Chapter 88
[<Make My Song the Title Track of the Debut Album!>
How amazing would it be if a song I composed and wrote becomes the title track?!
Reward: 200 points]
[<Make My Song a Track in the Debut Album!>
How amazing would it be if a song I composed and wrote becomes a track?!
Reward: 100 points per song]
Including a composed song in the album.
Hmm.
Composing a song itself wasn’t an issue.
If necessary, I even considered bringing in some songs I composed back when I was Baek Nokha.
The problem was…
“Would Director Kim really choose my song as the title track?”
It might be possible for a track.
If he outright rejected it, it would be obvious he was being biased.
He would also need an excuse to give to CEO Hong later.
But a title track was different.
If he claimed something else sounded better to him, there was nothing I could say.
I didn’t think I would lose to someone else in terms of composition.
Considering I’ve never heard Steel Blue’s songs in my past life, it probably means they weren’t particularly good.
There’s no reason it should be any different in this life.
Even with Kim Ryeo-yu in my past life, Director Kim couldn’t secure a good song.
So the chances of getting a good song in this life are even lower.
If I could compete fairly, I stood a chance.
The problem was how to make this inherently unfair game fair.
“The debut album will likely be a single.”
No agency releases a mini or full album as a debut.
It might have been possible in the past, but not in this day and age.
A single album has just one title track.
If lucky, maybe one more track.
But “Fingertips,” the song from the musical mission, is already reserved as a track.
So I need to go all-in on the title track.
“…Alright.”
Let’s solve another chronic issue while I’m at it.
“I’ll create a song that can’t help but be chosen as the title track, and then align the concept to match the song.”
I don’t know what concept Director Kim plans to give us.
But based on my experience, it probably wouldn’t be something I liked.
So let’s make an amazing song and align the concept to it.
Instead of matching the song to the concept.
By deciding the concept of the debut album this way, I could also establish the group’s overall worldview and concept.
Drawing dozens of big pictures with one debut song.
“…First, I’ll pick a few songs and ask the girls to look them over with me.”
Songs that would fit the image of all five members.
Considering the group concept.
It felt strange and unfamiliar.
When I was a solo artist, I only thought about my own identity.
What I wanted to convey.
The music I wanted to express.
But an idol group felt different.
A common direction for all five members.
What did we, as five people, want to say?
I recalled the members’ appearances over the past four months.
What they constantly talked about, what they desperately wanted to achieve.
And then I quietly headed to the studio.
***
In front of the studio inside the company building.
I was about to sneak into the studio when I saw someone inside the adjacent studio.
It was 3:30 a.m.
Another unfortunate soul whose days and nights had switched…
I considered giving advice that this would ruin their health, but then I remembered I was a rookie.
Whoever was inside would have more experience than me.
I almost became a rookie scolding a senior.
Better just pass by.
After all, I was here at this hour too.
“…Trainee Yoon Cheong?”
At that moment, the door, which I thought was firmly closed, opened.
Oh crap.
“Hello, senior.”
I had to greet him.
Because it was a familiar face.
“Oh… long time no see. Congratulations on your debut.”
The person inside the studio was Dan Ha of Burn Ash.
The one who made our song so difficult that it drained Ryu Bo-ra.
No wonder he made such difficult songs; he didn’t sleep until this hour.
Good songs come from a healthy mind.
“Thank you.”
I responded politely and tried to enter the studio.
“Trainee Yoon Cheong.”
But Dan Ha called me.
I wasn’t a trainee anymore, but a half-trainee.
“Yes, senior.”
“I need a female voice guide right now. Can you help me?”
“Sorry, my voice is shot from the early morning, so I’d just be a burden…”
Who the heck asks someone to sing at this hour?
Besides, Yoon Cheong’s vocal cords were already dying, so I had no intention of straining them.
“Oh, I see.”
“Yes.”
“I have 100 packs of pear and bellflower juice, which are good for the throat.”
…Maybe I should hear him out?
In the end, I found myself sitting on Dan Ha’s studio sofa, sipping a pack of pear and bellflower juice.
This guy.
He was even drinking the exact brand of juice I used to drink.
This one’s good.
He was a truly diligent idol of this era who took good care of his vocal cords.
Keep it up.
“Can I get some of these?”
“…The pear and bellflower juice?”
“Yes.”
Dan Ha looked at me as if to say, “Does this guy not have money to buy juice?”
I didn’t.
Yoon Cheong didn’t have that kind of money.
She even lived in a goshiwon.
