wavenovel How about Chapter 1480?
How about Chapter 1480?
How about Chapter 1480?
The day after the meeting concluded and the schedules related to EXO were finalized, Ji Kyung-won boarded a plane to the United States.
This time, he's going to talk to the American management company, New Vision, about his solo album or solo single.
When Ji Kyung-won left Peninsula, SM Entertainment announced EXO's upcoming comeback the following day.
On the same day, SM Entertainment's official social media account posted a major announcement... officially announcing that EXO will make a comeback in March with their fourth full-length album, "THE WAR," and simultaneously released their first concept photo.
This concept photo doesn't feature any of the members and instead focuses on a highly atmospheric and evocative style: against a dark background, metallic fragments with a cold, gleaming sheen float in the air, outlining blurry geometric shapes. The interplay of light and shadow creates a sense of futuristic austerity while also hinting at a mysterious atmosphere, perfectly aligning with the tension conveyed by the album title "THE WAR".
Below the photo is only a single line of text: "EXO 4th Album [THE WAR] COMING SOON March 2018".
Without any unnecessary embellishments, it instantly ignited the entire music industry.
XO hasn't made a comeback in South Korea for far too long, so long that countless fans have gone from anticipation to cautious waiting. This news swept across the internet instantly, and related topics quickly topped the trending lists on major social media platforms.
The fans were overwhelmed with excitement, and the comment section was filled with excited messages, all expressing their cheers and anticipation:
"Finally! I declare that the King of Kpop has returned!"
"The concept photos are so high-quality, I'm already looking forward to the title track!"
"EXO's comeback is a bombshell, who knows? We've waited so long for this day, please treat our EXO-Ls well in March!"
"Come on, come on, come on! You have no idea how arrogant those newbies were when you weren't around. They're like a mountain without XO!"
"When they announced my comeback last year, I was so excited I was practically sweating. But then Jonghyun's situation caused it to be postponed. I knew it was inevitable, but I was still very disappointed. Now that it's finally here, my wallet is already ready."
"SM has finally remembered that EXO is a Korean boy group, the third generation of Korean K-pop group to reach the top, and not some American boy group or Japanese boy group."
"No matter what style it is, as long as it's EXO, I will support them unconditionally. I'm ready to boost sales!"
EXO's status on the Korean Peninsula has remained unquestionable in the past two years, and even casual observers have expressed their support.
With so many fans comes so many haters, and many of them suddenly appeared, taking the opportunity to mock and ridicule:
"It's like the local groups are trying to revive the spirits again. Now it's the era of Wanna One, who still watches EXO?"
"If you don't care about the Korean Peninsula market, then go back to your Japan and America. You went to America, hit a wall, and came back? Don't you have any shame?"
"Just a casual observer, I don't know why I get annoyed whenever I see EXO. Their fans are so annoying, constantly manipulating and buying their way onto the charts, and they love marketing too much."
……
The atmosphere was even more lively in a large EXO fan group, where fans were enthusiastically discussing the comeback news, sharing their expectations, and planning their subsequent support activities and album purchases.
Just then, an account that hadn't been online for a long time, with a profile picture of Kim Jong-in's stage performance, suddenly popped up with the ID "Bear Baby Nancy".
Many longtime fans in the group know that this was Kim Jong-in's core fan in the past. He not only frequently followed him to events, but also opened a dedicated fan site, producing countless high-quality fan-taken photos and support content. He was considered a well-known die-hard fan in the industry.
"Nancy? You're finally online! It's been so long since I've seen you. Did you know EXO is making a comeback?" someone greeted immediately, their tone full of surprise.
However, "Bear Baby Nancy's" reply instantly extinguished everyone's enthusiasm: "Of course I know, how could I not know? But it has nothing to do with me anymore, I've already unfollowed Kai."
The group chat was silent for a few seconds after those words were spoken, then it exploded: "What? You unfollowed him? Weren't you a die-hard Kai fan? Why did you suddenly unfollow him?" "Didn't you say you'd be a fan of Kai forever? Last time I saw you arguing with a Yuan fan about the center position."
"Oh, I just noticed, you changed your profile picture?"
At this point, someone clicked on her profile and discovered that her original profile picture had been updated, changing from a stage photo of Kim Jong-in to a new male idol.
"Oh dear, those were things I said when I was immature. They seem a bit silly now... I'm just tired of seeing them."
Nancy Bear replied nonchalantly and even promoted others: "I'm a fan of Ong Seong-wu from Wanna One now. Kai is greasy and ugly now, and he doesn't do any promotions. I wonder which girlfriend he's dating."
She got more and more excited as she spoke, her tone filled with the thrill of finding true love: "Honestly, he's much better than Kai, much more handsome, handsome and talented, with amazing stage presence, and his looks are even comparable to Yuan's."
