Pedro, leaving behind his colleagues who were happily interacting with the idol Do-hee Lee, sat down in his spot, waiting for the greetings to finish.
“You’re a cello major? I love the cello! I’ve actually been listening to cello pieces a lot lately. Would you mind playing a duet with me later? Something like Brahms or Rachmaninoff’s sonata for cello and piano. I’m not particularly fond of that piece, but it’s kind of a dream of mine to perform like that.”
“Sure, let’s do it. I figured you’d be up for it, Do-hee. I mean, when you look up your name, ‘piano’ is always the first keyword that comes up.”
“But you really know me… I thought you were just being polite.”
“Oh, come on, there’s no way I wouldn’t know. You’re famous among K-pop fans, not to mention most people here have probably listened to the piano pieces you’ve composed. I really like them.”
“Oh…”
“But I’m more into jazz, so I might not be as good at classical pieces like the ones you’re talking about.”
“Oh…”
“But I could definitely manage some of the famous ones, right?”
“Oh…!”
And finally, after introductions were done, Do-hee stood in front of him, extending her hand.
“Nice to meet—”
But Pedro merely nodded and stood up.
“My name is Pedro. I’m Brazilian, a singer-songwriter, and the team leader.”
“Don’t mind him. Pedro’s just a bit grumpy today.”
“Huh? Oh, I’m fine.”
‘That hairy guy is being nice because I’m somewhat pretty. Artists have their pride.’
Regardless of what the Dutch guy, Erhan, next to him mumbled, Pedro walked into the room where everyone’s instruments were placed.
“I’m warming up before we work. Hurry up!”
He sat Do-hee down at the acoustic piano and got ready for some active listening.
The song he was about to play was from ‘!3(ExMark3)’, a top-tier boy group under ZY, known as one of the best in the industry, and their latest track [Loose].
Though released last fall and lacking a mainstream hit, it received critical acclaim and became a hit among dedicated K-pop listeners, even winning awards.
It was a song worth analyzing, filled with sophisticated elements.
‘…And the composers here didn’t just get picked as top-liners because they could hum a good melody.’
Pedro nodded and stared at Do-hee, who was seated across from him.
*
‘Ah, this song.’
He quickly recognized it.
There’s no way he wouldn’t know it; he had previously done a challenge together as the music show MC last year.
ExMark3’s [Loose].
Honestly, it wasn’t quite to his taste, but no doubt it had a fresh sound genre-wise.
If you asked him to create something similar, he wouldn’t even be able to come up with that style.
‘It tries to follow the trend by adding a retro touch, yet paradoxically feels like it’s ten years ahead.’
ZY had played a major role in becoming a top entertainment company with songs like this; it encapsulated their trademark style.
ZY had always been a trendsetter after all.
As the first verse hit, the surrounding composers began nodding and responding to the song.
Everyone started their reactions.
They were puzzled but…
─This isn’t quite the beginning I expected… Still, it’s not bad.
They were really excited.
─It seems these composers like to take a bit of the bass out. I think that’s pretty cool.
They clapped too.
─Loose, loose, this feels insane. It’s quantum, like discontinuous and laid-back.
And it was clear that their choice of words was definitely of a higher quality than the usual reactions uploaded on YouTube.
They showed distinct expertise.
First of all, my thought is…
Just listening is fun.
*
Pedro watched Do-hee Lee, who was silently listening while he and his colleagues improvised some chatter, and thought, of course.
─There’s a lot of vocal fry, huh? They definitely have a way of catching trends…
─Did you just hear that? On the triplet.
─Ah, I felt it.
Unlike those half-baked wannabes who call themselves producers and barely touch composing software, this team consisted of exceptional experts among composers.
─Look at this, they were swinging throughout the song, then switched to duple, you know?
─Can you hear that little spoon sound in the back?
─Spoon? No, that sounds like clave to me.
Except for Erhan, the beatmaker, everyone had a degree and was a long-time veteran.
─Wow, this modulation is insane.
