Chapter 8: Mini EP

mind doing this either.EXO's mood was already soaring high as they sat there gleefully watching the next two major awards, cheering on their senior group SHINee from the same company.It's rare for a m..."Where are Tao and Han Where did they go" Li Cheng Huan scanned the members, suddenly realizing that two people were missing, couldn't help but ask. 。The members also looked at each other, using their eyes to ask who knew where they had gone. 。Before Lee Seung-hwan could find someone, Han and Tao ran over from the side. Seeing the situation, they quickly apologized and rushed to stand in line. 。Lee Seunghwan, seeing this, didn't say anything and then directed the members to start their poses for a photo. 。"Just now was a time for rest and celebration, and I just won an award. Playing around for a while isn't a big deal." 。With the trophy in hand, the members stood in two rows for several certification and celebratory photos. Everyone in front of the camera had a joyful smile, their overflowing happiness was contagious to all who saw the photos. 。Although there isn't the same excitement as winning the grand prize for the first two times, no one would say no to more grand prizes. Winning a gold record award is still an incredibly happy thing. Despite always appearing calm and composed, Ji-sung at heart was also very pleased. 。After taking the pictures, they packed up their things and prepared to leave. As they walked out from backstage, Ji Jingyuan saw Han walking right beside him. He glanced at him and casually asked, "Where did you guys go just now" 。“No way…” Han shook his head first, then looked at Ji Kyungwon. He hesitated for a moment before finally speaking, “I just saw… I saw Wu Seke backstage. We chatted for a bit, you know, since we practiced together for so long…” Although Wu Seke left the company, they had actually kept in touch, though not very frequently. Today, EXO gave them an award, and they happened to meet backstage so they just chatted casually. 。Han knew there was a conflict between Chi Jingyuan and that person, so he hesitated, unsure whether to speak. 。"That way... they are developing well, aren't they" 。。“Pool Jingyuan seemed to completely ignore who that person was, and instead nodded earnestly, giving a sincere compliment.” 。"It's alright >" 。"Han also nodded in agreement." 。After that day, I thought I would never see him again. I really didn't expect… how should I put it in summer words, things are unpredictable, white clouds and stray dogs, or maybe there's a bright future after a dark tunnel Chi Jingyuan laughed as he talked about Wu, as if discussing an old friend he hadn't seen in a long time. 。"It's kind of like that." 。"Han twitched his lips and glanced at Chi Jingyuan: "You're good at speaking Xia Wen dialect, but you even know how to use this idiom""I know more than you do, brother. You just don't know." 。"EXO won the Bonsang award in the Disk Bonsang category, naturally topping the entertainment news headlines that night. Compared to them, PSY, who won the Sound Source Award, had a slightly lower level of heat and discussion." 。However, this time, besides the fans still being excited and cheering, the reaction and attention from passersby were somewhat less. Through the previous two award ceremonies' major awards, today's EXO, although their experience is still relatively short, has in the eyes of many passerby viewers on the peninsula, already become more than just a newcomer. 。In other words, it's no longer surprising that they won the grand prize. Instead, EXO winning these awards in 2013 feels almost inevitable. 。From November last year to now, EXO has won three major awards at the four major music award ceremonies on the peninsula, which is enough to prove their dazzling success last year. 。However, compared to the explosive heat of IU's relationship exposure, EXO receiving the Golden Disc Award news was still a bit less. 。Many netizens after seeing those captivating gossips a few days ago, suddenly saw this award-winning mainstream entertainment news, they all felt it was lacking something, a little boring. 。This kind of award news is so boring, isn't it normal for EXO to win an award We want to see when XO will have a love scandal like Girls' Generation, that's what's exciting. 。This is the truest thought in people's minds when they see EXO trending on hot searches. 。Don't let me get tired and discouraged. 。Tell me quickly 。Tell me you love me. 。In the recording studio, Ji Chang Wook and Suzy sweetly gazed at each other, singing out the last line with full emotion. As the music gradually faded away, Park Jin Young outside the recording booth as well as the sound engineer and vocal coach all began to clap. 。"That's great, the effect sounds really amazing." 。After Pool Kyung-won and Suzy emerged, Park Jin-young walked up clapping his hands, his eyes crinkled into a smile as he kept nodding at the two. 。Ji Jingyuan returned a courtesy, then walked to the sound engineer's side, picked up the headphones and put them on his head, and began to listen to their recording just now. 。He's also half a producer. After every recording, he listens to the whole thing carefully. He points out what's good and what needs improvement. He can't just sit there like Suzy after she finished recording, acting like nothing happened. 。