Damn Idol Episode 151
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MacArthur, who ended the Korean War, once said.
Old soldiers never die, just fade away.
The achievements and feats accomplished by old soldiers never truly vanish. That is why they never die, but merely fade away.
But you know what?
Old musicians die, and they fade away too.
The disease that leads us to our demise usually goes by the word "trend."
But what about this?
If I say that young sensibilities have been added to the blues I've cultivated my whole life, would I sound too much like some old geezer from NME or Rolling Stone?
Then listen to the track Zion co-wrote with Yankos Greenwood.
I always teased Yankos by calling it "jazz pop" whenever he insisted his genre was pop jazz, you know?
But "Holiday" is pop jazz.
This is exactly the sound Yankos wanted.
He can probably pull it off well now.
He just needs to watch and learn.
Ah, but Mary Jones's techno was too childish. She should be grateful Zion arranged it to this level.
Honestly, my favorite track from
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-No way, crazy, so you're saying Han Sion co-wrote with Donald McGus?
-You mean it's not sampling.
-Is this really by the real Donald McGus?
-Yup yup yup, it's true. It's from Donald McGus's SNS lolololol
-Wow, crazy. What the hell? Did Chris Edward help?
-Is that something you can just make happen with help?
-Then are all the other participating musicians co-writers too??? Lucid Vin?! Yankos Greenwood?!! Eric Scott!!!
-Maybe we're living in Han Sion's era?
-No no no, we don't know yet. Donald McGus is a sure thing, but the other musicians might just be sampling.
-Why?
-Donald McGus and Han Sion have ties. They met in New Jersey.
-What do you mean?
-There are a lot of newbies who don't know this. (video) (video).
-Huh? Is this Han Sion?
-Yeah yeah yeah yeah. He went to film the Color Show and got close with Donald McGus at Seaside Heights. This video became a hot topic in American communities, and that's how he got onto Billboard.
-OMG;
-Wow, I didn't know this either?
-Thanks to this, he even broke through on music shows hahaha
-Damn, when is Han Sion's official statement dropping.
-"Yeah, it's hyung. Hyung co-wrote them all."
-lolol just thinking about it gives me secondhand satisfaction lololol
-Hasn't Saedalbaek-il's official account uploaded anything?
-They're probably busy since they're doing the M Show music broadcast today hahaha
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"Crazy."
Reading Donald McGus's critique, I laughed in disbelief.
No, this isn't a critique.
In Korea, it was translated that Donald McGus, a blues legend, had written a critique of Saedalbaek-il's album. But the format of the writing isn't a critique.
Rather, it's closer to a review he wrote on his own social media, peppered with jokes.
If the word "review" feels a bit off, then "recommendation" might be a better fit.
Come to think of it, Donald McGus must have intended this from the start.
"You live like a protagonist in a movie. Fighting against those wicked capitalists with music, are you?"
"I think I might be able to help you out a bit."
"Do you know what kind of power us old folks have?"
"We look important. When old people speak, we just sound like we know what we're talking about, you know?"
When we were talking at the hotel in New Jersey, I didn't think much of it. But now I understand.
The reason Western listeners found this review interesting was because McGus mentioned other artists' names with specific context.
The issue regarding Mary Jones, in particular, was huge.
In Korea, word got around that Donald McGus dissed Mary Jones in his review of Saedalbaek-il's album.
But that's what people say when they don't know the sensibilities of that market.
Donald McGus, a blues legend, and Mary Jones, a techno legend, stand quite far apart genre-wise.
However, the two are actually on quite good terms.
They even released photos of them vacationing together after some awards ceremony.
Perhaps that's why, at various award shows where they were nominated together, they often traded joking hate speeches.
"My congratulations to Mary Jones, who makes the best melodies among those who can't make melodies."
Donald McGus pulled this joke, playing on the characteristics of the techno genre.
"Blues? Isn't that just for washed-up jazz musicians who can only play in 4/4 time?"
Mary Jones fired back, using the characteristics of blues.
Blues musicians never really liked blues being called a subgenre of jazz.
The reaction to that ended with McGus making a face like he'd been hit with a good one.
But journalists who didn't know this history—or hadn't bothered to find out—were writing articles calling it a diss.
If it's the Mary Jones I remember, she must have started writing a post the moment she saw that review.
And sure enough, on her social media:
-SO, WHO'S THE TITLE?
A post like this had gone up two hours ago.
The meaning of these words is: "So, whose track became the title?"
Because the title track I'd chosen for this album was co-written by Mary Jones.
That's not all.
Chris Edward, Yankos Greenwood, and the others who participated in our album have all written that they will be posting their own reviews soon.
Honestly, this is my first time experiencing something like this.
Until now, I've seduced them with my music and collaborated on countless songs.
Several legends have praised my albums in private or public settings.
But I've never seen them so openly stirring the pot like this.
Wondering what the difference was…….
"Ah."
It's because I'm in Korea.
When I was active in America, obtaining these co-writing credits would invariably involve messy political relationships.
For example, when I was under Gingerbread Man Records, Roots Robbie from Interscope Records would have a hard time praising me publicly.
Gingerbread Man Records is a subsidiary of Warner Music Group, and Interscope Records is a subsidiary of Universal Music Group.
Because the two music groups are in fierce competition, the artists also have to be mindful.
Of course, an artist of Roots Robbie's caliber wouldn't be trembling with fear watching what he says, but it's considered a virtue not to make remarks that unnecessarily stir up trouble.
It's not just an agency problem; there are also issues with awards committees.
