HPDBC Chapter 1307 has begun
Chapter 1307 has begun
Chapter 1307 has begun
Recording has officially begun.
"ALL Right~ We're back!"
"Sitting in front of me now is EXO, the most popular boy group in the world!"
Allen was no longer the aloof and cold person he was backstage before. He had a friendly smile on his face and even introduced EXO in front of him with some excitement, using exaggerated words such as "most" and "best".
But the fans in the audience clearly loved it; after hearing her introduction, they immediately cheered even more excitedly, making the atmosphere even more lively.
While EXO smiled, they didn't refute the title of "world's most popular"... They are the most popular in Asia, while boy groups aren't popular in North America.
Judging by their fans alone, it wouldn't be wrong to say they are the most popular boy band in the world.
OK~OK!
Sensing the screams and intense atmosphere below, Allen seemed to be caught up in the excitement, waving his hand to reassure them: "I know this is thrilling because you're so close to them..."
"Ah ah ah..."
"So, it's nice to meet you all."
She looked at the nine members of EXO: "Although I know many people recognize you, I need you to introduce yourselves again and tell everyone who you are..."
Of course, all the fans at the scene recognized EXO, but since the show was aimed at the entire United States, not many people actually knew or understood them at that time.
Even the host, Allen, wasn't very familiar with EXO, let alone know who the members were.
"Hi everyone, I'm Yuan~"
Looking at the camera, Ji Jingyuan smiled and was the first to introduce himself: "Currently, I am the spokesperson for the group."
When introducing K-pop groups on the Korean Peninsula, they always include the member's role in the group, such as visual or lead vocalist. This is a major characteristic of K-pop groups.
Originally, the company wanted to maintain the original K-pop style and retain this characteristic, but after internal discussions, they decided to cancel it.
Because the people around here have no idea what your role is, and they can't understand why the 'maknae' can be a leader...
So, are you the team leader?
Allen asked the question at the right time, saying that no matter how you look at it, Ji Jingyuan is the complete core of this group.
"No, the captain is this person..."
Ji Kyung-won waved to the members behind him, then pointed to Kim Jun-myeon sitting next to him... and the guy gave a slightly awkward smile. Although his English wasn't very good, he could still understand the word 'leader'.
"Then why are you the spokesperson?" The host, now adopting the perspective of a bystander, continued to ask.
"Maybe it's because I'm better at communicating with people in English?"
Chi Jingyuan shrugged: "After all, I studied in LA and lived here for a long time."
"Yes, I can tell your English is excellent. Did you study in LA?"
"That's right." Chi Jingyuan nodded and stated the name of his school.
Allen looked surprised upon hearing this: "Wow, I think I've heard of this school. I'm very interested in your previous academic life... but let's leave that for later."
"I am Suho, the leader of the group."
“I am BAEK HYUN…”
"Ah ah ah..."
After all nine members finished their self-introductions, the audience and fans below the stage cheered enthusiastically once again.
Because they were so close, Chi Jingyuan could clearly see the expressions on their faces from his perspective. They were all bursting with uncontrollable excitement, which was completely unlike the kind of excitement one would expect from someone doing business.
It seems that being able to participate in EXO's first TV program after joining Ami is a very exciting thing for these EXO-Ls.
"Wow, it's so popular."
Allen clapped his hands and then brought up an event that had shaken the American music scene a couple of months ago: "We all know that you guys recently won the BBMA Social Artist award..."
"Ahhhhh!!"
Before she could finish speaking, she was interrupted by screams. EXO's victory over Justin Bieber and their Billboard award remains a legendary milestone.
"……Ha ha."
Infected by the enthusiasm of the audience, Allen's face flushed slightly as he looked at Chi Jingyuan in front of him: "What do you have to say about this?"
"Hmm... this feeling is so unreal, like a dream."
Chi Jingyuan pursed his lips slightly, and even after so much time had passed, he still looked very excited and emotional in front of the camera: "We were there at the time, and when we heard our names..."
He made a gesture of shock, clutching his heart.
“We all jumped up from our chairs, screaming, crying, it’s really indescribable.”
After speaking, he paused briefly, shifting his gaze from the camera downwards to meet the eyes of the fans who seemed even more moved than he was, before looking back at the camera:
“I know this award was decided entirely by fan votes, which makes it even more touching. EXO-L is everything to us. This award doesn’t belong to the nine of us; it belongs to us and EXO-L together.”
"Without them, we wouldn't be standing here, and we wouldn't have won this award. Our names are engraved on this trophy, but it also belongs to all the fans."
"Thank you so much, we are all in this together!"
"Ahhh!"