Park Bo-young didn't bother him, and in a low voice, she talked to the music teacher and a few others beside her. Meanwhile, Bae Suzy sat on the sofa, seemingly worried that her makeup might smudge, using her black phone screen as a mirror to check her face and bangs repeatedly. 。After listening attentively to the entire presentation, Chi Jingyuan couldn't help but nod in agreement. The effect was truly excellent and had met his expectations. 。"Gyeong-won, how is it Not bad, right" Park Jin-young asked, looking at Ji Kyeong-won who had taken off his headphones. 。"Brother Zhenying said it works very well, so that's great." 。"Chi Jingyuan squinted his eyes, smiling and said..." 。"Haha..." Park Jin-young pointed at him and shook his head, then got down to business: “The recording for the song ‘so’ is complete. We'll start on the other post-production stuff right away." 。The set for the shoot is already built, and your manager has also given you a synopsis of the plot and the shooting schedule. You can start filming tomorrow. 。"Jingyuan, everything okay on your end" "Of course, no problem. Don't worry, Zhenying ge, I've looked over the filming plan for 'V', and it aligns well with the concept and characteristics of the song." 。Alright. 。“Park Jin-young was about to prepare a few friendly greetings when he suddenly remembered something. He patted Ji Kyeong-won on the shoulder and said, “By the way, I haven’t congratulated you guys for EXO winning the Golden Disc Award yesterday yet.” 。"Exo is really on fire these days, debuting over a year ago and already winning so many awards… "Roar" is truly amazing, it's super popular. Our company's trainees were all dancing to this song recently too." 。"Jingyuan ah, congratulations!" Park Jin-young said. The sound engineer and music teacher beside him then segued into a discussion about yesterday's Golden Disc Awards. They expressed their astonishment at EXO's current level of popularity. 。Pei Suzy also came over with a smile and gave Park Ji-won a k. 。"Consang Mida" 。"Chi Jingyuan smiled and bowed slightly to these people in thanks." 。"Oh well, I don't know when GOT7 will be able to reach your EXO level, even if it's just a little bit, I'd still be satisfied." 。"Park Jin-young was laughing, laughing, and for some reason, he thought of GOT7. Slowly, his smile faded away." 。"They didn't have a very smooth debut, did they" Ji Jingyuan tentatively asked. 。“The sound source performance and online buzz haven't met the company's expectations. We recorded 's debut stage yesterday, but it didn't generate much heat after airing. Lately, there have been one industry news story after another, it's really…” Park Jin-young shook his head, simply describing GOT7's situation. 。"Actually... when we, xo, debuted, it was also really tough. At that time, we were called the ugliest group, the most money-losing group, and everything bad was thrown at us. It took us over a year to get our first win, and we made it through little by little." 。“Chi Jingyuan gave a faint smile, shrugged his shoulders and said. Park Zhenying heard this and didn't know what to say. He knew the other party was telling the truth, he could only smile dumbly.” 。"Zhenying ge, then I'll take my leave." 。"Ji Jingyuan and several teachers bid farewell, put on their backpacks and left the music room. Bae Suzy even ran out to see him off." 。Having practiced together for so long, the two had become quite familiar with each other. They chatted casually about their own affairs and soon reached the elevator. 。"Want to have dinner together tonight" After the elevator doors opened, Ji-yeong didn't walk in directly. Instead, he turned his head and looked at Suzy, who took the initiative to invite him. 。The other party had invited him out for dinner last time, but he declined because he had a prior engagement with Zhou Tzuyu. Today, he happened to have some free time in the evening, so he thought about making it up to them as a gesture of reciprocity. 。

Pei Suzy smiled and winked at Ji Kyeong-won, tilting her head. The closeness from their earlier conversation had vanished without a trace, and her voice sounded somewhat cold: "Next time, I already have plans today."

"Internal" 。"Ji Jingyuan glanced at her, also smiling and nodding slightly. He didn't say much, walked into the elevator and waved lightly to Pei Xiuzhi. As the elevator doors closed, their intersecting gazes were abruptly cut off." 。Looking at the closing elevator door and feeling the weightlessness as the elevator descended, Chi Jingyuan recalled the conversation between the two just now, and couldn't help but laugh softly, shaking his head slightly. 。He couldn't help but admire, "Truly skillful." 。"It's really interesting..." "The company has confirmed that EXO's second mini album will be officially titled 'Overdose/上癮'. The album will include 6 songs in total, with the title track being the same name 'Overdose', and the pre-released song will be 'Dope' composed by Yuan." 。“The return date is tentatively scheduled for April 15th, and the pre-release track will be released about half a month in advance.” 。On the fourth floor of ** Building, in the large conference room, a meeting regarding EXO's upcoming comeback plan was being held. Besides all members of EXO and their manager, many departments from the company, such as the music planning department and artist management department, were also present. However, Lee Soo Man wasn't there today. 。

It is being announced that the manager of the record department, Lee Chang-chan, will be heading up this project.

