[SAVEN’s 4th single album “Wee Hours” sells 912,000 copies on its first day, “breaking their own record”—will they become million sellers?]
They had caught up to their previous comeback’s first-week sales with first-day sales alone, but the fans’ reaction was drier than expected.
Because their album sales rising with every comeback had been a predictable trend.
The reaction to their chart entry status was the same.
[Water Melon Rapidly Rising Search Terms #1]
[Music video #1 on YouTube Trending]
[Box #1, Jenny enters at #8]
[“Rhapsody (狂想曲)” enters Water Melon real-time chart at #2]
ㅡReal-Time Ranking
ㅡ 1【Violet Beauty Salon - Youth love】
▲ 2【SAVEN - Rhapsody (狂想曲)】
▼ 3【Hong Juyong - Should I Say Let’s Break Up】
For a top girl group on SAVEN’s level, reaching #1 on the daily ranking was a natural course of events even if the new song was bad.
But this dryness did not mean the fans’ interest had waned.
They simply had no attention to spare because they were pouring all their nerves elsewhere.
And that was the community reaction to the new song.
The public’s first impression of the new song.
Of course, even if opinions were divided.
Even if there were many negative reactions.
There was no way the results would come out badly.
Given the nature of girl group songs that repeat the same hook, their addictiveness and mass appeal were high, so as long as exposure continued nonstop, through so-called “brainwashing,” people would eventually come to feel the song was good.
But results achieved solely on the group’s popularity would inevitably wear down the group’s image, and their chart ranking, too, would have no choice but to drop sharply as time passed.
Moreover, this single was a self-produced album produced by Dohee and Chaerin.
The ripple effect would inevitably be greater than usual, and now, with the end of the year not far off, the public’s first impression of the song was the final event that would determine the direction of the awards ceremonies.
That was why the fans ended up voyeuristically lurking on every site imaginable, checking every reaction in detail.
-SAVEN’s new song is so good ㅠㅠ
-Wow, seriously, SAVEN picks songs insanely well
└This time Lee Dohee and Gong Chaerin made it, though
└Huh, really?
└Yeah, check the hot board
-I like the B-side better, but they made this too
-How is this a song made by 16- and 19-year-old babies?
-It has that flavor that snipes K-pop stans...
-Wow, aren’t Dohee and Chaerin actual geniuses?
Fortunately, not only on SNS but also in K-pop communities, the majority of responses were positive, and the crowning touch among them was a YouTube video by professional producers with quite a few subscribers.
> [Current Producers React to SAVEN - Rhapsody (狂想曲)]
And the fans all clicked the video without exception.
When the video played, two men appeared, sitting there wearing headsets.
[Leo: What’s up guys. I’m Leo of the composing team Double G, active in Korea and the U.S.]
[Noah: I’m Noah of Double G.]
After a brief introduction, the two began talking.
[Leo: Who is it this time?]
A group photo of the SAVEN members appeared on the screen.
[Noah: It’s none other than~ SAVEN, whom we really like! From what I heard, the members produced this album themselves, right?]
[Leo: Yes, judging by the fact that SAVEN’s Dohee and Chaerin are listed first in the composing and arranging credits, I think we should consider that to be the case.]
[Noah: First, let’s look at the song title. Rhapsody (狂想曲).]
[Leo: Gwangsanggok. I didn’t know this well, but apparently “Rhapsody” is called gwangsanggok in Korean. For starters, a rhapsody is an instrumental piece with a free feeling, not bound by a fixed form.]
[Noah: That’s right. And it definitely makes me feel all over again that Miss Dohee majored in classical music? I’m not sure if it’s right to say she majored in it, but anyway, that she came from being a pianist.]
[Leo: Her awards history is impressive.]
[Noah: Weren’t you a music school graduate too, Leo?]
[Leo: ...First of all, the lyrics were written by Oh Hyeon! Then let’s get started. Let’s get it!]
With noise, the music video began playing on the screen.
[Noah: It starts in a forest at dawn. The singing coming from somewhere is... SAVEN’s song “unsatisfied.”]
[Leo: Usually this kind of feeling is either dreamlike or horror.]
The two moved on while giving moderate reactions.
Then, triggered by Yeeun meeting the camera’s gaze, the song began in earnest.
A ba-bam beat flowed out.
[Leo: Is that brass? Wind instruments? It definitely seems like they’re bringing out the feel of an instrumental piece, right?]
[Noah: Yes, I think it is brass... but it feels like something I’ve never heard before.]
[Leo: I’ve heard things that are similar too, but I think they probably made this newly and used it. This isn’t easy. We ourselves haven’t made samples directly that often.]
[Noah: Honestly, there’s no real need to make samples. There are so many, and such a variety.]
[Leo: Still, they used samples for the rest. This is a bit unique too—it’s old stuff. I think Chaerin was the one who made this part feel sophisticated and hip-hop-ish.]
[Noah: Yes, from what I heard from a trainer on Zy’s side, Chaerin’s specialty is hip-hop. She’s also SAVEN’s sub-rapper.]
[Leo: For now, the impression is that it’s good. We’ll keep listening.]
At last, with the first verse, the song began in earnest.
[Noah: Oh, the intro is good. Harang’s ringing voice really grabs your attention.]
[Leo: The choreography also has really big, hip-hop-style moves. It draws the eye.]
[Noah: Ah, seriously... why does watching the SAVEN members make me feel so good?]
[Leo: Haha, me too.]
