gradually changes. The bright flower fields and spring scenery disappear, and the heat and splendor of summer arrive. Kwon Yuri and Hwang Mi-young walk on the neon-lit city streets, their colorful long hair shining brightly under the lights.
The scene subtly shifts, the surrounding tones become dark and somber, a house stands quietly, its furnishings old and full of stories, yet despite being indoors, fallen leaves still flutter, the ground covered in withered yellow leaves, a desolate autumn scene.
In this desolate atmosphere, Lee Soon-kyu slowly strolled around, picked up the camera on the table, and took a picture of herself in front of the mirror.
The music video is exquisitely shot. Although there is no complicated plot, the backgrounds, which are different in style but equally beautiful, and the folds of time and loneliness brought out by the changing seasons are particularly touching.
And the moving singing, accompanied by a melodious yet melancholic tune, unfolded its story:
"I used to miss the boys and girls who laughed and cried."
"Those bright and beautiful years always come to mind."
"Like a fleeting moment, like a white horse flashing past a crack, like water flowing without feeling."
"Stained in bright red, covered in wounds."
Every lyric is so exquisite, as if it has been carefully crafted. In terms of style alone, it is completely different from ordinary K-pop songs.
The melody is also very pleasant to listen to. Neither the tune nor the vocals try to grab you with flashy high notes or explosive rhythms. Instead, they use the simplest melody and the most genuine emotions to weave a net that captures him and many others within it.
However, each sentence seemed so sad, yet so moving.
Finally, as the merciless winter arrived, Yoona, dressed in a red dress, appeared in the scene, resolutely moving forward amidst the withering of all things and the falling snow.
On camera, Yoona looked like an ice goddess, and at the same time, she reached the peak of her acting skills. Her smiling eyes were full of peace and relief.
Spring, summer, autumn, and winter—the four seasons cycle.
Seeing this scene, Lee Yong-soon didn't know why, but when he saw the final scene of Lim Yoon-a's appearance, when the sky and earth changed color and the scene changed to winter, his eyes suddenly became a little moist.
Although he hadn't paid attention to Girls' Generation for a long time, at this moment, he still felt a very strong resonance with them, with these eight women. In an instant, he seemed to understand what they were thinking.
He suddenly felt that this song was really amazing; it seemed to have turned the stories of the Girls' Generation idols into the stories of every fan, into the stories of everyone.
Their lives have spring, summer, autumn and winter, there is the brilliance of youth, and there is the graying of hair. Before they know it, ten years have passed.
And wasn't he the same? As his vision blurred and became hazy, his own youthful days—striving for exams, working hard, worrying about his lover, and going crazy in his teenage years—all these images involuntarily surfaced in his mind and before his eyes.
This is a kind of nostalgia and sadness from the heart, a primal emotion that cannot be controlled.
As his vision cleared again, he watched the music video nearing its end, listening to the poetic melody. While feeling wistful, he also felt a profound sense of relief.
He seemed to have fully grasped the meaning of the song, understanding the message that the gentle melody and poignant lyrics wanted to convey, or perhaps to him:
'I don't want to say goodbye, but... it's time for us to go our separate ways.'
He felt a little sad and even sniffled, his voice slightly choked with emotion... but Li Yongshun didn't feel that sad.
He felt that he had both liked and hated the girl group that represented his youth to some extent, and that their end with such a classic and romantic song was a fitting conclusion.
With this thought in mind, Li Yongshun wiped the corner of his eye, and his mindset suddenly became more positive. He continued reading with an appreciative attitude.
The scene is truly beautiful, and Ninth Sister looks stunning this time as well as Ninth Girl.
As the music video nears its end, against a somewhat blurred background, the eight members of Girls' Generation gather in front of the camera, each dressed in glamorous attire, striking their own poses and lining up in a row.
The camera zoomed in a bit too tightly and crampedly; the eight people almost filled the entire frame.
Such group photos are common in any music video, and he didn't think much of it... At most, he felt that this music video was really big in terms of investment, and everyone's clothes looked very expensive.
"omo!"
But as he watched, just before the end, his eyes suddenly widened and he exclaimed in surprise.
The next second, the camera switched to the same background in the group photo, but the eight members of Girls' Generation had disappeared. They were left in the same spot, with eight chairs lined up in front of the camera, as if representing the eight members who had left. The empty space looked somewhat sad.
However, Li Yongshun noticed something was wrong in an instant... Next to the chair on the far right, there was another chair, only half of which was visible, and much of it was out of the view of the camera.
However, the meaning and content have been conveyed very clearly.
This isn't eight chairs, it's nine!
Upon discovering this Easter egg, Lee Yong-soon was instantly overcome with excitement. As a former loyal SONE, he naturally understood the meaning behind the hint.
Even though I'm no longer a fan of Girls' Generation, seeing this scene in the music video for the title track of their last album as Girls' Generation was about to end still made me very excited... and even a little bittersweet.
Although it was just a hint, the meaning it contained really moved him.
Whatever happened in the past seems to be no longer important at this moment.
At least... they all remember.
After watching the music video for "Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter", Li Yongshun was overwhelmed with emotion and could not calm down for a long time... This is truly the most touching and inspiring song and music video he has heard in the past two years.
Although he was very excited and wanted to go back and watch it again, there were still many other songs. After thinking about it, he decided to watch the "Beautiful" music video again.
