Compared to idols of past generations.
Fourth-generation idols tended to make the image, concept, and identity their group pursued distinctly clear through their group names.
The reason lay in the A&R process.
Now that the scope of K-pop had expanded to the world,
not only major entertainment companies but even small and midsized agencies could collaborate with overseas composers.
And that meant more opportunities to encounter a wider variety of songs.
In other words, regardless of the size of the agency, as long as the planners and A&R team had the ability, they could obtain songs that matched the concept they had envisioned during the planning stage.
That was why, now, beyond simply getting songs, deciding on a concept and choosing a group name to match it had also become important.
And Top East’s producer,
Jeong Sohyeon, had already envisioned the concept for Top East’s next-generation girl group six years ago, at the point when she cast Ua and Dohui.
A double concept, going beyond even a double title track.
If the girl crush concept was what made money,
and the girlish concept had broad public appeal,
then they simply had to do both.
They would show opposing concepts through double title tracks from debut.
But, of course, there were risks involved.
The increased investment from having double title tracks.
And an image that could become blurred to the public due to multiple concepts.
That was why they needed members with individuality and star quality who could convince the public even while presenting opposing double title tracks and concepts.
They also needed a catchphrase and a group name—a sentence and a word convincing enough to make people think, “That double concept is what defines that group.”
An image that included the independent, strong quality women aspired to,
while also containing beauty, kindness, and warmth that everyone, regardless of age or gender, could like.
Jeong Sohyeon had been mulling over such a group name even before the debut lineup was finalized.
To the point that she held monthly meetings with the music planning team and the content production team.
Then one idea came up.
—Team Leader, how about an anagram?
* * *
After the CEO left the conference room, before the full explanation began,
Team Leader Sohyeon turned on the beam projector and calmly opened with a question.
“Girls, what kind of concept would you like?”
And all sorts of opinions burst out.
Innocent, girl crush, cute, chic, refreshing.
“Sexy!”
Even Seoyun unnie’s sexy.
“Pfft.”
With that flat chest.
“.......”
“Unnie, hold it in.”
“I am holding it in...”
“Yes, Seoyun.”
“Team Leader, I’m seriously going to roll her up in a straw mat one day.”
“Yes, yes.”
Huh?
“Anyway, cute, innocent, girl crush, Seoyun’s sexy... pfft.”
“Team Leader.”
“Ahem, yes. In any case, just like the opinions that came out just now, the concepts you want will probably all be different and varied.”
Team Leader pointed to the PowerPoint projected onto the screen.
“And all of those concepts come from either girl crush or girlish. It’s one of two things: pretty or cool.”
A chart of active third- and fourth-generation girl groups organized by concept.
“Then should you girls also choose one, like those groups, and go with it?”
Then, with a click, a single word appeared.
“No. The concept you girls should pursue is an unrivaled icon that can’t be confined to either side of the boundary between girlish and girl crush.”
A four-syllable word.
“Debonair...? Devon Air?”
We reflexively read the word aloud, repeating it.
Gasps and strange hums came out at the same time.
“Is this, by any chance, our group name?”
Team Leader gave a small nod.
“That’s right. Does anyone know what this word means?”
Naturally, the members tilted their heads in puzzlement.
Because it was a word even I, who could get perfect scores on the TOEIC and TOEFL, didn’t know.
‘I feel like I’ve seen it somewhere...’
Not in a vocabulary book...
Did I see it in a newspaper while studying real English?
What was it again? I think I saw it in an article about a male actor.
Male? Ah, right.
“Ah! It was used with a feeling like, um, a tailcoat? Something like that.”
Director Sohyeon smiled faintly and nodded.
“It’s a word that isn’t used much even in the English-speaking world. How did you know?”
“I think I glimpsed it in an English newspaper while studying.”
“Yes, that’s right. It has a similar feel to a tailcoat. To give you a bit of additional explanation, this is an old-fashioned word that it would be strange for a Korean person to know. It was a word that nearly disappeared back in the Middle Ages.”
When Director Jeong Sohyeon clicked, the screen changed.
“That’s what makes it even better. From now on, when people see this word, they’ll think of you girls.”
There were numerous meanings written on the screen.
“Wow, the meanings are really nice.”
“Yeah, it feels kind of cool.”
“It seems exactly like me?”
“What are you talking about? It fits me more than Chiyo unnie.”
English—[well-born, good-looking, good-natured, refined charm, confident air, courteousness, affectionate, polite]
French—[urban, indifferent, of good air]
Not only in English, but in French as well.
“Team Leader Soh... ah, you’re a director now.”
Oh, right.
She wasn’t Team Leader anymore.