About EXO's comeback this year, the company has been placing a lot of importance on it. Preparations have already been underway since November last year. Afterward, due to some reasons such as the arrangement of the title song and Pool Jingwon submitting the song, and other related matters, there was a slight delay of a few days. 。But the company has already prepared a complete plan, and today is the day to officially announce it to EXO and the relevant departments. 。The twelve members of EXO sat in two rows on the left, attentively listening to Lee Chang-can's words. Everyone was also very much looking forward to the upcoming comeback plan. 。Pool scenery is also very important, and his collaboration with Suzy Bae is only a personal attempt by him. His true roots are still in XO. 。After last year's massive success, everyone, both members and fans, is eagerly anticipating this comeback to see if they can surpass last year's heat and reach even greater heights. 。Lee Chang Chan looked at everyone and got to the point: “This time, EXO's mini album comeback will not be in the same 12-member format as last year's regular first album. Instead, it will return to the EXO-K, EXO-M two-subunit format that was active at their debut.” 。"Team K focuses on the peninsula market, while Team still focuses on the Chinese market. Their singing programs and usual schedules are also in the form of sub-units, each participating individually and not interfering with each other." 。Hearing this, the members couldn't help but glance at each other, exchanging looks. 。K's debut, with the group, simultaneously promoting in two countries, was a truly innovative approach. It garnered a lot of attention at the time and proved to be quite successful. 。At that time, although K Team was facing difficulties in the peninsula region, it remained unaffected. The team enjoyed immense popularity in China, generating substantial profits for the company and accumulating a significant fanbase in China for EXO as a whole. 。This is because of the group's losses on the peninsula, which led to the cancellation of the separate activities setting during last year's regular album release. Instead, they opted for a twelve-member unified performance in an attempt to make progress in the peninsula market and change their image as a lukewarm, unremarkable debut group. 。The goal has been achieved. The huge success of "Roar" and the breakout popularity of Park Ji-sung's television drama have made EXO incredibly popular across the peninsula, China, and even Asia. Seeing this, the company decided to return to the former sub-unit activity model, simultaneously attracting fans and making money from both sides to maximize profits. 。This mode brings a lot of benefits, but it actually has many hidden dangers. At least in terms of team atmosphere, the impact is very negative. 。When two teams of a boy group haven't met for a long time, and there's a difference in popularity, it's easy to cause conflicts. In their debut year, the members fought with each other countless times because of this, even getting into physical altercations several times. 。However, the company may not care much about this kind of member gap, revenue is the most important thing after all. 。After a few seconds, to give the members time to absorb it, Lee Chan-chan continued, “The title song ‘overdose’ will be filmed in multiple versions of music videos, including a 12-member Korean version, a 12-member Chinese version, a 6-member K-Team Korean version, and a 6-member K-Team Chinese version. Each version's music video will have different focal points in terms of the members' performances.” 。>Besides the title track, other tracks including the pre-released single "dope" that need to be filmed will only have K and two versions, without filming a 12-member group version. 。"Do you understand" Li Changcan asked. 。"Room Manager ni" 。"Ji Jingyuan raised his hand and greeted, and under Li Changchan's smiling nod, he said: "The company means that besides the main song, all other included tracks will not have a 12-member collaboration, only k, or the six-member version" "Yes" 。"And the choreography is the same, except for "Overdose" which has 12 people dancing, all the others are 6 people""That's the current plan for now, but in the future for special stages some songs might have 12-person choreography." 。"I understand." 。"Chi Jingyuan nodded to indicate he understood, then pursed his lips and sat down." 。 。He handed in the choreography for the two songs, "dope" and "eedu," which, if nothing unexpected happens, will likely be like "Roar," done with the company's dance teachers. 。But he had no idea about the 12-person choreography for these two songs, because in his ideal scenario, he thought the best stage effect would be achieved with fewer people. 。Now that it's only being choreographed for a 6-person version, it's naturally much easier. 。Except for the title song, all other songs do not have a 12-member version. This time, the company's intention to separately develop activities and simultaneously develop two markets is very urgent. 。"The main song's choreography for the album is already done. As for the choreography for 'dope' and 'eedu', Jingyuan, it's still up to you, just like always, working with the company's dance teachers." 。As expected, Lee Chang-chan immediately assigned this task to Ji Jingyuan. 。Seeing Ji Chang Wook nod in confirmation, he continued, "It's already January 18th now. Excluding the later stages and promotion time, we only have about two months of preparation time left. Although it is a mini-album with six songs, this time is also very tight. I hope we can all devote ourselves wholeheartedly, put in our best effort and passion to prepare for this comeback." 。>Inside, we will strive to do our best. 。Members all answered in unison, showing their stance. 。"Great, the preliminary work for the album is complete. After this meeting, the project will officially start. I hope you guys can make good progress." 。"