She barely managed to pay the rent by borrowing money from Seo Baek-young when she had to leave.
“Not for free, right?”
“I’ll record the demo for you.”
“…There’s a box in the fridge.”
“Only 50 packs in a box…”
That’s only enough for five people for 10 days.
“Seeing how you know that… you must have had a lot of it.”
Oops.
I revealed my idol experience too much.
“No. I just did a promotional part-time job before.”
It’s not a lie.
I did it when I was Baek Nokha.
“Oh, so Trainee Yoon Cheong did that too.”
“Yes.”
“I did it too.”
“Yeah.”
I wasn’t really curious.
I just wanted to quickly record the demo, get the juice, and work on my song.
“I guess the company hasn’t settled your payments yet.”
Dan Ha nodded after thinking for a moment.
Yeah.
Remember your humble beginnings.
It’s normal for trainees to have no money.
“I’ll tell the manager to send some juice to your dorm.”
“Where should I start recording?”
Even in my past, I always performed the encore and the encore of the encore if needed.
It means I worked as much as I got paid.
***
“Away from the White zone
Ring the white siren.”
Fortunately, it wasn’t difficult to sing.
Because I knew the song.
This song was the one Dan Ha gave to his direct seniors, White Noise.
It achieved decent results, of course.
I even covered it at an end-of-year award show.
It wasn’t a massive hit, but it did make it to the annual top 100.
I sang it for two weeks straight, and because that cover performance became popular, I had to sing it for another two months.
It became unexpectedly popular, and I had to sing it on variety shows and even uploaded it on Otube due to fan requests.
Of course, I remembered it.
Though it had some rough edges and was a bit different, it was nothing I couldn’t handle.
“…You’re good. I didn’t expect you to nail it in one go.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ve always thought.”
“Yes.”
“You tend to do exceptionally well.”
…Was he picking a fight?
It’s a problem even when you sing well.
“Thank you for the compliment.”
“Could you sing another one?”
“My rate is high.”
“I’ll send you 20 boxes of juice.”
“Pay me for my effort.”
“…Okay.”
“And introduce me to good hospitals. My vocal cords are on the edge.”
“You have many demands.”
“Should I leave?”
“…I’ll tell you.”
I checked the time.
It was already 5 a.m.
I needed to work on my song too.
If I had a lot of money, I wouldn’t be here.
No, if Yoon Cheong’s vocal cords were in good condition, I wouldn’t be here.
I’ve managed to endure so far, but Yoon Cheong’s vocal cords were really on the edge.
They needed care.
Care requires money.
That’s why I focused on successfully recording the demo in one go.
I couldn’t waste my vocal cords here.
“This song might be a bit difficult. Take a look and ask if you have any questions.”
“Okay.”
As soon as I took the score, I hesitated.
This song.
I knew it.
“Is there a problem?”
“Oh. No, I was just looking.”
“Oh, okay. I’ll play it for you. Listen.”
It was a song I heard during my time as Baek Nokha.
Ah, this…
“The song is good.”
It’s a song I want.
This song was a major hit, ranking in the top 10 of the year.
It wasn’t just high on the music charts; it was also highly talked about.
The problem was, this was Do Hee-young’s solo song.
Dan Ha composed it as a track for Burn Ash’s album, but Do Hee-young snatched it as soon as she heard it.
According to her interview, she felt “like a bell was ringing in her ears.”
And now, a bell was ringing madly in my ears too.
Just hearing the intro, I recognized this famous song.
With this song, we could win the Rookie of the Year award…!
But as I listened further, my expression hardened.
“…Is there a problem?”
“Oh, no.”
This song… what is this?
It’s not the song I know?
No, it is, but it’s subtly different.
Those small differences ruined the song’s quality.
I understood why it was initially considered just a track.
“Do Hee-young must have done an amazing job with the arrangement.”
She probably didn’t do it herself but directed it.
Still, it was an incredible skill.
I should praise Do Hee-young’s insight.
What to do with this?
My lips were itching to say.
“Your song is great, but it could be amazing with a few tweaks. Can I try?”
…Can a rookie with zero experience dare say such a thing?
No, don’t say it.
To earn points, the title track has to be my song, not someone else’s.
“Let me know when you’re ready. Think of it as a demo of a demo, so no pressure.”
At that moment, an idea flashed in my mind.
“Senior.”
If I participate in the arrangement, does that count as a quest success?
Not full composition, but just arrangement?
If I start with arranging… and then gradually involve myself in composing…?
“Yes?”
“Can I try arranging this?”
Screw it.
I’ll give it a shot.