novelnext Chapter 1235 Popular
Chapter 1235 Popular
Chapter 1235 Popular
With a sudden inspiration from Ji Kyung-won and the silent agreement of Girls' Generation, a suggestive shot was created in the music video.
Of course, the company did have objections. SM regarded any member who left the company abnormally as a traitor and suppressed them as much as possible. Even though Girls' Generation was about to disband after their last album, there was absolutely no room for compromise.
The pressure was quickly put on, and a director called Chi Jingyuan.
...Of course, this would be stressful for other producers, but for Ji Kyung-won, it was just a phone call.
He couldn't sense any pressure from the other party's helpless tone and tactful wording on the phone, and in the end, he simply brushed them off with one sentence:
"You guys are really focused on the team's voting results, right? This time it was also the team's vote that came out. Bro, do you want me to read out the vote format for you...?"
Chi Jingyuan didn't care about the pressure from the company at all, and Girls' Generation was going to disband anyway... More importantly, their opinions didn't matter.
Chi Jingyuan's word is law.
He couldn't be bothered to listen to what the company was saying; he just wanted to do his best to make this album a success. After seeing many comments from SONEs online, he changed his mind after thinking about it. He felt that since it was Girls' Generation's last album for their 10th anniversary and also their disbandment album, it should at least include some elements of Jessica Jung.
Even just a single shot or a hint would surely send eagerly awaiting fans into a frenzy of excitement.
Seeing that persuasion was useless, and unable to say anything even when mocked, the company had no choice but to retreat in defeat, pretending not to have seen anything in order to preserve their self-esteem.
However, their pride only lasted a day. The next day, Chi Kyung-won received another call... The company decided to cooperate with him, using this shot as a gimmick for publicity and hype to increase the popularity and success of Girls' Generation's comeback. They even asked him if he needed more similar hints...
Chi Jingyuan was somewhat speechless at the witty remark.
This also led to the addition of several Easter eggs featuring the "nine members" element in the album, hidden in various places. The most direct and popular one is the shot of the nine chairs in the middle of the "Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter" music video.
This was almost the first time Girls' Generation and SM Entertainment had mentioned him in a work since Jessica Jung left the group. As soon as it was discovered, it immediately became a hot topic, discussed and shared online, constantly attracting fans who only had nine members or older generations of Girls' Generation fans.
Chi Jingyuan browsed the online community. Although the song had just been released, judging from the trend and comments, the hype had indeed been achieved, and the feedback from fans had also been satisfactory.
An hour after the music was released, the charts were refreshed, with Girls' Generation's entire album making the list. One of their two title tracks, "Beautiful," directly entered the top ten. Even more surprisingly, "Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter" debuted at number one on more than seven music charts, including the Melon Chart.
The debut rankings in the first hour were astonishing, especially considering that Girls' Generation hadn't made a comeback in over two years, with their last song release being in 2015. Although their pre-release single "Party" briefly debuted at number one before quickly dropping, their fifth full-length album's title track "Lion Heart" only debuted at number five.
That was two years ago. After a complete hiatus of two years, Girls' Generation's comeback title track was able to immediately debut at number one... This is something that many popular girl groups today cannot do, yet a veteran group that has been in the industry for ten years has accomplished it once again.
It really surprised a lot of people... because there were many people online who were pessimistic about it before, predicting that it would suddenly drop to the top 30 and be released in two hours.
...especially the arrogant Wanna One fans who had already popped their champagne.
…………
After the release of Girls' Generation's music and its subsequent ranking on various charts such as Melon, a Wanna One fan group began to flood the chat with messages.
Even though it was already past midnight, it was still very lively.
The people most concerned about Girls' Generation's comeback recently are not only their fans (SONEs), but also fans of other girl groups from the same period, as well as fans of Wanna One, whose debut time completely overlapped with Girls' Generation's.
Although she always says that "washed-up girl groups are no match for us" and doesn't take Girls' Generation seriously at all... of course, that's what she really thinks, since Girls' Generation and Wanna One were not even on the same level in terms of popularity before.
Girls' Generation's pre-orders have increased somewhat in the last two days due to increased promotion, but they are still only at 19, while Wanna One's pre-orders have already reached 70.