Li Chang-chan nodded in satisfaction, after finishing talking about the comeback album, he mentioned another key point: “Also, the company has decided that after EXO's comeback and promotions, EXO's first Asia tour will officially begin in May this year. It is expected to be held in at least six countries across Asia with a total of at least twenty concerts. The company has already started preparing in advance, and initial venues have also been reserved." 。"At that time, there will be professional concert stage design effects and dance instructors to teach you about the concert stage practice. However, it's still early, so I'm just letting you know in advance. The most important task right now is still the comeback of this mini album." 。When the news of the concert reached them, all the members' eyes lit up and their interest noticeably increased. 。Whether or not a concert can be held and how much box office revenue it generates is an important indicator of whether a peninsula idol group is popular. 。Especially for concerts with over 10,000 people, large-scale events can only be held when the artist has high popularity and fame, and a large number of die-hard fans who are willing to spend money on them. 。It's not really that easy because many combinations look very popular and trendy, but when it comes to actually supporting them with real money, all those people who were cheering them on before suddenly disappear. 。Like Sistar, who was very popular in the past two years, they had excellent digital chart performance and a lot of fame and casual fans. However, their album sales have always been low, and they haven't been able to hold large concerts because they lack dedicated fans. There aren't many true fans willing to spend money on them. 。And a peninsula idol group, the real money-maker is concert tours and overseas schedules. 。The first contract an idol group signs after their debut is notoriously harsh, especially for schedules in the peninsula region. After deducting company expenses and costs, what's left is split among the numerous members, leaving very little for each individual. 。However, the revenue split for overseas concerts is different from domestic events in Korea. It's significantly higher than domestic shows by several levels. 。Once idols catch fire and can tour, most groups' first priority is to launch a tour and concerts because that's where they truly make money. 。And the company is happy this way, because the idols are all making money, and the company's revenue will only go higher. 。The performance fees of domestic tours and album sales only account for a small portion of the revenue for most idol groups. The real bulk comes from advertising endorsements and overseas tours. 。Hearing that EXO will be holding a tour this year, the members are naturally very excited. This is not only a reflection of their hot popularity but also because no one wants to make money. 。Chi Jingyuan might not care much about the issue of profits, but he is actually quite interested in concerts. The feeling of having tens of thousands of fans watching him perform on stage, standing in the center and hearing countless people shouting his name like a tsunami, he has always wanted to try it. 。After discussing some other matters, Li Changcan organized his notes and whispered a few words with several other managers. Then, turning to the EXO side, he asked: “That's about everything we wanted to cover in today’s meeting. The specific documents and schedule details will be given to your managers after the meeting ends.” 。"Are there any other questions" Most members shook their heads, indicating no. At meetings like this, they rarely speak. Currently, being less than two years into their debut, they are still in a situation where the company dictates what they do. 。If they have any problems, they can just ask their manager privately. 。Ji Jingyuan, at this moment, suddenly remembered something. He glanced at the person beside him and raised his hand: "Room Manager..." 。"Jǐngyuán xiā, nǐ shuō" 。Li Changcan smiled at him. 。The other day when I was browsing our fanclub, I realized that we don't have an official name for our fans. Many different fanclubs use different self-designated names, and the terms used by fans from the peninsula and China are also different. 。Many of our fans call themselves "Planetary Fans." They came up with this name based on the EXO concept and setting. However, many fans don't like this name. 。"In this situation, it's inconvenient for both cheering and normal communication. Does the company have any arrangements" Ji Jingyuan asked a question he had discovered a few days ago. 。As a tradition in the K-pop industry, all well-known idol groups will determine their fandom name, official color, and official merchandise either at their debut or after a period of time since their debut. 。Because an idol group thrives on its fans, these things can significantly increase fan cohesion and loyalty. 。And the company can also take the opportunity to launch support peripherals, making another profit. 。Like those senior groups from the same company, 東方神起 fans are called 'Cassiopeia,' which is quite famous. SJ's 'ELF' and Girls' Generation's 'SONE' are also well-known in the fandom. 。But there are also some groups that have debuted for many years without an official fan name, such as f(x). I don't know what ** Entertainment was thinking. 。They have been active for almost two years, and besides their official color of silver-white, they haven't had an official fan name yet. In the semi-official fan club, Chi Kyung-won saw all sorts of self-proclaimed names, while "Planetary Fan" (行星飯) is currently the most widely recognized name in Xia Guo. 。As soon as Ji Jingyuan spoke, the other members immediately nodded in agreement. Many of them often interact with their biggest fans and station sisters and are well aware of this issue. 。"