Of course
been full of aggressive scrutiny now held a hint of kindness.It's just that because the change happened too quickly, the previous harsh expression still lingered a little, making Li Meizhu's face loo...EXO's rehearsal went very smoothly with no major issues.
Even if she made a mistake, like Twice or Asakusa Sana did earlier, or even fell asleep, it's impossible for her to be caught and scolded by the PD like they were.
Even without mentioning the reasons from both the company and individual sides, the gap in treatment between TOP groups and rookie groups is still quite obvious.
After a ten-minute rehearsal, when Ji Jingyuan returned with the team, TWICE was already gone. When they returned to the resting room, they ran into a few members of AOA backstage again. Since some members of EXO were familiar with them, they chatted for a couple of minutes.
"Where's Sejeong today" Park Chan-yeol scanned the room but didn't see her.
"No, hehe..."
AOA only had 6 members today, and Kim Se-hyun didn't come again. She's really getting more and more popular lately, to the point it's almost abnormal. Her solo resources and schedules are non-stop, so she's missed a lot of group activities.
Given Jin Se-yeon's recent level of exposure, it feels like her individual schedule and earnings surpass the entire group combined. She seems to be carrying a similar aura to Suzy in Miss A, where she stood out as a solo star within the group.
Speaking of which, a few days ago, Kim Se-ah also had some controversy involving EXO.
In the early-month episode of 《Runningman》's Xman special, for reasons unknown, the production team introduced Kim Seolhyun by having the MCs and narrator shower her with praise to emphasize how popular she is now. One line in particular was "2015 was the year of Kpop, thanks to Kim Seolhyun." This statement sparked controversy after airing, drawing criticism from many viewers.
This year, the Kpop music scene is incredibly hot, with almost all groups making a comeback. It's considered a peak for Kpop in recent years. But if you have to say which artists truly deserve the title of "2015 belongs to them," active fans and viewers within the industry would undoubtedly say EXO. If you were to rank further down, saying BIGBANG would also be reasonable.
But it definitely wouldn't be AOA and Kim Se-hyun's turn.
Needless to say, fans were unhappy, but what's interesting is that many more disgruntled voices came from casual viewers. Many people are getting tired of seeing Kim Se-hyun everywhere and hearing praise for her all the time, and they're voicing their frustrations in the comments section:
It's not just that Kim Seolhyun is alone; even AOA can't be mentioned in the same breath as EXO and Big Bang.
"How much did you get paid to praise her like this Is that really necessary"
"Such a national hype girl."
Although she's undeniably hot right now, it seems the public's fondness for Kim Se-jeong doesn't quite match her fiery popularity. Some have even angrily labeled her as "the national hype queen."
It's really strange to see someone praising something while also criticizing it at the same time.
…………
Behind the scenes and in the studio, amidst the bustling pre-show preparations filled with shouts and exclamations, the time for the evening broadcast arrived. The last episode of 2015's "Music Bank" Christmas special also officially kicked off live.
The show immediately got the audience excited. Pool Kyung-won and Jeon Joo-hyeon, the two MCs, stood with their backs to the camera. As cheers erupted and music started playing, the two bowed and then turned around to begin this special stage.
"Jinglebell~Jinglebell……"
Both of them were wearing red and white Christmas costumes. Ji Jingyuan was wearing a bright red and white low-necked sweater with a swaying deer antler decoration on his head, while Pei Zhuxuan wore a pure white turtleneck and a checkered skirt that hugged her hips. She had a bright red hat on her head, making her look quite petite. The two of them looked very harmonious together, festive and full of Christmas spirit.
This pairing caught the eye of many viewers.
The song is a rendition of the well-known Christmas carol "Jingle Bells," with lyrics anyone can sing along to. The choreography is also very simple, consisting of a few basic hand and foot movements that are easy to follow. It's almost like an advertisement exercise routine.
But the focus of the stage, of course, is not the choreography, but the two performers and their natural chemistry and heartwarming interaction.
"Jingle bell, Jingle bell…"
Ji Jingyuan and Pei Zhuxuan's left and right swaying movements were synchronized, even their waist-pinching and leg-bending actions were very consistent. Ji Jingyuan lightly placed his hand on her shoulder, the two leaned towards each other simultaneously, closed their eyes and gently shook their heads while smiling beautifully as they sang the chorus.
"Ahhhh......"
Then, they tacitly took a step back together. They turned to face each other, looking into each other's eyes. They raised their other hand (not the one holding the microphone) and gently bowed while shaking it slightly. They also made scissor-hand gestures across each other's eyes.
Seeing Pei Joo-hyuk winking and making scissor hands, Ji Kyung-won couldn't hold back his laughter. His mouth, which was originally smiling for the business stage performance, abruptly clenched shut as he tried hard not to laugh. His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Ah ah..."