One is a girl group that has long lost its former glory, and the other is a national boy group that was destined to top the charts even before its debut... Although girl groups place more emphasis on digital music charts, the difference is indeed too great.
In fact, many Wanna One fans were not dissatisfied at all when they saw that they were competing with Girls' Generation at the same time; on the contrary, they were very excited.
Because everyone felt that their own oppa would directly crush the entire "Young Women's Generation" group, the sense of accomplishment and conquest of debuting and rising to the top by stepping on the former TOP was really exciting.
Therefore, they paid close attention to Girls' Generation's performance and were thinking of opening champagne as soon as the results of the first hour came out.
However, reality turned out to be somewhat unexpected. The song was alright, and the production was okay... but for a girl group like Girls' Generation that had long since faded from popularity, they would at most be ranked in the top ten or twenty.
However, many fans were stunned when they saw this unexpected appearance.
Empty space?
"No way? That tall?"
"Damn, why is there no one left? I'm not seeing things, am I?"
"Over 30,000 likes in the first hour? Who on earth has been listening to this?"
The group chat erupted in commotion when it was discovered that Girls' Generation, whom they had initially thought would flop easily, had made such a high debut, with many fans finding it hard to believe.
Releasing a song with no first hit is the best indicator of popularity and attention... Even they themselves can't guarantee that their oppa's debut title track will have no first hit.
How did Girls' Generation manage to do this?
"It's probably a marketing ploy by SM Entertainment. Everyone knows SM has a good relationship with the Melon Chart."
"I listened to the song, it's just so-so."
"I just don't believe it. A comeback after a two-year hiatus and they're only getting one season in a row? Do they think they're Big Bang?"
"Can I report data fraud?"
"I guess the first hour will be good. SM has been promoting it a lot these past two days, and there's also the gimmick of a 'disbandment album,' so I guess the numbers will plummet soon."
After the initial surprise and disbelief, comes a wave of habitual skepticism and conspiracy theories.
However, after the initial outrage subsided, some more rational people began to speak out:
"But I think this album is pretty good. Both of the main tracks are quite nice, especially 'Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter'."
"Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter is really great, and the music video is also very well made. I'm listening to it on repeat right now."
"To be honest, once you listen to the song and watch the music video, you'll know that Yuan is indeed quite amazing."
"The entire album is very well produced. The costumes and sets for the two title tracks, especially 'Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter,' are obviously expensive. SM Entertainment is really rich. I wish our oppas' debut albums could be made with this much effort."
Even though they like Wanna One, some rational fans noticed the differences in this album, and amidst the brief arguments, some finally accepted that their 'prediction' was wrong:
"Damn it, I thought it was going to be a simple burial, but it turns out to be a joyous funeral?"
"I don't want to say anything, I'm just waiting for the data to plummet."
"Let's wait, it'll be the 7th soon. When the oppas come out, they'll definitely be better than them!"
…………
As the night passed and daytime arrived on August 5th, more and more people woke up and discovered Girls' Generation's comeback, causing the album's sales figures to soar.
The other songs on the album performed very well. Under Ji Kyung-won's careful control and song selection, the production of all the tracks was of a high standard and did not drag the album down. So although the ranking gradually slipped out of the top of the charts, it received a lot of positive reviews.
The two meticulously crafted lead singles performed exceptionally well, with "Beautiful" firmly holding a place in the top ten.
In comparison, the other main single, "Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter," was even more surprising, remaining firmly at number one from the very first hour of its release.
Many people who were pessimistic before thought that Girls' Generation only benefited from publicity and hype, and that the data for "Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter" was unreliable, especially after more people listened to the songs during the day, and that their ranking would quickly drop.
However, to the astonishment of many, the reality was quite the opposite. As more people listened to the song during the day, the data for "Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter" also rose higher and higher, and the increase was quite alarming. Looking at the comparison of independent listens and likes, the song had already shown the potential to become a hit in less than a day after its release.
As the audience grew, reviews and discussions became increasingly lively, with many online communities generating discussions about Girls' Generation's new album.