Jingyuan, the company has also noticed what you said. Because of the popularity of EXO, we are discussing setting up an official EXO fan club. However, the name for EXO's fans is still under discussion. After you members go back, you can discuss it yourselves and let us know through your manager if you have any suitable suggestions." 。S obviously also understood this matter, and Li Changcan also assigned the task of naming to them. 。After that, there were no more problems. The other party said a few encouraging words and then announced the adjournment. 。After the meeting, the manager went to coordinate with the company, while the members returned to the practice room, plopping down on the sofa and floor. They began excitedly discussing: "Isn't our slogan 'weareone' Our fans directly call themselves 'xone', what do you think""Where did Tao and Han go" Lee Seung-hwan glanced at the members and suddenly realized that two people were missing, so he asked. 。The members also looked at each other, their eyes questioning who knew where they had gone. 。Before Lee Seong-hwan could even find someone to help, Han and Tao ran over from the side. Seeing the situation, they quickly apologized and rushed into line. 。Lee Seung-hwan didn't say anything when he saw this, and then directed the members to start posing for a photo. 。Just now was a time for rest and celebration, and I just won an award. It's not a big deal to play around for a while. 。Holding the trophy, the members stood in two lines and took several certification photos and celebration photos. Everyone in front of the camera had a happy smile, and the overflowing joy could infect all viewers who saw the photos. 。Although there wasn't the same excitement as winning the award twice before, no one dislikes having multiple awards. Winning a Golden Disc Award is still an extremely happy occasion. Despite appearing quite calm throughout, Ji-sung's heart was truly joyful. 。After taking the pictures, they packed up their things and prepared to leave. As they walked from backstage to outside, Ji Jingyuan saw Han walking beside him by chance. He glanced at him and casually asked, "Where did you guys go playing just now" 。“I didn't play…” Han first denied, then looked at Ji Jingyuan, he hesitated for a moment, after two seconds his voice came out: “Just saw…saw Wu Saik in the backstage, we chatted with him for a few words, after all, we practiced together for so long…” Although Wu Saik left the company, they actually always kept in touch, but it wasn't frequent. Today, exo gave them an award, and they happened to meet backstage, so they chatted casually. 。Han knew there was a conflict between Chi Jingyuan and that person, so he hesitated, unsure whether to speak. 。"So... they're developing well." 。。"Chi Jingyuan didn't seem to care about that person at all. Instead, he nodded and sincerely praised him." 。"It's okay" 。"Han also nodded in agreement." 。After that day, I thought I would never see him again. I really didn't expect it... How should I put it in Xia Wen's words, things are unpredictable, white clouds and dark dogs, or is it that the willows are bright and another village appears Chi Jingyuan laughed and talked about Wu, as if discussing a long-lost friend. 。That's kind of what I mean. 。Han nudged his lips and glanced at Chi Jingyuan: “You speak fluent summer dialect, that's impressive enough, but you actually know how to use idioms like this too” "I know many more than you do, brother. You just don't know," 。“EXO winning the Daesang in the Disk Bonsang category naturally made headlines on entertainment news that night. Compared to them, PSY who won the Digital Bonsang had slightly less buzz and discussion.” 。However, this time, besides the fans still being excited and celebrating, the reactions and attention from passersby were noticeably less. Through the previous two award ceremonies' grand prizes, today's EXO, although their experience is still relatively short, in the eyes of many ordinary viewers on the peninsula, they are definitely not just newcomers anymore. 。In other words, it's no longer surprising that they win major awards. Instead, EXO winning these awards in 2013 felt almost inevitable. 。From November last year to now, EXO has won three major awards at the four major music award ceremonies on the peninsula, which is enough to prove their glory last year. 。However, compared to the explosive heat of IU's relationship exposure, EXO's news of winning a Golden Disc Award was still quite a bit less. 。Many netizens after seeing those juicy gossips a few days ago suddenly felt that this kind of award-winning mainstream entertainment news lacked something, feeling a little boring. 。This kind of award news is the most boring! It's not normal for EXO to win an award, is it What we want to see is when some member of EXO will have a dating scandal like what happened with Girls' Generation. That's what I call exciting! 。 。Don't let me get tired and discouraged. 。Tell me quickly 。Tell me you love me. 。In the recording studio, Ji Jingyuan and Pei Suzy gazed sweetly at each other, singing the last line with overflowing emotion. As the music gradually faded away, Park Jin-young outside the recording booth along with the sound engineer and vocal coach started clapping. 。"Very good, the effect sounds really great." 。"After Ji Chang Wook and Suzy walked out, Park Jin Young clapped his hands and came over, his eyes crinkling with laughter as he nodded repeatedly at the two." 。Ji Jingyuan replied, then walked to the recording engineer's side, picked up a headset and put it on his head, starting to listen to their just-recorded audio. 。He's also kind of a producer, every time after recording he has to listen to the entire effect, pointing out where it's good and where there are problems that need to be improved. He can't just sit there like Suzy, acting like nothing happened. 。Park Bo-young didn't disturb him, and whispered to the music teacher and a few others beside her. Meanwhile, Suzy Bae sat on the sofa, seemingly worried about her makeup smudging, holding up her black phone screen as a mirror and staring at her face and bangs repeatedly. 。