Damn Idol — Episode 126
* * *
America does not have music programs the way Korea does.
Of course, there are channels that specialize in music, like MTV or MUCH MUSIC.
But considering the nature of Korean music programs, one could argue that famous talk shows, morning broadcasts like GMA, or radio shows served a more similar role.
Yet on those programs, rookies had almost nowhere to stand.
Because ratings were at stake, only those who were already famous appeared.
That was why The Color Show was special.
It was content watched by many across the Western world, and one where rookies could rarely take the stage.
Of course, looking at the lineup, famous singers took up more than seventy percent of the bill, but even so, thirty percent was an extraordinary figure.
Because among those in Korea who enjoyed overseas pop, there were quite a few who discovered rookies through The Color Show.
So the fact that Sedal Baekil was appearing on The Color Show was astonishing.
\-LOL wow, you can't even say they're on this thanks to marketing push, huh?
\-Why? It could just be marketing.
\-They don't even have a company LOL what kind of marketing is that LOL
\-Are they that good? How the hell did they get confirmed?
\-Isn't there a single Sedal Baekil fan here???
\-As if there'd be idol fans on the foreign-pop board
\-Fuck, I can't stand the curiosity. I'm gonna go join the Sedal Baekil fan club and come back.
\-Go go. If you pull good photocards, you'll make back the membership fee and then some.
\-What does that mean?
\-(Link) If you pull a 1997 or special cut, don't throw it away.
\-This bastard knows a suspicious amount, doesn't he?
\-Isn't he already a fan club member?
\-No... I'm just a music college student who got rejected after confessing to my crush with a photocard....
\-Aaaah....
\-Friendly! Cease fire!
\-But I like Sedal Baekil... they're good... fan club activities are fun too... the official website is well-made....
\-Stop crying and tell us.
Thanks to that, the ripple effect was considerable.
One highly effective marketing technique that many companies chose was awareness marketing.
Marketing that made people assume a product must be good simply because a celebrity used it.
Sedal Baekil's trajectory was no different.
Since a famous piece of content had chosen them, they couldn't help but be seen as good singers.
This worked even on those who were hearing about The Color Show for the first time.
Because if you visited The Color Show's channel, the roster of artists who had appeared thus far was no joke.
While the general public focused on Sedal Baekil's achievement in this way, those entrenched in idol culture were different.
\-Don't you think they timed the release to match the Take Scene teaser on purpose??
\--Seems like it. The Take Scene teaser got completely buried.
\-Existing powers are shaking....
\-Isn't that overanalyzing?
\-If that's the case, the upload times are exactly the same down to the minute;
\-Because it's obvious they're dropping a Ryan teaser.
They had grasped Sedal Baekil's intentions.
Those working in the show business industry made this same judgment.
"Why is the fight between Ryan and Sedal Baekil so fierce?"
"Right? At this rate, CEO Choi is going to be humiliated."
"Wow, but it's like heaven is helping them. The timing from the program rigging controversy to The Color Show reveal is incredible?"
"Choe Daeho must feel wronged."
But what they didn't know was that it wasn't heaven helping them.
It was something Han Sion had created.
Amidst all this, Ryan Entertainment mobilized its PR team and tried desperately to create buzz for Take Scene, but
\[Sedal Baekil's Independence Diary Episode 3 | Fan Club, Fan Kit, Color Show Scouting Behind the Scenes?! (Feat. Chris Edward)\]
they were completely buried by Sedal Baekil's self-produced content.
Compared to Episode 1, which had recorded close to ten million views thanks to "Abyss Detector" and "Dropout," Episode 2 had failed to generate much of a stir.
But Episode 3 exploded once again.
Thanks to the flood of public curiosity, it began climbing in views with terrifying momentum.
The content of Episode 3 faithfully followed the passage of time.
The members worrying about features to add to their official website and selecting the goods for the fan kit were shown first.
During this, a scene where Han Sion picked out a CD player and got shot down also made it in.
\-He was like that in Abyss Detector too, why is he so serious about albums?
\-Well, what else would an indie band be serious about if not albums LOL
\-Ah, right. They were an indie band LOL
\-So confusing. I'm confused.
\-When is The Color Show story coming out?
Next came talk of the photoshoot, and there was also a scene where the members picked out the outfit for a special cut that would be provided at a 0.1% probability.
"Let's just take it all off."
"...Are you crazy?"
"But I've been working out hard lately."
After Han Sion's attempt to strip Lee I-on of his top was thwarted by the members' protests, it became Choe Jaeseong's turn to pick Han Sion's outfit.
"I-on hyung, shall I get revenge for you?"
"Revenge?"
"I know what would torment Sion hyung the most. Ah, of course, it's not just for revenge—the fans will love it."
"You... what are you trying to do?"
Behind Han Sion's anxious face, the screen switched and the outfit was revealed.
It was an incredibly cute set of animal pajamas.
With cat ears attached.
Han Sion was someone whose expression rarely changed, but this time anyone could tell he was embarrassed.
Even his speech slowed down.
"Isn't this... going to look unflattering... on me?"
"We agreed to pick for each other."
"The outfit I picked fell through."
"You didn't pick an outfit—you stripped one off."
"Pick something else."
"Nope."
"I'll give you a solo song. A really (edit) good one."
For reference, the edited-out portion had omitted an urgent shout of "So good it would make the songs I gave Dropout or NOP look like trash."
Though watching the sinking Han Sion was amusing, it was a line that could cause major problems.