Someone in the audience spotted this scene and screamed with excitement again.
In the end, the two hands naturally clasped together. They walked a few steps forward and backward like they were dancing the twist, then held their joined hands aloft and pivoted in place like ballerinas, with Pei Zhuxuan using their joined hands as a fulcrum. Soon after, they moved closer to each other instinctively. At the end of the music, they leaned towards each other and waved at the camera continuously, making an ending gesture.
"Ah ah…"
This simple stage and dance, however, were met with incredible enthusiasm from the audience. Cheers never stopped, and within seconds of the two-minute performance, screams erupted, surpassing even the sound system accompaniment. This immediately brought the energy of the entire program to a fever pitch.
The Yin-Yang CP has deeply resonated with audiences after so long. Any interaction in front of the camera makes viewers laugh and keep shipping them nonstop.
Even fans of Ai Li and Lai De Bei Bebe, after being battered and bruised for half a year, found that the attacks and insults were ultimately pointless beyond venting. Some fans then changed their stance and started shipping this MC couple.
Many people, despite the awkwardness, actually find it quite sweet...
Pool Kyungwon and (literal translation of 'Pei Joohyuk') are the real reasons behind the insanely high ratings of 《Music Bank》.
Evolving Kpop, at the heart of the Hallyu wave, everyone watches together, live broadcast, Musik!
"Because today is Christmas, Irene and I prepared a fun and special stage, opening the doors to today's 'Music Bank'. After the stage ended, the two MCs in red and white Christmas costumes stood side by side at the interview desk and started hosting the opening with smiles."
While the fans in attendance were still buzzing from the excitement of the performance onstage, their cheers and screams continued to drown out his words.
"Including Irenexi, the singers are so amazing! As expected, they're really cool and awesome!" Ji-seong smiled and gave a thumbs up.
"After seeing today's stage, I feel like Yuanxi is really very excellent!" Jeon Ji-hyun looked over and raised her hand to count with her fingers, smiling with curved eyes as she praised: “She sings well, and acts well. Yuanxi is the real deal, Zzang!”
Unfazed by the praise, Ji-seong took the gift without hesitation and turned to stare intently at Irene's eyes. With an expression of utmost seriousness and anticipation, he asked, "Is this my Christmas present from Irene xi today"
Jennie seems to be a little embarrassed by being looked at, her eyes darting away as she turns her back, but a smile is trying to break out on her face: "Ani, no!"
"Ah ah ah..." A scream came.
"Then, let's officially introduce the singers performing on today's Shining Music Bank!" After pretending to be disappointed for a moment, Ji Kyeong-won and the other host quickly burst into laughter. Facing the camera, they began their hosting: "Searching for Cinderella, the handsome male idol group BLUE!"
"In 2015, the ultimate idol, EXO!"
When it comes to charm, it's infinite! When it comes to purity, it's Apink! And when it comes to refreshing energy, Red Velvet is unbeatable!
"With the upgraded charm of VIXX and EXID, 2015's hottest rookies like GOT7 all making an appearance...and Twice, Lovelyz, GFriend... Please look forward to it!"
"Let me introduce the first stage first..."
Pool Jingyuan took the microphone and looked at the camera, saying: "Cute and mischievous little ones, UP10Tion's stage..."
"Come here quickly!"
Two people simultaneously blurted out the song title, then stifled their laughter and deliberately swayed their bodies towards each other. They bumped their heads together lightly before quickly separating again, causing another burst of melodious screams.
It seems that Park Ji-won and Choi Soo-bin are already very skilled at manipulating the audience's excitement points, and they have excellent chemistry.
It's rather ironic that the cheers were loudest when the singer hadn't even taken the stage. Once UP10TION actually started performing, the volume noticeably dropped compared to before.
UP10TION's mental state is not something that can be easily seen by others, but the audience on-site probably had a pretty good idea:
"Can you guys get down here Let MC come up, we can just keep chatting..."
Of course, that's impossible. This kind of telepathic, subtle flirtation only happens occasionally like this, making it all the more intoxicating.
Because it's a holiday celebration, most of the performers today are wearing Christmas-themed costumes. Coupled with the lights, the atmosphere is very festive.
After a while, Ji Jingyuan, who had changed his clothes and was waiting at the entrance of the stage again, saw TWICE coming to prepare for their performance. At this time, the nine girls were no longer as listless as they were when they were scolded just now. Even Miko Sasaki, who had cried so pitifully just now, had already put on makeup and drawn eyeliner, showing nothing unusual.
It's just that the foundation around her eyes is a little too thick.
After they arrived, they politely bowed to Ji Chang Wook and Choi Soo Hyun. The two sides greeted each other quietly and didn't say much.