After listening to it carefully, Chi Jingyuan couldn't help but nod in agreement. The effect was indeed great and had already met his expectations. 。"Jingyuan, how is it Not bad, right" Park Jin-young asked, looking at Ji Jingyuan who had just taken off his earphones. 。"Brother Zhenying said the effect is very good, then it must be great." 。": "Chi Jingyuan smirked, holding up a glass to him." 。"Haha..." Park Jin-young pointed at him and shook his head, then got down to business: "The recording for the song 'So' is complete. The other post-production work will begin immediately." 。The set has been built, and the synopsis of the plot and the shooting schedule have already been given to your agent. You can start filming tomorrow. 。"Jingyuan, is everything alright on your side""Of course it's fine. Don't worry, Zhenying ge, I've looked over the filming plan for v and it really matches the concept and characteristics of the song." 。"That's fine." 。"Park Jin-young was about to start a friendly conversation when he suddenly remembered something. He patted Ji Kyung-won's shoulder and said, “Oh right, I haven’t congratulated you EXO on winning the Golden Disc Award yesterday!” 。"EXO is really on fire, debuting over a year ago and already winning so many awards... "Roar" is truly amazing, it's so popular. Our company's trainees were all dancing to this song recently too." 。"Jingyuan, congratulations!" Park Jin-young said, and the sound engineer and music teacher beside him immediately chimed in, discussing yesterday's Golden Disc Awards. They couldn't help but marvel at EXO's current level of popularity. 。 。"Cong San Mi Da" 。"Chi Jingyuan smiled and bowed slightly to these people in thanks." 。"Sigh, I don't know when GOT7 will be able to reach your EXO level, even if they are a little bit short, I would still be satisfied." 。"Park Jin-young smiled and smiled, for some reason he thought of GOT7, then gradually couldn't laugh anymore." 。"Wasn't their debut a bit rough" Ji Kyeong-won probed with a question. 。“The sound source results and online discussions haven't reached the company's expectations. They recorded a stage yesterday, but it didn't generate much heat after being broadcast. Lately, there have been one big news story after another in the industry...,” Park Jin-young shook his head and briefly summarized GOT7's situation. 。"Actually… when we xo debuted, it was really tough. We were called the ugliest group and the most money-losing group at the time. It took us over a year to get our first win, and we made it through step by step." 。"Ji Jingyuan chuckled softly, shrugged and said, Pu Zhenying listened to this and didn't know what to say. He knew the other party was telling the truth, he could only smile awkwardly." 。"Then I'll take my leave, Zhenying Ge." 。"Ji Jingyuan bade farewell to several teachers with a bow and left the music room with his bag on his back. Bae Suzy specially ran out to see him off." 。Having practiced together for so long, the two of them were quite familiar with each other. They chatted casually about their own affairs and soon reached the elevator entrance. 。After the elevator doors opened, Ji-seong didn't walk straight in. Instead, he turned his head to look at Suzy and took the initiative to invite her, "Want to have dinner together tonight" 。The last time the other party invited him out for a meal, he turned it down because he had an appointment with Tzuyu. Today happens to be evening and he has some free time, so he wants to make up for it as a courtesy. 。

Pei Suzy smiled and winked at Ji Kyung-won, tilting her head. The intimacy from their earlier conversation had vanished without a trace, replaced by a somewhat cold tone: "Next time, I have plans today."

" " 。"Ji Jingyuan glanced at her, also smiled and nodded slightly, without saying much, walked into the elevator and waved gently to Pei Suzy. As the elevator door closed, the two people's intersecting gazes were also interrupted." 。Watching the closing elevator door and feeling the weightlessness as the elevator descended, Chi Jingyuan recalled the conversation between the two just now, and couldn't help but chuckle softly, shaking his head slightly. 。He couldn't help but admire, "They're really skilled." 。“That’s interesting…” “…The company has confirmed that EXO's second mini album will be officially titled 'Overdose/上癮'. The album will include 6 songs in total, with the title track being 'Overdose', and the pre-release track being 'Dope' written by Yuan.” 。“The return date is tentatively set for April 15th, and the pre-release single will be released about half a month earlier.” 。On the fourth floor of ** Building, in the large conference room, a meeting was being held about EXO's upcoming comeback plan. Besides all members of EXO and their manager, many departments from the company, such as the record planning department and the artist management department, were also present. However, Lee Soo-man was not there today. 。

It is being announced that the manager of the record label, Lee Chang-chan,

Let me know if you have any other text you'd like me to translate!。Regarding EXO's comeback this year, the company placed a lot of emphasis on it. Preparations began as early as last November. Afterward, due to some delays caused by factors like the arrangement of the title track and song submissions from Ji-sung, among other reasons, there was a slight postponement. 。However, the company has already completed the entire plan. Today is the day to officially announce it to EXO and all relevant departments. 。The twelve members of EXO sat in two rows on the left, listening attentively to Lee Chang-chan's words. Everyone was also very much looking forward to the upcoming comeback plan. 。Pool scenery is also very important, and his collaboration with Suzy Bae was only an attempt in his personal capacity. His true roots are still in XO. 。Following last year's massive success, the biggest question on everyone's mind this year is whether they can keep the momentum going and reach even greater heights. This applies to every member of the group as well as their fans. 