"Yuan!"
As soon as Chi Jingyuan finished speaking, many fans in the audience had tears in their eyes and burst into screams of gratitude and love.
Many female fans looked flushed from shouting, and their cheers went on for a long time, causing the recording to be briefly paused.
The expressions of both the staff around them and the host, Allen, became somewhat surprised.
They were genuinely amazed by the fervor of the Peninsula group's fans.
They are quite worldly-wise, having met countless celebrities and artists in the entertainment industry over the years, including many top-tier and second-tier stars.
But they can confidently say that even if top-tier celebrities came to the event, they would never have such a strong reaction, such crazy excitement and exhilaration.
They had a strange feeling that while the top local stars and singers were far more famous than the Korean group EXO, and while some audience members liked their songs and supported them, they never showed the same fervor or irrationality as the EXO fans in the audience.
It felt like these girls weren't treating someone they liked, but rather worshipping their god... This was the genuine feeling of a cameraman nearby. Forgive his choice of words, but he is actually an atheist.
He hadn't felt it before, but today's recording really showed him the appeal of the group EXO, and the girls who came for them today truly exemplified what it means to be a 'fan'.
The chat continued, and Allen, being an experienced host, also took care of the other members, allowing each of them to come forward and showcase themselves.
...Although many people are not very good at English, many issues are discussed in advance, and memorizing the pronunciation of words is not a problem.
However, the main character was still Ji Kyung-won, who occupied more than half of the interview.
As the conversation deepened, some questions became more direct and intense.
"I've seen some comments online, and many people are disgusted with you."
Host Allen's expression turned somewhat formal: "Many people say that you are 'mass-produced products' from the peninsula, 'manufactured by a company.' What do you think of this statement? Do you think it's fair?"
Upon hearing this question, the fans in the audience looked somewhat displeased, and the EXO members also appeared rather serious.
This is also a major negative impression that mainstream American music festivals currently have of Peninsula and K-pop groups, feeling that idols are artificially produced, like an assembly line.
They were right; Ji Kyung-won, who was well aware of the workings of the Peninsula music industry, knew exactly what was going on.
But there's nothing we can do about it; we're just born this way.
Besides, who isn't?
"I've actually seen some of them too."
Chi Jingyuan's expression wasn't so serious; instead, he smiled somewhat easily and casually. He changed his posture and looked at the host, but his tone was very firm: "Yes, we originate from a system, and we already have a very mature business philosophy on our end."
"But the system cannot create 'souls,' it can only forge greatness. What makes us different from others is ultimately human. Some of our members are chief producers, deeply involved in the creation of all our music (revealing a reserved smile)..."
"Our lyrics tell our own stories and the anxieties of a generation, including emotions, reality, and some social events. Factories can produce standardized products, but they cannot produce 'uniqueness.' We respect the different paths of all artists, and our path is to maximize individual creativity within the framework of the collective. That's what makes us 'different.'"
'Bah bang bang...'
applause.
This composed, clear, and powerful response elicited the longest applause and screams from the audience. All the female fans looked at Ji Jingyuan with admiration and longing, while the host, Ai Lu, also showed an appropriate expression of admiration.
Regardless of whether it was prepared in advance or whether it was specifically conceived by the company's internal publicity department, Allen's response was still very impactful and had a great effect on the spot. In her experience, it would definitely generate considerable buzz if it were broadcast.
“That’s wonderful, Yuan, your English is really good.”
She clapped, and after the excited atmosphere in the room calmed down a bit, she continued to ask, "You just said that you studied in LA for many years, but if you wanted to be a singer, why didn't you try it in the United States back then?"
"..."
Upon hearing this, Chi Jingyuan looked at the camera with a slightly dazed expression, then blinked shyly, "Maybe it's because... I'm not handsome enough here?"
"NO!"
Before Allen could say anything after he finished speaking, the fans in the audience became unhappy and shouted in denial.
"Hahaha."
Allen waved his hand and smiled happily, and the slightly serious atmosphere just now naturally became relaxed: "Even in my opinion, among all Asians, your appearance is very memorable, let alone them. Your confidence also impressed me... No girl would dislike a boy like that. I'm sure you must have been very popular at school."
After saying that, she smiled and specifically mentioned, "It's not just me, GUCCI's vision also proves this point. If I remember correctly, you are GUCCI's global brand ambassador."
"Thank you~"
Faced with the other party's high praise, Chi Jingyuan simply smiled shyly but confidently and thanked them.
"Speaking of which..." The host's eyes darted around, and he suddenly asked a very sensitive question for boy band members: "Do you have a girlfriend now?"