However, some people from TWICE seemed to glance at Ji-Seong's direction a few times. And it looked like Tzuyu also briefly glanced at Ji-Hyo, but quickly withdrew her gaze and lowered her voice to talk with Ji-Seong about the emcee later.
Twice was on stage very soon. Their performance of was already pre-recorded, so during the live stream they would directly cut to the recorded video and they were just dancing along on stage.
Their stage performance today had been reworked with new choreography. There were a few sections that incorporated drumming, which was very flavorful. From the back, seeing Chikyeong looking at them, it seemed even more exciting than their original dance.
Twice after that is Gfriend's "Me Gustas Tu", these two relatively outstanding new performers this year, whether it's their current performance or the special stage later, are put together. Looking at them back-to-back, the contrast is still quite obvious.
The styles of the song and makeup are very different. One goes for a sweet and cool vibe, while the other is completely pure and innocent.
In terms of style, Chi Jingyuan still prefers the previous one.
In his heart, purity was a breeze. It wasn't difficult or challenging at all because even Jung Eun Ji could do it...
After a few stages, the two hosts went up and introduced the backstage. Then, after reporting, Pei Zhuxuan went to change her clothes. Shortly after, Red Velvet arrived at the stage entrance to prepare.
Today Red Velvet performed the song "Three Wishes" from their winter special project. It's a pure ballad with no choreography, the five members just stood there and sang the whole time, completely still.
The song is okay, the chorus part is pretty good.
Ji Jingyuan has always felt that even for lyrical songs, it's best to add some simple movements or footwork to make the stage more lively and dynamic. A purely stationary performance would seem rather strange and awkward under Kpop's prevailing style.
But today a few people's makeup looks pretty good, especially Kim Ye-lin.
……
"A good song always sounds great whenever you listen to it. T., Crystal Boys, they're all really respected predecessors in the music industry..." After about ten stages, in the latter half of the program, Ji-yeong and Joo-hyeon, wearing a white couple outfit, returned to the host stand and began introducing the special stages of several upcoming groups.
"Yeah, me too. " Chi Jingyuan nodded seriously and said, "The weather has been really cold lately. If you're not careful outside, you can easily get frostbite. You really need to listen to some nice music or sounds to relieve it..."
He said, waving his hand lightly: "Later, the stage of the representative female group of the 1990s is also ready. Please lock onto the channel..."
Before he could finish, Ji Jingyuan suddenly stopped moving, his expression froze as if he had been frozen.
"Just the name itself is enough to get my heart racing, huh..." Bae Joo-hyun looked down at her script. She had just spoken the line according to the planned flow, but before she could finish, she noticed something unusual about Ji Chang-wook next to her.
She glanced at him, the corner of her mouth twitching as she couldn't help but smile. After finishing the sentence with a trembling smile, she reached out and lightly tapped Chi Jingyuan's shoulder with her finger: "Ding! Defrost!"
After she finished speaking, she covered her mouth and laughed. At the same time, Ji Kyeong-won mirrored her actions, as if truly thawed out. He naturally and smoothly took over from Bae Joo-hyun's words: "A stage by AOA that received a lot of attention in 2015 is waiting!"
"Yeah, it's so exciting~~" After laughing, Pei Zhuhyun sang AOA's "Heart Flutter" very cooperatively and did a good job. She even reached out to do a simple cosplay.
But Ji Jingyuan didn't follow the procedure, instead, he even pointed at himself, using Pei Zhuxuan's lyrics, and looked at her expectantly: "Me"
"Ahhhh......"
The audience below immediately reacted, shouting with excitement.
"Hmm..." Pei Zhuxuan paused for a moment, then reacted immediately, raising her eyes and looking thoughtful. In the cheers, she hesitated for a second, then gently shook her finger: "Ani, no!"
"It's me!"
"No!"
"Oh no!"
They pushed and pulled back twice, and in the cheers, both laughed together, looked at each other, and bowed to the audience before leaving the stage.
"Oh, you didn't say so in advance."
Exiting the stage and entering the backstage corridor, Bae Joo-hyun couldn't help but lightly tap Ji Chang-wook on the shoulder, smiling mischievously as she complained.
Just now, there were some lines of interaction that weren't in the script. Ji Jingyuan suddenly improvised them. If she hadn't been so quick-witted and in tune with the moment, there could have been a broadcast error.
"PD said he wants more improvised interaction."
Chi Jingyuan wore a nonchalant expression, glanced at her face with a slight smile and said, "Besides, you're doing pretty well. Anyone watching would think we planned this beforehand, so in sync."
"Humph..."
Pei Zhuxuan let out a soft hum, it was unclear if she was annoyed or pleased. She gave him a playful glance.
Of course.
(The End)
First published on the Traditional Chinese Novel Networkke this comeback is pretty good on all sides, much stronger than when they debuted.""And this is the first original version of the album. I won't say much about "Wolf," a song I'm not really fond of....