peninsula asteroid.

Chapter 1306 Return Trip and Recording

Chapter 1306 Return Trip and Recording

“Not very good…”

Upon hearing this, his manager, or rather assistant, who was driving to pick him up, shook his head slightly and, in a slightly somber tone, explained to Ji Jingyuan the situation of the group and the album while he was away from the United States these past few days.

"We did a lot of pre-event promotion, and the company invested corresponding publicity resources, but according to market research, the effect of these resources was not as good as expected. How should I put it..."

"It's like if the investment in promotion is 1, the return on other artists might also be 1, or even more... but with XO, it's only 0.3 or 0.4. The investment and return are not proportional."

“Kpop is still a bit niche. Although the Billboard Awards still generate buzz and have increased our visibility, many people are just watching for the spectacle. Many listeners and casual viewers here still know too little about Kpop and aren’t very interested.”

The assistant, who works for SM Entertainment and is from the Korean Peninsula, didn't shy away from the conversation: "Some of the comments about us online aren't very good. They say that some of our songs are outdated or boring... But the dance and music video for 'ON' have received a lot of recognition, although many people also say that it's too noisy."

"The problem now is that the mainstream market doesn't accept it. It's been more than a week since the album was released, but so far, not a single radio station in Ami's area has played our songs. Zero, not a single one."

He emphasized his words and paused slightly, clearly indicating that the data was indeed quite hurtful. Chi Jingyuan also fell silent after hearing it, having just attended Milan Fashion Week, and the lingering excitement of that glamorous and lively atmosphere had subsided.

But soon, the agent softened his tone:

"However, neither New Vision nor our company has said anything about this, because we had already anticipated it beforehand. The current situation was something we had already considered in the previous distribution and publicity plans."

"Any good news?" Chi Jingyuan smiled, making the atmosphere a little more relaxed.

"Of course, there's also good news."

Hearing this, the manager smiled, his smile reflected in the rearview mirror: "This album, especially the title track 'ON,' is very popular among your fans. The choreography and music video have caused a great sensation and received high praise."

"This song and this album, or rather your move into the North American market, have greatly excited your North American fans, making them much more active than before. Even without any guidance from the company, a huge number of fans have spontaneously promoted it online. This is why, although we haven't yet penetrated the mainstream market, we're already generating considerable buzz online."

"And then, sales were also good."

That's good news. Being able to please the fans is already a great achievement for an idol group.

Before Chi Jingyuan could respond, his manager continued, "However... the songs rely almost entirely on fans boosting the charts and die-hard fans buying them, which means they mainly rely on digital download sales. They perform very poorly on the two mainstream metrics of streaming and radio."

"Basically, it was just a fan frenzy and didn't attract the attention of the mainstream public... It's like, how should I put it, a dud, yes, that's it."

"Furthermore, the active online behavior of your fans has also caused dissatisfaction among many passersby, coupled with some discriminatory behavior here, so..."

The agent shrugged: "There are quite a few antis expressing their dislike online lately."

Following his words, Chi Jingyuan also opened his phone and scrolled through it. Besides seeing the excitement from his own fans, he also easily saw the anti-fans that his manager had mentioned:

"All of these EXO members should be stuffed into shipping containers and sent back to the peninsula! Their music only deserves to be played in garbage cans in the slums!"

"These sissies are insulting real music! Their fans are a bunch of brainless teenage bitches who actually fawn over these yellow-skinned people!"

“Go back to Asia! We don’t need this incomprehensible monkey language! Your existence is a pollution of American culture!”

"EXO-Ls are a bunch of pathetic robots! The way you guys swarm the charts like locusts is disgusting! EXO only makes it onto the charts because you crazy people keep buying garbage, not because their music is good!"

"Their vocabulary for swearing is really limited... Oh my god, they even know that our fans are called EXO-L?"

Upon seeing the last comment, Chi Jingyuan raised an eyebrow slightly and spoke with a surprised tone. He didn't seem angry at the harsh comments; in fact, besides being surprised, he even felt a strange sense of being flattered.

Honestly, Ji Kyung-won has seen a lot of these anti-fan insults since his debut. When EXO first debuted, they were basically hated by everyone online, and even after they became popular, the number of haters has always been large.

Moreover, compared to those haters on the peninsula who even dare to engage in real-life online attacks, the verbal attacks here are really nothing to him.

However, EXO had been preparing for this for a long time, full of expectations and putting in a lot of effort to prepare for their attempt to enter the US market. But after the album was released, they encountered this situation, which was a real blow to their morale. Even Ji Kyung-won felt a little discouraged.

"Moreover, the song's audio quality on the Korean Peninsula isn't very good... But 'ON' is a pure dance track with no stage performances or promotions, and it's a song aimed at the United States, so the company says it's normal."

Finally, the agent glanced at Chi Kyung-won in the rearview mirror and added a comment.

"What did the company say? What about New Vision Glasses?"

Looking at the obviously discriminatory comments online, he pursed his lips and stopped reading, then looked up and asked.

"That's alright..."