"Ahhh!"
"NO!"
Before Chi Jingyuan could even respond, the female fans in the audience erupted, shouting and gasping. They were clearly very dissatisfied with the question and worried about hearing an answer they didn't want to hear from Chi Jingyuan. Some even glared angrily at Allen, no longer caring whether she was the host or not.
"……hehe."
Chi Jingyuan couldn't help but laugh, pursed his lips slightly, and shook his head clearly: "No."
When he gave that answer, he bet the members behind him, like Oh Sehun and Park Chanyeol, were laughing and despising him in their hearts, even though they seemed to agree and nod on the surface.
From their perspective, Chi Jingyuan is never short of women, and may even be dating several at the same time.
But Chi Kyung-won showed no shame in speaking.
He knows himself that he doesn't have it right now.
His words immediately put the audience at ease.
"There's none?"
But Allen seemed a little skeptical, looking Chi Jingyuan up and down: "You really seem like the type who's popular with the opposite sex... You must be the most popular member of the group among girls, right?"
"NONONO, I'm not."
Chi Jingyuan waved his hands repeatedly, seemingly very sensitive to this title.
"Who is that?"
"Yes……"
Ji Kyung-won looked back for a moment, then, in perfect unison with the other members, pointed to Kim Jongin: "It's Kai."
Kim Jong-in's English is quite good, and he could roughly understand it. At this moment, he also showed an embarrassed and reserved smile at the right time, and Allen naturally turned the topic to him.
Looking at Kim Jong-in, who was smiling and talking to the host, Ji Kyung-won felt a little strange.
What 'most popular with girls' title... Of course it's him, how could it be anyone else?
But he already has enough to talk about, and he doesn't want this title. If Kim Jongin likes it, then let him have it.
...However, Kim Jong-in is indeed very good at this.
"...OK, I believe everyone has been waiting for this for a long time."
After asking a few more questions, the interview segment ended. Today's program has two parts: an interview and a stage performance.
Interviews are meant to introduce EXO to the general public, but the stage performances are the real focus. The choreography and stage performance of "ON" are their true weapons to move casual viewers.
Allen stood up excitedly, looking at the equally excited fans below the stage: "Now, let's enjoy EXO's new album, ON!"
"Ah ah ah..."
…………
After finally finishing recording "The Ellen Show," Ji Kyung-won said goodbye to his fans and thanked the staff before wiping away his sweat as he left the stage. However, he suddenly noticed that Nick, the artist development director of New Vision Records, had also arrived at the recording venue at some point and was standing to the side.
It seems he's been observing their recording the whole time, which shows he really values EXO.
"You did a great job. You were born to do this."
Seeing that Chi Jingyuan had noticed him and walked over, Nick smiled and greeted him, his expression full of admiration, but his gaze towards Chi Jingyuan was somewhat surprised.
"Our initial feeling was correct. Your fans' loyalty and enthusiasm far surpass that of most local artists. This is our sharpest weapon for penetrating the American market. Just look at their performance during the recording; even a casual glance or smile from you can send them into a frenzy..."
He described what he had just witnessed with great interest, his face showing surprise and excitement.
"However, the stage on The Ellen Show was too small to accommodate all the backup dancers, so the overall effect wasn't as good as expected. The most appealing aspect of 'ON' was the live stage performance."
However, he quickly pursed his lips and looked at the small stage in the recording studio.
The song "ON" requires a dance team of 30 people, plus the 9 members of EXO and instruments, so the stage area is very large. Some small stages simply cannot be used for the performance, and people cannot even get on them.
To cope with this situation, several stage plans were prepared for "ON", ranging from a full-group stage with all choreographers, to a stage with half the choreographers, and then to a stage with only EXO and no choreographers.
The stage for "The Ellen Show" is too small to showcase the entire stage.
“But it’s okay. You probably don’t know this, but we’ve already arranged more shows for you.” You looked at Chi Jingyuan, seemingly even more excited than him: “There’s ‘Good Morning America’ and ‘The Tonight Show with Jimmy Kimmel’, especially ‘Good Morning America.’ That stage is huge, and the effect will definitely be great.”
"Thanks..."
This was the first time Chi Kyung-won had heard of it, but he was quite happy to hear it. More television resources meant more exposure.
After a brief silence, he glanced at the seemingly energetic director beside him and tentatively asked, "I've heard things haven't been going very well for us lately."
"Indeed, there are many obstacles to promotion, and since you, as the core of the group, are not here, it is difficult to make any big moves... But everything is as expected."
"Now that I'm back, when will things start to change?"
"It has already begun."
(End of this chapter)