These words ignited a fierce debate in the group chat, with fans immediately retorting: "Are you crazy? Ong Seong-wu is indeed good, but there's no need to put one down to praise the other, is there?"
"Where is Kai greasy? His stage presence has always been top-notch!"
"EXO is washed up?? You must have forgotten their performance in Europe, America and Japan last year, right? Wanna One is nothing! They're all hype. Let's see if their revenue can even reach one-tenth of EXO's."
Unexpectedly, Nancy's words drew in several former fans who had also unfollowed her, with one echoing her sentiments:
"Actually, I've stopped being a fan and am now a fan of Wanna One. I have to say, their stage performances are definitely more energetic than EXO's, and the members are more variety show enthusiasts, unlike EXO, who rarely even appear on variety shows now."
"+1, I used to be an EXO-L too, but seeing everyone around me switch to other groups, plus EXO not having a comeback for so long, I gradually lost interest. Kang Daniel oppa is really captivating, I recommend you guys check him out."
The group chat quickly erupted into a heated debate. Fans supporting EXO and those who had switched allegiances argued back and forth, turning what was once a lively and warm fan group into a tense and contentious space filled with conflicting messages.
The situation only calmed down after the group admin intervened and kicked out all the members who had unfollowed him.
…………
"If I suddenly appeared in front of Oppa, what would Oppa do?"
In EXO's practice room at the SM building, Ji Kyung-won, who had returned from the United States, was leaning back on the sofa, texting with Sana Minatozaki.
Since Valentine's Day, the girl has been contacting him more and more frequently. She sends him several text messages every day to share her daily life, and occasionally makes a video call, chattering away non-stop, even more clingy than Chou Tzu-yu.
They always have endless topics to talk about, and her little head is always full of strange and wonderful ideas. The topics jump around a lot. One second they are talking about food, and the next second a wild and even nonsensical question will pop up, like a child with a head full of bizarre ideas.
Jingyuan had already sensed Minatozaki Sana's eccentricity from her serious discussion with him about whether she was a dog in her past life, and now his understanding had deepened... but it was indeed very interesting, and being with Minatozaki Sana was never boring.
This is her unique charm, something that others cannot imitate.
"Are you a ghost? Why did you suddenly appear in front of me? I'll throw you off the building!"
Chi Jingyuan replied rather uncharismatically… We were just talking about what Chi Jingyuan ate during his two days in the US, and before we were even finished, Minatozaki Sana suddenly asked this question.
"Oppa, can you really bear to throw cute Sana downstairs? (ω)... What if you threw me down and then ran downstairs to catch me?~"
Sana Minatozaki's reply was adorable; she really likes using emoticons and little expressions.
Before Chi Jingyuan could reply, another text message came in, with a hint of playfulness: "Oppa, do you know what I would do if Oppa suddenly appeared in front of me?"
"How about it?"
"I'll jump onto Oppa and give you a kiss, hehehe~ (photo)"
The photo also included a selfie. In the photo, Sana Minatozaki closed her eyes, pouted at the camera, her full red lips were striking, and her fair cheeks had a faint blush, making her both cute and alluring.
To be honest, when Chi Jingyuan saw her words and photos, his heart skipped a beat, and he suddenly had the urge to run over and see her.
Unfortunately, it's a bit unrealistic.
"Hey, Jingyuan's back?"
The practice room door was pushed open, and Kim Junmyeon, Oh Sehun, Kim Jongdae and others walked in. When they saw Ji Kyungwon leaning against the sofa, they immediately greeted him with a smile.
"Yeah, I just got back a short while ago." Chi Jingyuan put away his phone and replied with a smile.
"How was it? What were the results of your trip to the US and New Vision Spectrum?"
Kim Junmyeon walked over to the sofa and sat down, his face full of curiosity: "Are you going to have a solo performance in the US?"
Several other members looked over curiously... Having been in the group together for so long, the others no longer felt jealous of Chi Jingyuan and had long since accepted reality.
Now, Ji Kyung-won's solo development can be seen as a bellwether for the group. Every time he tries something first and the results are good, the other members follow suit.
Like a solo performance, this collaboration with New Vision Technology, if successful, might give others a chance in the future.
"It's not really a solo project, but it's confirmed that I'll be releasing a single."
Chi Jingyuan did not hide anything and frankly talked about the progress of the negotiations over the past two days.
"A single? That's great! Did New Vision provide the song, or did the company find a composer?"
Kim Jongdae was the first to offer his congratulations, his tone tinged with envy.
"No, it's a song I wrote myself before, called 'stay'."
Chi Jingyuan smiled and said, "New Vision has always been very optimistic about it and thinks it's pretty good... This time, it was also their initiative to propose the single project."
As he spoke, images from the conference room at New Vision in the United States the day before yesterday involuntarily flooded his mind.