At this point, the agent exchanged a glance with Chi Jingyuan through the rearview mirror:

"They said it was all within expectations, and they weren't too disappointed or panicked because... many projects hadn't even started yet."

"Now we're just waiting for you to come back."

…………

The manager escorted Ji Kyung-won all the way to EXO's apartment. After Ji Kyung-won entered the apartment with his suitcase, he only saw Oh Se-hun and Do Kyung-soo in the living room.

"Jingyuan?"

"came back?"

Upon seeing the travel-worn Chi Jingyuan, the two immediately greeted him and helped him carry his luggage back to his room. Looking at the large and heavy suitcase, they casually asked, "Did you bring so much stuff? Did you bring us any gifts?"

"Who are you to me that I would bring you a gift?"

Chi Jingyuan put the box away, stretched his body, casually remarked, shook his head, and then smacked his lips before adding, "The brand sent a bunch of gifts; take them if you like."

"A gift? I didn't receive one."

Wu Sehun had only asked casually, but upon hearing Ji Jingyuan's words, his expression immediately turned somewhat jealous: "And also, how come I was at Fashion Week for more than a day, while you only just got back today?"

"Hmm... I think we should look for the problem within ourselves in these situations."

Chi Jingyuan went straight to the bathroom, washed his face, and rubbed his cheeks with cold water. His expression was serious as he replied, "Maybe you're not handsome enough? Or maybe you're not popular enough?"

Chi Jingyuan was suppressing a laugh when he spoke. Just as he finished, he faintly heard a curse coming from not far away, something like "Damn it!"

"Where are the others? Junmyeon and Chanyeol?"

After washing his face and changing his clothes, Chi Jingyuan walked into the living room, looked around, and asked.

"They've all gone to English class."

Do Kyungsoo brought over two canned coffees and handed one to Ji Kyungwon: "I don't know if you know the current situation... Anyway, we didn't have any schedules while you were at Fashion Week. No one was broadcasting on the radio, and the TV program company didn't arrange anything. We had to wait for you to come back... We just recorded a few VLOGs, saying that we would post them online to help with promotion... Nothing else happened. Even though we released an album, we're surprisingly idle."

This guy sounded a bit somber, clearly worried about the lukewarm reception of EXO's album after its release. Despite it being their comeback period, he was stuck in his apartment with nothing to do.

Although it was just a few simple words, Chi Jingyuan could sense that the recent situation was indeed not very good.

"But there are quite a few parties..."

However, Wu Sehun didn't seem to be complaining at all. Instead, he chimed in enthusiastically, "I attended an internal party at New Vision the day before yesterday. Guess who I ran into? Serena, Serena Gomez-xi~"

“We met at the party when we came to BBMA last time, remember? She seemed to remember you quite well; she even asked us why we weren’t here.”

He looked enthusiastic, with a hint of gossip in his eyes: "So, any ideas?"

"They were just asking politely, only someone like you would think like that... Isn't her boyfriend Justin Bieber? I've seen the news over the years that they've broken up and gotten back together at least ten times?"

Seeing his mocking expression, Chi Jingyuan rolled his eyes speechlessly: "It's one thing to try to scam someone in the publicity, but to even scam your girlfriend?"

“Hahaha…” Do Kyungsoo next to him was amused and nodded in agreement: “Sehun is that kind of person.”

"but……"

Immediately afterward, Chi Jingyuan looked up and thought for a moment, his tone changing slightly as he said in a subtly suggestive tone, "But her looks are quite to my liking; she's one of the few young female singers in America who fits my aesthetic..."

"Alright, I'm not going to say anything more. I'm going to take a nap and then go to the company for a meeting."

After finishing speaking, Chi Jingyuan waved his hand and looked at the empty, lifeless dormitory and living room:

"Quickly, let's see what to do next..."

"I don't want to go back in disgrace."

…………

The California sun was always excessively generous, casting a hazy outline of the nine people inside the van through the windows. The car drove through the somewhat industrialized streets of Burbank and finally came to a smooth stop in front of the iconic Warner Bros. studio gates.

One day after Ji Kyung-won returned to the United States, he and all the EXO members went to the Ellen Show's private recording studio.

"It looks nice on the outside, but it's more dilapidated than I expected on the inside."

Walking through the somewhat dimly lit backstage corridor, the air was filled with the unique smell of cables, wood, and coffee. Wu Sehun sniffed the air, covered his mouth, and muttered to himself.

"Nobody's filming you here, why are you covering your mouth?"

Chi Jingyuan withdrew his gaze from looking around and gave him a strange look.

When they are on camera talking during events on the peninsula, they have to cover their mouths because there are countless cameras and fans watching and filming them, and it is easy to tell what they are talking about just by looking at their lip movements.

But this is LA. If they hadn't been accompanied by someone and had passes when they first came in, they would have been stopped by the staff.

"got used to."

Seemingly recalling what had just happened, Wu Sehun lowered his hand from his mouth and shrugged somewhat awkwardly.

Led by his agent, Ji Kyung-won arrived at the filming location, familiarized himself with the venue, communicated with the director, and greeted everyone. He then met Ellen DeGeneres, the star host of "The Ellen Show".