。Lee Chang Chan glanced at everyone and got to the point: “This time exo's mini album comeback won't be like last year's full album, where they promoted as 12 members. Instead, they'll be going back to the exo-K and exo-M format from their debut, promoting separately.” 。"K-pop group focuses on the Peninsula market, and the team still focuses on the Chinese market. They participate in music shows and regular schedules in a unit format, each participating individually and not interfering with each other." 。Hearing these words, the members couldn't help but glance at each other, exchanging glances. 。The debut of K, with the unit and the simultaneous activities in two countries, was indeed innovative. It attracted a lot of attention at the time, and this mode of activity also yielded very good returns. 。When K-Team's popularity was waning in the peninsula, EXO did not experience any negative impacts. Instead, they became a huge hit in China, generating substantial profits for the company and cultivating a large fanbase in China. 。This is because the group's losses on the peninsula led to the cancellation of the separate activities setting during last year's regular first album release. Instead, they opted for a twelve-member combined performance in hopes of making progress in the peninsula market and changing their predicament as a lukewarm group since their debut. 。This goal has been achieved. The huge success of "Roar" and Park Ji-won's hit TV drama have made EXO incredibly popular throughout the Korean Peninsula, China, and even Asia. Seeing this opportunity, the company decided to return to the former sub-unit activity model, simultaneously attracting fans and making money from both sides in order to maximize profits. 。This pattern yields many benefits, but there are also many hidden dangers, at least in terms of team atmosphere. 。When two teams haven't seen each other for a long time, and there's a difference in popularity, it's easy to cause conflict. During their debut year, the members fought countless times because of this issue, with some even coming to blows. 。However, a company might not care too much about the isolation between these members, as revenue is the most important thing. 。After a few seconds to let it sink in, Lee Chang-chan continued, "The title song 'overdose' will be filmed in multiple versions of the music video, including a 12-member Korean version, a 12-member Chinese version, a K-team 6-member Korean version, and a K-team 6-member Chinese version. Each version's music video will have different member performances and focuses." 。"Besides the title track, other songs including the pre-released song "dope," which require music videos, will only be filmed in K and two versions. There will be no filming of a 12-member group version." 。"Got it" Li Changcan asked. 。"Director ni" 。"Ji Jingyuan raised his hand and greeted, and Li Changchan responded with a smile. He said: "The company's meaning is that besides the title song, all other tracks will not be twelve-person collaborations, only k, or the six-person version" “Yes” 。"And the choreography is the same, except for 'Overdose' which has 12 people dancing, all the others are 6 people" "Currently, that's how it's planned, but in the future, for special stages, some songs might have a 12-person choreography." 。"I understand." 。"Chi Jingyuan nodded to indicate he understood, and then pursed his lips before sitting down." 。Once this plan is launched, Chi Jingyuan won't have to worry about some of the things that had been bothering him before. 。He handled the choreography for both songs, "dope" and "eedu", that he submitted. If nothing unexpected happens, it will likely be similar to "Roar," where he worked with his company's dance teachers. 。But he had no idea for the 12-person choreography of these two songs, because in his ideal scenario, the best stage effect would be achieved with a smaller number of performers. 。Now that it's only being done with a 6-person choreography, it's much easier. 。Besides the title song, all other songs do not have a 12-member version. This time, the company's intention to separately promote and develop two markets is very urgent by dividing the group's activities. 。The choreography for the main song on the album is already finished. As for the choreography for “dope” and “eedu”, Jingyuan, it’s still up to you to do it, just like always, collaborating with the company’s dance teachers. 。As expected, Lee Chang-chan immediately assigned the task to Ji Kyeong-won. 。After seeing Ji Cheongyuan nod in confirmation, he continued, "It's already January 18th now. Excluding the later stages and promotion time, we only have about two months of preparation time left. Although it's a mini album with six songs, this timeframe is still very tight. I hope that all of us can devote ourselves wholeheartedly to it, and put in our best effort and passion to prepare for this comeback." 。>Inside, we will try our best. 。"Members all responded in unison, showing their stance." 。"Great, the initial work on the album is done. After this meeting, the project will officially start. I hope you can all make good progress." 。"Lee Chang-chan nodded in satisfaction. After finishing the discussion about the comeback album, he mentioned another important point: “In addition, the company has decided that after EXO's comeback stage performances, the group's first Asian tour will officially kick off this May. It is expected to be held in at least six countries across Asia with a total of twenty concerts or more. The company has already started preparations in advance, and initial venues have also been booked." 。"When the time comes, there will be professional concert stage effects design and dance teachers to guide you on concert stage practice. However, it's still early now, so I just want to tell you in advance that the most important task right now is still the comeback of this mini album." 。Hearing the news about the concert, all the members' eyes lit up, and their interest clearly increased. 