[Noah: They really all seem so bright. Ah, this part is nice.]
[Leo: But seriously, they all dance so well.]
[Noah: There are no weak links. Honestly, when Yeeun participated in the Jeodol 3 survival show, there were evaluations saying she was lacking, but now there’s none of that at all.]
[Leo: Exactly. Look, all the members aren’t just using their arms and legs, but the groove in how they use their bodies...]
[Noah: You can tell how much the members practiced just by looking at their expressions. Especially Dohee—she’s really good with facial expressions.]
[Leo: And the choreography is good and the atmosphere is good, but this is something I feel every time I listen to a SAVEN song: when Seoyun appears, there’s this sense of stability in the vocals.]
[Noah: Right. She’s a different kind of vocalist from Sera. Sera bursts out powerfully. This is why they make project girl groups, I guess. Their charms are one thing, but their talents are so varied.]
The two continued reviewing the song with natural, unfeigned reactions.
And before long, they reached the final chorus.
[Noah: Ah, this is it. It feels like they know how a song should progress.]
[Leo: Exactly. Hook 3 here is really good too.]
[Noah: I just realized this, but all of SAVEN’s songs so far had attractive bass, right?]
[Leo: Ah, now that you mention it, the bass is missing this time?]
[Noah: Yes. Maybe that’s why SAVEN’s new charm seems to come alive. They’re worthy of self-producing.]
With Noah’s words, the song ended.
At the same time, the members in the music video, who had been looking at each other and laughing excitedly, lost those expressions and, with expressionless faces, snapped their heads toward the camera in an instant to stare at it.
[Noah: Oof, the ending is kind of scary.]
[Leo: Still, they’re pretty.]
The YouTube channel logo and a burst of noise passed by, and the two composers’ closing thoughts followed.
[Leo: As everyone probably felt, the lyrics and the title both seem to bring out that feeling of an atmosphere going mad. The gwang in gwangsanggok is the character for madness, isn’t it?]
[Noah: Yes, like manic-depression, laughing and then suddenly going dead serious. I think that’s what they were expressing. It was really fun.]
[Leo: Actually, you can feel it in the song too—the chords and melody themselves aren’t on the bright side, right? But the progression feels lively. A free rhapsody with no set mold. It really was a song like its title.]
[Noah: That’s why I think they directly made a sample that modified brass. That really brought the atmosphere of the song to life...]
[Leo: Looking at it like this, Dohee and Chaerin definitely did a good job producing. I was worried because they’re still rookies and also young.]
[Noah: I agree. A song like this would’ve been good to release in summer too, with that horror feeling.]
[Leo: Still, Halloween was two weeks ago, so the timing seems decent. Come to think of it, they say there isn’t much time left for this SAVEN either. That’s a shame. I was just starting to want to see more of the two of them working.]
[Leo: Haha, the fans must feel even more strongly than we do. Then we’ll say goodbye here. This has been Noah of Double G.]
[Leo: And Leo of Double G.]
And as screenshots of the video spread here and there, reactions to the song grew even hotter.
The fans’ reactions were also heated in all sorts of ways.
==============
[Experts really do catch different things]
I did think it was meant to have that madness-of-a-rhapsody feeling just from the lyrics and the kids going dead serious in the music video, but it was also in the song progression, melody, chords, beat, or whatever, huh ㄷㄷ
-That’s why they made a new sample too ㄷㄷ (I don’t know what that means)
└Wow, insane ㄷㄷ (I don’t know either)
└Anyway, it was sick ㄷㄷ
[But am I the only one annoyed by the review?]
I was watching with a warm smile, but those composer bastards hit me where it hurts at the end, so now I’m pissed, fuck...
I’d forgotten for a moment that they’re disbanding soon
-For real, I unsubscribed because of that
-ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ Is there any chance they’ll stay on as the same team?
└Seasons 1 and 2 disbanded in the end too, so... Monorush was even a group that won a grand prize
└But aren’t they making more money now?
└Most of the members are from big agencies, so I don’t think it matters
[Let’s just look at Chaerin’s Bubble from today and laugh]
> GeniusProducerGongChaerin: My nickname?
> GeniusProducerGongChaerin: Ah...
> GeniusProducerGongChaerin: Well, Dohee and I made a bet
> GeniusProducerGongChaerin: On what time Hana unnie would make us practice until
> GeniusProducerGongChaerin: I lost;;
For reference, Dohee’s nickname is still “GeniusProducerDohee”
-What is this ㅋㅋㅋㅋ This is ridiculous ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Ah, Rahi is so damn annoying ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Chaerin changed hers too ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-ㅋㅋㅋㅋ But am I the only one curious what time Hana made them practice until?
==============
But as the fans laughed while looking at those posts, for some reason they continued to feel a sense of emptiness.
And they soon realized why.
[Come to think of it, I guess they’re not going on any variety shows this time]
The public broadcast shows, variety shows, and YouTube appearances that had filled every comeback were completely absent this time.
Even Hana’s YouTube hadn’t had any videos uploaded.
Since they had forced their schedule to the limit in the first place in order to make this comeback, it couldn’t be helped.
But they couldn’t upload nothing at all.
It wasn’t a digital single, after all.
So SAVEN decided to upload one piece of self-produced content that fans would like.
-Do we get to see our genius producers Lee Dohee and Gong Chaerin?
[[SUB] SAVEN - Rhapsody (狂想曲) Producing&Recording Behind]
It was the producing and recording behind-the-scenes.