"This is such a pleasant surprise!! Although it's quite sad, this song completely met my expectations. The lyrics are very poetic, and the nostalgia for the beautiful past, the helplessness and sorrow over the passing of time and the loss of youth, are really touching. The music video is also an art form. Even though it's sunny, it still makes you feel lost and sad. The atmosphere is absolutely amazing. The costumes and props are also very well done. I think the best shots are Taeyeon and Yoona, and some of the close-ups..."
...Words really can't express the emotions I felt. I cried for a long time when I saw the music video. I felt a mix of emotions: surprise, unexpected joy, touching moments, and sadness. I've been a fan of Girls' Generation for ten years, and I know that every girl group has its prime. Although I'm very reluctant to say goodbye, everyone has to say goodbye eventually.
I was worried that the final album would just be a publicity stunt, that SM wouldn't take it seriously, and that the company wouldn't provide good songs or resources... I was really worried for a long time, but after watching the music video for this song, I breathed a sigh of relief. If this album is the finale, I think neither I nor Girls' Generation will have any regrets... I'm so grateful to Ji Kyung-won for bringing this song and this album to Girls' Generation and to us SONEs. You're amazing, I can only say you truly deserve to be TOP."
"From the lyrics to the music video, it's a work of art... but what moved me the most and made me shout out loud was the shot of the nine chairs. SM finally did something good. They really understand what we old fans want to see."
"The seasons come and go, and decades change. I hope to see Girls' Generation again in the next decade."
"I've heard many so-called 'disbandment songs' from various groups, but those are just gimmicks and are still just ordinary K-pop. However, this song by Girls' Generation is really touching. It really has the feel of saying goodbye and farewell. It's the best, most suitable, and most touching disbandment song I've ever heard."
"I've listened to this song on repeat more than ten times and I still cry. I'm really getting old, just like Girls' Generation."
"How could Ji Kyung-won write such a sad song? Waaaaah, I hate you."
The data and likes kept soaring, and the popularity of various topics kept increasing, which surprised many people.
There wasn't much discussion online before. Even though SM Entertainment did a lot of promotion and released a lot of materials, Wanna One still completely overshadowed Wanna One in terms of popularity and buzz.
Those who have been paying attention to and discussing Girls' Generation are nothing more than some fans and some passersby who came to take a look at the hype of the 'disbandment album'. They seem to be no match for Wanna One, who have received nationwide attention.
However, the album's release and the subsequent exposure and recognition of its songs and music videos completely exceeded everyone's expectations, including those of SM Entertainment, Ji Kyung-won, and Girls' Generation themselves.
It wasn't until "Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter" dominated the real-time charts and then snatched the top spot from Red Velvet's "Red Flavor" on the daily charts the very next day, and after receiving more and more positive reviews and becoming increasingly popular, that Ji Jingyuan gradually came to understand something.
While EXO was out of the spotlight, Wanna One fans stirred up trouble online, creating an atmosphere that 'Wanna One is the most popular, and no one else is paying attention,' which misled many people.
Wanna One, the boy group selected from the highly popular "Produce 101 Season 2" this year, is indeed very popular and can be called a national boy group.
But in reality, if we're talking about national popularity or fame... Wanna One can't compare to Girls' Generation at all.
The inherent limitations of boy bands mean that most of their fame is limited to their fan base. Even with the support of variety shows, it only slightly expands the number of people paying attention to the entertainment industry.
Girls' Generation, the top girl group that dominated an era, has accumulated fame over many years of exposure and national recognition, making their national popularity unparalleled. Although many people are not fans, they still know them.
The level of fame is on a completely different level... This kind of widespread fame might not have been able to exert much power before, but when attractive gimmicks such as "disbandment album", "10th anniversary", and "last album" are combined with a well-produced album, a lot of promotion, and an excellent and perfectly matched title track, it unexpectedly creates a stunning chemical reaction.
At the same time, Girls' Generation, as a former top group, has a huge fan base. Their fans haven't died; they've just gotten older, left, switched to other groups, or become anti-fans...
But the connection and longing in their hearts, the feelings they once had, still remain deep within many people's hearts.
They just need a trigger to draw them back.
This time, it seems that this song has become the key.
(End of this chapter)