Compared to the lyrical and melancholic style of "Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter," "Beautiful" is a dance track with a much more upbeat atmosphere.
If "Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter" is a farewell, then "Beautiful" is a look forward.
Lee Yong-soon has finally figured out the distinction between the album's concepts of 'day' and 'night'.
The Japanese title track "Beautiful" is more cheerful and bright, while the nocturne title track "Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter" is more sentimental and melancholic.
Although the former might make one feel better, after watching and listening to both, Li Yongshun preferred "Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter".
It has more flavor, more feeling, more atmosphere, plus this exquisite music video and the meaning of 'farewell'... it's simply a work of art.
...Even the incredibly cute Sana and Twice's new songs seem a little lacking.
After listening to the two main songs, he immediately opened the comments section, wanting to express his excitement and joy.
He opened the input box, his fingers hovering over the keyboard. He felt he had so many words and thoughts to say, but couldn't find a starting point.
Just a few seconds later, as if remembering something, his fingers stopped, and he fell silent... Looking at the eight beautiful and glamorous women on the Girls' Generation cover on the screen, he pursed his lips and finally left only one sentence:
"Fighting!"
…………
"It's surprisingly good and fits the theme perfectly. Can ballads be this popular?"
"Ahhh, I burst into tears when I saw those nine empty chairs."
"Girls' Generation! Who gave you permission to say goodbye? Who gave you permission to say goodbye? I still hope for another decade!!!"
"It's a really nice, exquisite, and touching song. The quality of the song itself is extremely high, and when combined with the concept of 'Girls' Generation disbandment zone,' it really brings tears to my eyes."
"Although the song title 'Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter' fits the concept and is quite accurate, I prefer another name for the song: 'Still Life'."
"The music video was so well made, Girls' Generation will always be nine members!"
"It's Girls' Generation now..."
The comment sections for the album and songs were quickly flooded with listeners who had immediately listened to the music and watched the music videos. Among all the songs, "Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter" generated the most discussion.
"The hype is pretty good~"
Meanwhile, Ji Kyung-won, who was in Tokyo at the time, had been keeping a close eye on the situation. He watched the finished product as soon as the music was released and then quickly checked the reactions of fans and listeners online.
After scrolling for a few minutes, he was surprised to find that Girls' Generation's comeback seemed to be getting more attention than he had imagined. It seemed that many people were waiting for the midnight release of the music, as evidenced by the lively comments section.
Moreover, Ji Kyung-won also noticed that the focus of attention and discussion for many people was the shot of the empty chair in the "Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter" music video.
"As expected, this kind of thing is the most effective at stirring up fans' emotions..."
Seeing the excited comments from many 'ten-year veterans' expressing their feelings and excitement in the comment section, Chi Kyung-won muttered to himself, and couldn't help but think back to the day of the MV shoot a while ago.
This indoor scene was filmed on a set built in a studio in Seoul. The original concept was actually eight chairs, representing the eight members of Girls' Generation.
And filming has already been completed.
However, after this scene was filmed and during a break, while idly scrolling through his phone, Ji Kyung-won once again saw some naive comments from SONEs online.
"It's the last album, can we call Jessica back too?"
"No matter what, I always feel that the eight-member Girls' Generation is incomplete."
"Even if they can't come back, it would be good to interact with them..."
Since Jessica Jung left the group, these comments have been frequently seen online. Whenever there is content about Girls' Generation, someone always mentions her... Of course, there are even more arguments about splitting the numbers between the nine members and the eight members.
Chi Jingyuan had seen these kinds of words many times before, but he had only thought they were naive and hadn't taken them seriously.
But seeing it now, I suddenly felt a pang of emotion...
But just like the former 'EXO fans'... EXO still has many fans who only support the 12 members and call for the return of Running Man every day online.
Don't these fans realize how stupid and naive they are saying?
Previously, it seemed like there was no need to care, but when he thought that this was Girls' Generation's last album, Ji Kyung-won couldn't help but feel a little tempted.
A sudden idea struck him. After thinking for a while, he called over the on-site PD and a few members of Girls' Generation and shared his thoughts: "How about we change this shot and add a chair?"
As soon as he said that, everyone around him immediately understood what he meant. Leaving aside the others, the expressions of the eight members of Girls' Generation became quite interesting.
"I think it's a good idea; fans will definitely want to see this."
"It's been so long, let's just forget about it."
"Will the company object if we add it?"
Some people said it was good, some people said it was bad, but it was all the staff who spoke up. None of the eight members of Girls' Generation said a word. Some were thinking silently, and some were exchanging glances.
After discussing for a few minutes and finding that they still couldn't reach an agreement, Chi Kyung-won simply stopped paying attention to them, told the others to leave, and pulled the eight members of Girls' Generation to the lounge next door.
“It has nothing to do with other people, their opinions don’t count… although my opinion does count, I still want to hear your suggestions, Nuna.”
Looking at the eight women with their varied expressions, Chi Jingyuan said casually:
"Vote."
……
A few minutes later, the girls from Girls' Generation came out of the lounge, with Chi Jingyuan following behind, looking relaxed but with a slightly subtle smile.
He remembered that when Jessica Jung left the group in 2014, he heard Lee Soon-kyu say that... there was a vote in Girls' Generation, and most people voted in favor of Jessica Jung leaving the group.
This time, most people also voted in favor of adding a chair, incorporating some 'Jessica' elements and Easter eggs.