Ellen is a famous American talk show comedian. Under her hosting, "The Ellen Show" attracted a large audience with its humorous and friendly style, and the ratings were also very good.

She arrived backstage at the recording venue at 10:15 sharp, sat in the chair that seemed to be hers, looked around as if inspecting her territory, communicated with the staff, and then greeted the guests. Soon it was EXO's turn.

"Waa, it's nice to meet you all."

It was a normal and ordinary greeting. He remained calm in the face of EXO's Korean-style bow, simply offering a smile.

After a brief exchange, she prepared to leave, but before she left, she seemed to remember something and turned back to remind you: "When we're going over the script and recording later, I hope you won't forget your chewing gum. If you didn't bring any, we have some here."

After saying that, he turned and left, busy with his own affairs.

"what did she say?"

Wu Sehun and the others nearby didn't understand and asked quietly. Chi Jingyuan had a strange expression and explained it to them.

"What does she mean?"

Park Chanyeol's expression darkened upon hearing this: "Afraid we have bad breath?"

Many idols on the Korean Peninsula do have bad breath due to gastrointestinal issues caused by busy schedules and irregular sleep patterns, but EXO members are actually fine.

Moreover, this kind of face-to-face instruction really doesn't feel good; it gives one a feeling of being discriminated against.

Several members nearby couldn't help but purse their lips upon hearing this.

Chi Jingyuan shook his head calmly and said lightly, "She definitely doesn't know what's going on our side, how could she possibly be targeting us..."

As he spoke, he looked around and observed the expressions on Allen's face as she interacted with the other guests. He guessed, "It's probably just a habit. She probably says that to everyone."

Host Allen is generally perceived as humorous, witty, friendly, and approachable, which has made him very popular.

However, after getting to know her, Chi Jingyuan felt that this woman's personality was somewhat cold and distant, even a bit harsh, and not easy to approach.

However, he didn't care about it. There are plenty of people in the industry whose public personas are very different from their real personalities, it's nothing new.

They just need to record their own show... This American television debut is very important to them.

The Ellen Show appears cramped on television, but the studio itself is much larger than one might imagine. Tiered seating curves around the central area, while overhead are intricate yet orderly arrays of steel frames and lights.

At the center of the stage was the familiar interview area—a pale yellow main sofa, the host's signature armchair, and a sleek coffee table. Behind it was a huge background screen that was playing the program's logo on a loop. The bright colors created a wonderful contrast with the busy uniforms of the people moving around below the stage.

After the scheduled time arrived, all the audience members present for today's recording had entered the venue, and the recording officially began.

Each episode is about 40 minutes long, and the number of guests varies depending on the situation. Today's episode has more than just EXO as guests; they haven't reached the point of appearing solo yet. There were two other groups of guests who recorded before them.

However, it's possible that the new vision team was more effective. Although there were three groups of guests, EXO had the most time, with their stage performance lasting more than 20 minutes, which was more than half of the total time.

After the first two groups finished recording, EXO finally made their appearance.

"Ahhhhh!!"

As the nine members of EXO, each with their own unique style, walked onto the stage from the waiting area, the audience erupted in a deafening cheer. The sound echoed throughout the venue, almost entirely consisting of screams from girls.

Allen, who was standing on the stage, was also startled by the deafening sound, and his expression changed slightly.

Although the audience responded appropriately when the other guests were recording, cheers rang out at the right moments.

However, she could tell that these were all commercial reactions... After all, when you're on set to participate in a recording, you need to follow the recording rules and give appropriate reactions to liven up the atmosphere.

But at this moment...

Ellen hadn't actually looked into EXO before... Of course, she'd heard the group's name and some rumors, but she hadn't really looked into it, even though they were guests today. She only knew they were a group from the Korean Peninsula who had previously won an award at the BBMA.

To be honest, she didn't really take this boy group seriously. She had never considered having them participate in the show before. This time, it was actually New Vision Records that strongly promoted them and even used their artists, such as Selena Gomez, to appear in exchange for pushing EXO to the top.

But at this moment, even though it was just an opening welcome scream, Allen immediately sensed that something was different.

This makes the audience seem much more energetic and excited than before.

Moreover, she glanced down and suddenly noticed something she hadn't noticed before.

It seems that most of the audience members present today were girls... young girls.

This was a rare occurrence before "The Ellen Show".

Meanwhile, Ji Kyung-won, who was sitting in the first seat on the sofa closest to the host, was also having a very special feeling. The sofas and chairs on the stage were arranged in two rows.

EXO has experienced this kind of thing too many times in Asia: appearing on TV shows and having fans and viewers screaming and cheering for them.

But at this moment, Ami, who had not achieved success before, was recording a TV program for the first time, and she heard such excited and sincere shouts...

That's really inspiring!

The cheers were the same, but looking at the faces of the fans in the audience—white and black, so different from those in Asia—and seeing their excited smiles and shining eyes, the feeling was truly different.

"We are EXO!"

…………

(End of this chapter)