Ever since my American debut, I've always released incredible debut albums, but it's rare for me to win awards at ceremonies.
It usually ends at nominations.
Because I'm an unfamiliar Asian face.
But if legends praised me, it might make the awards ceremonies uncomfortable.
Because of this kind of situation, this phenomenon couldn't have occurred when I was in America.
But now, I'm in Korea. I have no connection to the American market, and I don't even have a distribution contract with a Western company.
No.
Come to think of it, even in Korea, I have no agency. I'm in a state of perfect financial independence.
That's why these people feel no resistance to saying whatever they want.
Donald McGus—who still possesses the sensibilities of a teenage boy—was the one who broke the ice.
Hmm, but honestly, I'm a bit disappointed.
I was originally planning to take a lot more hate.
I was going to let the wholesale sampling controversy grow bigger and bigger until Choe Daeho couldn't stand it and came at me.
Right at that moment, I was going to reveal the truth and create a twist.
"You know, if you think about it, Sion is a pervert."
"Me?"
"Why do you like getting cursed out?"
"It's not that I like getting cursed out. It's that the situation that comes after is thrilling."
"Normally, people try to avoid getting cursed out if they can help it."
Is that so?
But I've never been in a situation where I didn't get cursed out.
When an Asian becomes a media star in the Western world, they'll get cursed out no matter what they do.
So even if I get hate, it's important to take it well.
Anyway, a leader must be able to respond fluidly to changed situations.
With a rush of reviews from the legends pouring in, I need to change my plans a bit.
Knock knock.
As I was thinking that, someone came in through the waiting room door with a knock.
"Oh, hello!"
"Hello!"
The members also sprang up from their seats at the familiar face.
It was PD Gang Seok-u.
That's right.
We were currently in the waiting room for the M Show music broadcast.
"Have you been well? It's even nicer to see you at a place like this."
"You've been well too, PD-nim?"
"Of course. Yi Ion-ssi, you've gotten even more handsome? I was already admiring the footage a lot during Coming Up Next."
"Thank you for always filming me so well."
The Saedalbaek-il members know what kind of relationship Gang Seok-u and I have, and what kind of dealings we've had.
They even know that he helped cast On Saemiro on Masked Singer.
So everyone treated PD Gang Seok-u quite warmly.
Moreover, PD Gang Seok-u was scheduled to direct our first variety show.
"But what brings you here?"
"It's not that I have particular business; I was just thinking about the variety format and got curious about the factual relationships."
"Factual relationships?"
"Did you really co-write with those legends?"
"Yes. Chris Edward helped make it happen."
"Is that something that can be made to happen just through someone's help?"
"You just have to do it well."
PD Gang Seok-u stared at me intently after hearing my words, then laughed.
"You've changed a lot. Han Sion-ssi, too."
Me?
I was puzzled at first, but thinking about it, it's true.
Yes, I must have changed a lot.
Because my first album was released and I didn't have nightmares.
Honestly, our album sales are a bit disappointing.
Right after regressing, I searched for the album sales of K-pop idols in 2016, the previous year, from my hospital room.
The best-selling album hadn't even sold a million copies.
I think it had slightly surpassed 750,000 copies.
It varies by group, but usually about 20% to 50% of total sales happen in the first week of release.
Commonly called first-week sales.
Our first week is…….
Saedalbaek-il 1st Full Album, 219,3**—approximately 220,000 copies.
You can think of pre-orders taking up quite a large portion.
People are incredibly surprised.
Because first-week sales represent the firepower of an idol group's fandom.
We knew we had high recognition, but we didn't know our popularity was this high.
Ah, but I have to subtract 20,000 copies.
Those 20,000 were bought by Chris Edward.
It wasn't that he wanted 20,000 of our albums; he also ran errands for the participating legends, and it seems Alex was scheming something.
Since Alex, Eddy's manager and the ace of HR Corporation, has been eyeing me.
I suspect they ran some simulations among themselves and might propose a distribution deal to us.
To me, 220,000 is normally a terrible record.
If I were active in America, I would have contemplated regressing if my debut album's first week was only 200,000.
But strangely, I feel fine.
I absolutely don't feel like this album will end at 200,000.
Pink Floyd's … spent a whopping 949 weeks on the Billboard 200, setting a Guinness record.
I believe our album will become Korea's ….
It's an album that's that well-made.
We'll be able to sell at least a million copies within this year.
Then Gang Seok-u continued his question.
"But why aren't you making it official?"
"Looking at how things are going, I think the people who participated in the album will mention it. It looks better than if I say it myself."
"Hmm."
Gang Seok-u seemed to be thinking hard about something, then nodded.
Just then, the music broadcast staff approached us and signaled that we were on standby.
As I stood up with the other members, I remembered something and opened my mouth.
"PD Gang Seok-u."
"Yes?"
"Please use our appearance fee today to pay back the advance to On Saemiro."
"An advance?"
PD Gang Seok-u tilted his head, then belatedly clapped his hands.
Then smiled.
"Ah, right. The advance."
On Saemiro's eyes widened.
"Gang Seok-u PD won't ask you for that money, will he?"
"You don't know what an advance is? It's money you receive beforehand. Then where do you think that money was drawn from?"
"From future On Saemiro. Thinking that you'd keep appearing on M Show even after Coming Up Next ends."
"Because what I ultimately told On Saemiro came true."
"I'll let the accounting team know. We have to be strict about these things."
"Thank you."
I gave On Saemiro a light slap on the back as he hesitated, then left the waiting room.
Shortly after, our second music broadcast began.