─The boldness of changing keys here…
─Changing keys usually showcases the singer’s voice… but this is crazy all on its own!
Their basic vocabulary knowledge and experience were from a different foundation.
And.
“Now that the song is over…”
Time to wrap up the song.
If they were just reacting before, now it was time to dig a bit deeper.
“Who wants to go first…”
‘Please tell me you’ve got your thoughts organized in your head.’
“…Just go ahead and speak up.”
“Ah, I know what the clave is.”
As expected, of course.
“The clave is used in Cuban music, referring to two opposing rhythmic cells.”
“And the vocal fry?”
While Jada answered, Pedro nodded.
Yeah, how much can an idol really know?
“It’s a speech pattern with a low voice, a polarizing vocalization. It’s a trend with the younger generation in America, especially among young women. This is the vocalization method used by famous celebs like the Kardashians.”
“Oh, like this? How’s that?”
“Oh, Do-hee, your low voice suits it really well! It’s super charming.”
“Really? I was originally good at lower vocalization. Since I was a kid, I could imitate male voices well. Maybe I’ll speak like this from now on…”
“Is that all the questions?”
“Oh. What about duple? Are we talking about the Duple that splits the phrase into double meter?”
“Yeah, that’s it.”
He felt only embarrassed for having been unnecessarily annoyed.
Since Jeon Yo-seob happened to text saying Do-hee was his replacement, he had unconsciously regarded her as the main producer in charge and felt resistant.
Logically, she was just an 18-year-old idol.
He might have treated her petty as his colleagues said.
Seeing her trying so hard to learn…
Maybe Jeon Yo-seob just sent her along for a field trip.
Thinking of her as a student made him feel much more at ease.
Thinking about it, my heart feels much lighter.
Pedro thought he should analyze a few more songs and give a little tour before sending them back.
“Yeah, feel free to ask more questions.”
“Okay.”
That passionate response is pretty cute, after all…
So pretty it’s downright unfair.
“Alright, let’s all share what we’ve gathered or points we noticed and wrap it up.”
Pedro, forgetting his discomfort, started enthusiastically discussing with the team like usual.
“Basically, the song itself isn’t the sort of easy listening that you like the moment you hear it. But if you’re in the mood to be overwhelmed, this might be an unparalleled masterpiece for those who want that.”
“Exactly, the texture shifts are what make it. It’s weird how the harmonics change, right?”
“I think the title of the song is key; you can feel it right from the drop part before the chorus.”
“Right, Loo-se Loo-se Loo-se, like it means loose, the unstandardized laid-backness supports the theme of the song.”
“I wonder if anyone else has noticed this~”
“Go ahead and say it, Lucas.”
“If you listen closely to the chorus part, it sounds like it’s in 3/2, right?”
“Isn’t it?”
“Nope, it’s 3/4. Erhan, can you give me a 4-beat rhythm with the sticks? I’ll do the 3-beat.”
“Sure.”
─Tap-Tap-Tap─
Tap-Tap-Tap-Tap
“Oh, you’re right. Loo-se breaks into 4 beats, while the accompaniment is in 3 beats.”
“Was that a polyrhythm?”
“Probably why it was confusing. Polyrhythms tend to give a sense of tension or a grinding feeling. This song still leaves that Loo-se groove, though.”
“If I had to pinpoint an answer… I think it might be a swing 16 rhythm.”
“That’s true, especially in the last chorus, where you get so caught up in the song that it feels like you’re loosening up, right? The background and lyrics are both strongly upfront without yielding.”
“Yeah, if it had been like that throughout, it might’ve felt trashy, but technically it’s well-crafted. The use of pauses and consonantal rhythms is spot on.”
As they analyzed the song with collective intelligence through discussion and debate, Jada, who had always liked Do-hee with a fan heart, looked at her and asked,
“Do-hee, don’t you feel anything? You’re the only idol here, after all. Or maybe a classic artist vibe?”