During the discussions, the music director of New Vision, holding a demo of "Stay," frankly offered his opinions:
"Listening to this song, it feels more like an incomplete work. It feels like an inspiration suddenly came, two melodies were written, and then they were put together and repeated. Even the finished product feels like listening to a demo."
The director paused, then continued, "Besides, this song is a bit too short, only two and a half minutes long, far below the average for popular songs these days. Should we try making it a little longer?"
"Or perhaps we could add another melody to enrich the song's structure?"
When Chi Jingyuan heard this, he actually agreed with the other person's statement.
As expected of a globally renowned music company and veteran musicians, they spotted the problem with the song at a glance.
After considering it for a moment, Chi Jingyuan still rejected the other party's suggestion.
The inspiration from when it was first created is gone. Forcibly extending it might just be a bad addition and ruin the original feeling of the song, so it's better to keep the original version.
Moreover, Chi Kyung-won is actually quite satisfied with the current version.
Although he did not agree, New Vision expressed its understanding. The music director excitedly told him, "Although it is a bit short and the structure is simple, the melody is already top-notch. Your timbre is also very suitable. With the unique arrangement, it creates a very unique listening experience that you won't get tired of. If we add some marketing and gimmicks, we think this song has the potential to be a huge hit."
Memories flickered, and Ji Kyung-won shook his head. When he came back to his senses, he heard Kim Jong-dae ask curiously, "When will the single be released?"
"Around June or July, depending on when I play Solo2."
Chi Jingyuan gave a brief explanation. Since they were all in the same group, they generally knew each other's plans, so he didn't hide the fact that it was a solo 2.
Forget about him, I heard that Baekhyun's solo 2 is already in the works.
"...Although it's confirmed that a single will be released, the specifics are still being negotiated. For promotional and musical considerations, New Vision is considering having me collaborate with an American singer."
Chi Jingyuan smiled and nodded, then revealed another piece of information.
"Who?"
Wu Sehun immediately leaned closer, his tone full of curiosity, "Is she a very famous singer?"
"..."
Chi Jingyuan paused for a moment, then said somewhat strangely, "The person they've proposed so far is Justin Bieber..."
"Huh?" Upon hearing this, the members present were instantly stunned. A few seconds later, Sehun couldn't help but burst into laughter, slamming his hand on the table and saying, "If I were Justin Bieber, I would strangle you! That's why Pabo would collaborate with you!"
Everyone around burst out laughing, and even Chi Jingyuan couldn't hold back...
When EXO was developing their career in the United States, under the promotional strategy of New Vision, they were always actively trying to emulate Justin Bieber. Whether it was promotional copywriting or fan guidance, they intentionally or unintentionally compared the two, which led to strong antagonism between the two fans, resulting in mutual attacks and insults.
During the two days that Ji Kyung-won was in the United States, I saw fans online criticizing each other and comparing their opinions.
However, when it comes to business, it all comes down to whether you're sincere enough.
Moreover, it doesn't necessarily have to be a collaboration; Ji Kyung-won's own voice is very suitable for this song.
"Have we sent out the news of our return?"
During their casual conversation, Chi Jingyuan picked up his phone, glanced at the news, and suddenly asked, "Has the company already released the news about our comeback? What's the online reaction?"
"The response has been exceptionally positive!"
Kim Junmyeon immediately said, his tone full of relief: "The related topics have completely dominated the charts, and our fans are going crazy."
"Although there are some haters mocking us, the general public's evaluation is quite good, and many people are looking forward to our performance."
After listening, Ji Kyung-won nodded. Even though EXO hadn't made a comeback in a long time, their fan base and national popularity were definitely not a problem.
As they were talking, Ji Jingyuan's gaze inadvertently swept over Kim Jongin beside him. He noticed that Jongin had been silent, with his head down, his face looking rather unpleasant, and the atmosphere around him was very tense. Clearly, Jongin was not in a good mood.
He quietly tugged at Wu Shixun's arm and gestured with his lip: "What's wrong with him?"
"...One of his biggest fans has switched allegiances. This fan was someone who frequently participated in events, and they even closed their fan site and started a new one..."
Wu Shixun muttered to himself.
"Where have you climbed to?" Chi Jingyuan asked curiously, lowering his voice as well.
"Wanna One... I heard that I didn't stop being a fan when the dating rumors broke out, but I stopped being a fan after Wanna One debuted."
Chi Jingyuan raised an eyebrow, instantly understanding.
No wonder Kim Jong-in was in a bad mood.
This phenomenon of fans switching allegiances, abandoning their allegiance, and turning against their rivals is essentially no different from the feeling of having one's wife stolen away.
If it were him, he would definitely be very unhappy too.
Just as the group was discussing, someone nearby suddenly said:
"According to the news, Wanna One has also announced their comeback."