Originally, this was the type of content that fans loved but that did not appeal to the general public.
But because Han Sion was genuinely embarrassed, it had the feel of a penalty costume from a variety show.
Thanks to that, the general public enjoyed it quite a bit.
\-LOL HipSion, you prick, you can literally see him holding back the rebel temperament boiling in his blood LOL
\-Urk LOL look at him being shy.
\-LOOOL the members are really loving it LOL looks like they've accumulated a lot of grievances
\-Hey, I'm a dude, but I think I'm starting to like these bastards LOL
\-He looks the healthiest I've ever seen Han Sion. Look at that facial blood circulation going.
And so, behind Han Sion's bashful face, commercial time rolled around.
The soulless commercials of Sedal Baekil's Independence Diary were quite famous as a meme in their own right.
In Episode 1, they advertised water and air; in Episode 2, they advertised light that brightly illuminated the world and vivid sounds.
It was a way of saying they had no PPL whatsoever.
But Episode 3 was different.
\-Oh!!!!!!!! PPL!!
\-What is it, what is it
\-It's protein LOLOL
\-Ah, the fitness market is solid these days.
\-Hey, but aren't Sedal Baekil's bodies nice? I noticed last time—I think they work out a lot.
\-Han Sion's shoulders are getting broader.
\-You bastards, if you're handsome, stop working out -_-
\-You're right. Now that I think about it, I'm pissed.
However, surprisingly, the PPL had tremendous authenticity.
After showing the members earnestly working out to their limits—not for the camera—they consumed protein shakes.
Then they showed their InBody changes.
The changes from when they first started exercising under Han Sion's guidance up until now.
The reason this wasn't false advertising was that Sedal Baekil hadn't started consuming the product because PPL came in.
They had been consuming the product since they first started working out, and a company that learned of it by chance offered them the advertisement.
While the scenes of them drinking the beverage were filmed recently, Sedal Baekil's actual muscle gain had been achieved together with this product.
This was also included in the subtitles.
\-I'm sitting in my room touching my belly fat watching these ultra-handsome guys work out, fuck, the self-loathing
\-You want to become like us? You can do it too! Try drinking it! XI Protein Booster!
\-Fuck off LOLOLOLOL
\-You want to burn that fat away? You can do it too! XI Protein Booster!
Likely because of The Color Show issue, Sedal Baekil's self-produced content had an extremely high proportion of general-public viewers.
So in the comments on the live stream, the reactions of fans and the general public mixed together quite ambiguously.
It was only natural that companies in need of advertising began to pay attention to this.
After that, they held a Q&A with questions received through their official website, and finally the story of The Color Show came out.
It began with Han Sion receiving a phone call from Chris Edward.
\-Wow, so Edward's attitude on Coming Up Next was real after all.
\-They were still in contact??
\-T_T God Sion is really a genius T_T
Scene-wise, there was some directing involved.
Eddie was shown giving advice to create a portfolio since The Color Show staff had shown some interest in Sedal Baekil.
Then Han Sion whipped up a song, and Sedal Baekil immediately began practicing.
They were so unstoppable that those watching were bewildered.
This wasn't an attitude of "let's try once, and if it doesn't work, oh well."
They gritted their teeth and rushed in as if this were the last chance ever given to Sedal Baekil.
Even though nothing was decided, they did not hesitate.
Desperation and determination could be felt.
The chat reactions slowed, but that wasn't a bad sign.
Because being intensely immersed in something was attractive in itself.
They were staring blankly, captivated.
\-Wow... they really work hard.
\-Honestly, we know the result, but at this point in time, nothing had been decided yet.
\-Look at that desperation.
Because the chat had slowed, hate comments were more visible.
\-LOL since they have no schedules anyway, they have to do this at least~
\-It's because nobody's calling them so they have time on their hands LOL
But no one was swayed.
Because it absolutely did not look like that level of effort.
\-Have you ever tried hard at anything besides leaving hate comments?
That is why, the moment Sedal Baekil was confirmed for The Color Show, those watching felt the pleasure of vicarious satisfaction.
The saying that hard work pays off is mostly hollow in modern society, but it is also something we want to believe.
\-Congrats congrats congrats
\-When is The Color Show released?
\-It differs every time LOL more often than not, there isn't even a teaser.
\-Hope it comes out soon LOL
\-We didn't get a proper preview, but the song seems good too.
And so the pre-release streaming of the self-produced content ended, and articles poured out in great numbers.
Journalists wrote as if The Color Show were an authoritative piece of content like the Billboard or Grammy Awards, and depicted Sedal Baekil as having elevated the Republic of Korea's musical standing.
The Color Show wasn't content of that magnitude, but it didn't matter.
National prestige and patriotic fervor were always content that sold well.
Some journalists even began moving with fire in their eyes to secure an exclusive interview with Sedal Baekil.
But it was a futile endeavor.
Because Sedal Baekil was currently in America.
* * *
Paul, the chief manager of Colors Media, almost never visited filming sets.
If selecting musicians, determining concepts, and coordinating schedules were the editor team's jobs, he believed filming was the media team's job.
But he visited Sedal Baekil's filming set.
Because he was curious.
What kind of on-site energy the five boys from the East would show.
Or whether their skills were staged or manipulated.
But they weren't.
"Thank you for today."
Those friends who finished filming in just two takes and greeted each staff member one by one were the real deal.
It wouldn't be long before they'd be swimming in the deep end.