“I’m still clumsy with the terms and expressions…”
She trailed off, but with her adorable air, it was hard to tell whether it was her laughter, her face, or maybe both that had everyone staring intently, waiting patiently without rushing her.
Pedro was thinking that if he didn’t know, he’d just let her know.
“Well, being an idol, I focused a bit on the performance of the music video, and the dance break really stood out to me. Especially that part where you said it transitioned to duple from swing, Lucas.”
“Oh, right, that happened.”
But the reply that came back was a concept they never expected.
“It definitely made the song better, but I think it was the most important element of the performance.”
“Why?”
“The way it shifts during the dance break sounds a bit industrial. Like, you feel the machinery progressing. So, it focuses on the members’ synchronized dance like a machine.”
“…I can definitely see that. And the 32-note embellishments added during the dance break too.”
Surely there’s something to learn from an idol standing on stage.
Then, Do-hee presented another opinion.
“And just like everyone said, it feels like the song itself keeps showing that it has something from the very beginning. There’s intention. Like a retro vibe, or something.”
Here comes a completely opposite opinion from the composers.
“Retro? This song?”
“Yeah, I don’t really know either. Maybe because it’s ZY’s song, but it doesn’t seem retro at all. Instead, it feels like it’s ten years ahead.”
“Well… I’m not sure either, but the male idol songs tend to have deep intentionality or a world view, so I was focused while listening. Here.”
Do-hee placed her hands on the piano.
“In the first verse, there’s this 5-1-5 progression… it feels similar to a siren sound, and Seven’s debut song had a progression like this. It gives off a retro feeling.”
“Ah, right. It does have that vibe.”
“Yeah, because of that, I was paying attention to that part… and in the second verse, the same verse part goes… like this 5-1-5-2-4.”
“Exactly, it’s a bit different, right? The progression isn’t 1-4.”
“That’s why I think it feels less retro. You might think it looks similar at first, but actually, they’ve arranged it stylishly by varying the progression between the first and second verses a bit.”
Then Do-hee proceeded to search for images of low-waisted pants on her phone.
“After all, the term ‘loose’ symbolizes this retro fashion. So, maybe the planning document for this song was to embody retro symbolically and make it stylish? Could that be it?”
“Right, I get it. Idols don’t just record tracks and call it a day…”
In the meantime, as Pedro had forgotten about the team’s relaxed attitude of creating songs while enjoying the music and finding an entertainment agency that suited their taste,
yeah, at its core, Kpop was about performance.
Fashion, dance, concept. A genre that encompasses everything.
Therefore, the composing team affiliated with an entertainment agency like ZY had to meticulously prepare from the very beginning, being conscious of their idols’ concepts.
Wasn’t it possible that they missed that obvious fact while creating the song?
“I’ve lived too long as a freelancer…”
Pedro felt satisfied with the new opinions and unintentionally forgot about the need to send things back quickly. He started passionately listening to various latest songs, treating Do-hee like a colleague.
“Okay, then let’s analyze the next song!”
Until Do-hee started to look like she was about to cry.
*
[Me: Director, it’s my birthday tomorrow… February 4th…]
[Director So-hyun: Yeah, of course, I remember]
[Director So-hyun: Come to the office tomorrow afternoon and let’s have a birthday party together]
[Director So-hyun: We’ll also start a live broadcast. I’ve prepared it in advance]
[Me: Oh yeah! So does that mean I have the night off? (Excited bunny emoji)]
[Director So-hyun: ?? No. You have to come back]
[Me: Huh?]
[Director So-hyun: We still have 5 days until the song camp]
[Director So-hyun: Those composers are quite famous]
[Director So-hyun: Let’s learn as much as we can and write some songs too]
N-no way.
Do-ah said she would make a cake for her sister’s birthday…
Of course, I know it’s just a ploy to get pocket money.
Still.
Still…
It’s Do-ah’s homemade cake…
“Hey, Pedro! Do-hee’s about to cry because of you, with all your nagging.”
“Uh, really? Should we take a break?”
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.