“Naeun, it’s fine. Call me whatever you’re comfortable with.”
“No way. You’re a director now, so I should call you Director. Anyway, Director, that word has a lot of meanings, doesn’t it?”
Director Sohyeon smiled proudly and pointed at the screen with the pointer.
“There are a lot of good meanings, aren’t there?”
“Yes. But while most of the meanings are good, some of them seem kind of contradictory. In French, it says urban and indifferent. But in English, it says courteous and affectionate.”
Director Sohyeon nodded and was about to move on to the next slide.
“Yes, the reason for that is—”
And I raised my hand.
“I think I know.”
Well-born, good-looking, good-natured, refined charm, confident air, courteousness, affectionate, polite, urban, indifferent.
They were all adjectives that painted a single image.
“It’s an adjective that referred to gentlemen of the Middle Ages, right?”
I could infer that all the meanings had derived from an aristocratic gentleman.
And sure enough, the PowerPoint slide that appeared next was filled with images of gentlemen in suits.
“Yes. As Dohui said, ‘debonair’ was originally a word that evoked an aristocratic gentleman.”
“Ha, and how did you know I’m gentlemanly too?”
“You are?”
“A gentleman?”
“I’m not so sure about that...?”
“Exactly, Dohui.”
...Where else would you find someone as gentlemanly as me?
I doubt I’ve sworn even ten times in this life.
“What’s wrong isn’t me. It’s your biased gazes...!”
Ignoring my indignant stare, Naeun unnie raised her hand high.
“But Director, generally speaking, isn’t ‘gentleman’ not used for women?”
“Yes, Naeun, you’ve caught the point well. To put it briefly, there are very rare cases where ‘debonair’ is used for women. Because there are women who are as charming and kind as gentlemen.”
“Then we’re also...”
“However, even so, it’s true that ‘debonair’ is an adjective that gives off a masculine image. A woman can’t be a gentleman.”
“You hear that? She says you’re not a gentleman.”
“N-no...”
I’m devastated.
“No... I am, I am a gentleman...”
“What are you talking about?”
“But precisely because it’s an adjective that refers to men, it’s even better. The group name itself will illustrate your androgynous, girl crush aspects.”
“Then are we a girl crush concept?”
“No. As I said earlier, your concept is your own unrivaled image, one that can’t be confined to girl crush or girlish.”
Director Sohyeon moved on to the next PowerPoint slide.
“Before I tell you the hidden meaning of your group name, let’s listen to your first girl crush title track.”
And the demo version of the first title track began to play.
* * *
Ua unnie smiled shyly.
Naeun unnie did too, and even Chiyo unnie.
There were faint tears gathered around their eyes.
“This is really our song?”
“Wow, amazing. Director, who composed this?”
“It’s so good...”
Especially Ua unnie, perhaps because it was finally sinking in that she was debuting after six years as a trainee.
She seemed overwhelmed with emotion.
“Yes, it really is our song. The choreography isn’t ready yet, though. What do you think? Do you like it?”
Because she looked as if she might burst into tears at any moment.
I simply faced Ua unnie and smiled at each other for a long while.
“The song is really so good. I’m so happy right now.”
“If Ua likes it, I’m happy too.”
But then came a loud clap.
“Still, girls, don’t cry yet. You have to listen to the second title track too.”
The unnies answered energetically and nodded.
The PowerPoint screen changed once again.
“Before you listen to the second title track.”
On the screen was a new sentence, the group name with a be-verb attached to it.
“From now on, this will be your catchphrase.”
“This?”
“Why?”
Jeong Sohyeon looked at the puzzled members with a meaningful smile, as if she was very much looking forward to our reactions.
“Do you girls know what an anagram is?”
“An anagram?”
An example appeared on the screen.
“Yes. Like this example, rearranging the letters of a word or sentence to create another word or sentence with a different meaning is called an anagram. In other words, one sentence has two meanings.”
And then the sentence appeared again.
Our catchphrase.
“Debonair is. What is Debonair? What does Debonair mean? Well-born, good-looking, good-natured, refined charm, confident air, courteousness, affectionate, polite, urban, indifferent. Can you girls be confined to a word that means gentleman?”
The director trailed off for a moment.
“I said earlier that Debonair has another hidden meaning, didn’t I?”
As if in response, we nodded vigorously.
“Then what is another answer to the question ‘Debonair Is’?”
At the same time, the letters of the sentence she had revealed as our catchphrase began to rearrange one by one.
[Debonair Is]
[Born ideaIs]
Debonair is Born ideaIs.
Debonair is born the ideal type.
“The Debonair of girl crush.”
“The Born ideals of girlish.”
“This will be your concept.”