。Whether a concert can be held successfully and how much box office revenue it generates are important indicators of whether a peninsula idol group is popular. 。Especially for concerts with audiences of over 10,000 people, it's only possible if the artist has a high level of popularity and fame, and a large number of dedicated fans who are willing to spend money. 。This is really not an easy thing to do, because many combinations look very popular and trendy, but once it comes time to support them with real money, all those cheering fans disappear instantly. 。Like Sistar, who became hugely popular in the last two years with great digital scores, high recognition, and a large fanbase, their album sales have always been low. They haven't been able to hold large-scale concerts either, all because they lack a dedicated fanbase willing to spend money. 。And a peninsula idol group, the real money-making place is concerts and overseas tours. 。An idol group's first contract with their company after debuting is notoriously harsh, especially for local schedules in the peninsula. After deducting the company's expenses and operational costs, what remains is divided among a large number of members, leaving each person with very little money. 。But the revenue split for overseas concerts is different from that of peninsula-based events. It's significantly higher than peninsula-based ones by several levels. 。 。and the company is happy about that, because idols are all making money, the company's income will only be higher. 。The performance fees for domestic tours and album sales only account for a small portion of most idol groups' revenue. The real big chunk comes from advertising endorsements and overseas tours. 。Hearing that EXO will be holding a tour this year, the members are naturally very excited. This is not only a reflection of their fiery popularity but also because no one doesn't want to make money. 。Chi Jingyuan may not care much about profits, but he is actually quite interested in concerts. The feeling of having tens of thousands of fans watching him perform on stage, standing in the center and hearing countless people cheering his name, is something he has always wanted to experience. 。After mentioning some other things to note, Li Changcan organized his notes and whispered a few words with several managers. He then turned to the EXO side and asked: "That's about everything we wanted to say at today's meeting. The specific documents and schedule arrangements will be given to your managers after the meeting ends." 。"Are there any other questions" Most members shook their heads, indicating no. During these meetings, they generally don't speak much. As a group that has only debuted for less than two years, they are still in a phase where the company dictates what they do. 。If they have any problems, they can just ask their agent privately. 。At this time, Chi Jingyuan suddenly remembered something. He glanced at the person beside him and raised his hand: "Department Head ni..." 。 。Li Changcan smiled at him. 。"I was browsing our fan club (fancb) the other day, and I realized that our fans currently don't have an official name. Many different fan clubs call themselves different things, and even fans from the peninsula and China have different names." 。Many of our fans call themselves "Planet People," a name they came up with based on EXO's concept and setting. However, many fans don't like the name. 。"This situation is a bit inconvenient for both cheering and normal communication. Does the company have any plans to address this" Ji Jingyuan asked about an issue he had discovered a few days ago. 。As a tradition in the K-pop industry, all well-known idol groups will determine their fan names, support colors, and official merchandise upon debut or after a certain period of time. 。Because idol groups are all about their fans, these things can greatly increase fan cohesion and die-hard support. 。And the company can also take this opportunity to launch support peripherals and make another profit. 。Just like the predecessors from the same company, the fans of TVXQ are called "Castella" and are quite famous. ELF for SJ and SONE for Girls' Generation are also very well-known in the fan circle. 。But there are also groups that have debuted for many years without an official fan name, like f(x). I don't know what S company is thinking. 。They've been active for almost two years, and besides their official support color of silver and white, they still don't have an official fan name. In the peninsula fan club, Ji-sung saw all sorts of self-proclaimed names, while "Planetary Rice" is currently the most recognized name in Xia Guo. 。As soon as Ji Jingyuan spoke, the other members immediately nodded in agreement. Many of them frequently interacted with their biggest fans and station sisters and were well aware of this issue. 。"Jingyuan, the company has also noticed what you said. Because of the popularity of your group EXO, we are discussing setting up an official EXO fan club. However, the name for EXO's fans is still under discussion. After you members go back, you can discuss it among yourselves and if you have any suitable suggestions, please let us know through your manager." 。“S” obviously also understands this matter, and Li Changcan even assigned the task of coming up with a name to them. 。After that, there were no more issues. The other party said a few encouraging words and then announced the meeting adjourned. 。After the meeting, the manager went to liaise with the company. The members returned to the practice room, plopping down on the sofas and floor. They were abuzz with excitement, discussing: "Isn't our slogan 'weareone' Our fans call themselves 'xone'. What do you think"

First published by繁體小說網ol in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, during a break between classes, a piercing and earsplitting scream erupted unexpectedly, instantly drawing the attention of all the students who remained in the room."EXO's...