As the week of activities comes to an end.
In North America, the promotional activities were steadily paving the way, but the members were still spending time in the music show waiting room.
Seo-yoon was loosening her throat for a live practice.
Woo-ah was belatedly having a meal with salad.
Chiyo was filming reels with the staff.
And only Na-eun…
‘Is she feeling the pressure after all?’
She was glancing at Do-hee’s expression.
Of course, Na-eun knew.
Do-hee, despite her young age and the “youngest” title, had a strange stubbornness.
If someone around her showed even a hint of worry, she’d stop what she was doing and playfully tease her unnis, laughing it off.
‘It’s just her mischievous nature.’
That’s why when Do-hee was like this, the members usually tried to give her some space. But Na-eun, being the eldest sister and leader, couldn’t just overlook it.
‘She’s a genius, so she must feel some pressure.’
“Ah…”
Since signing the contract with Warner Records last week, Do-hee had been like this.
“Ugh…”
With her notebook in front of her, Na-eun sighed.
She was just fiddling with her pen.
Do-hee’s rare moments of rest and even reading time were almost non-existent as she was usually glued to her phone.
To Na-eun, it seemed like she was destructively overexerting herself.
Na-eun could no longer just watch.
Do-hee, piled high with fatigue, caught her eye.
‘This really won’t do.’
“Do-hee.”
As expected, Do-hee’s face reflected numerous signs of worry.
“Yeah?”
It had been since last fall, the youngest had diligently worked harder than anyone on the album without a break.
She wished she would lean on her unnis a bit and take a break.
“Oh, you knew how I felt…”
She didn’t know what that feeling was.
But Na-eun patted her and pulled her in for a hug.
“Right, unni can adjust no matter what. Let’s not take on too much pressure and let Do-hee be herself.”
Meaning it was okay for Do-hee to act a bit spoiled sometimes.
“I see. Yeah, actually… I wanted to do hip hop…”
But why was Do-hee struggling with that?
“Cool idols do hip hop… right? I shouldn’t be falling behind… Woo-rang unni was so cool rapping this time… I guess I really like hip hop… I want to do hip hop…”
Something was off.
She couldn’t resonate with it.
*
“Thank you for coming to Lee Do-hee’s presentation.”
A special whiteboard ordered for the dorm was set up in the living room.
It was set up in the living room.
“Yeah, Do-hee, let’s wrap this up quickly. I’m about to die from sleepiness. We have to jump for a music broadcast tomorrow.”
“I’ll go wash up and write down the gist~”
Today’s topic is, of course, the next album.
I wrote on the board in big letters.
[Where Does My Torment Come From?]
“Oh, I’ll just wash up too.”
Actually, I, Do-hee, have a very warm heart.
“I think my torment always comes from this warm consideration and respect in my heart.”
“I don’t know about consideration, but I admit you have a big heart.”
So, when we said we were doing hip-hop, what’s the most worrying point?
“Quality of the track? Direction?”
“No way! Do-hee can’t rap!”
Hmm, neither.
“I’m a genius recognized by the president of Warner Records, so I can’t possibly be bad at hip-hop. I’ve already roughly decided the direction, lyrics, and title of the song, and above all, I rap well.”
“Uh, Unni also thinks Do-hee raps well!”
“Hmmm… no way.”
“Besides, last year we clearly proved with New vibes that we’re not a group that can’t do hip-hop, right?”
From that perspective, there’s no reason we can’t do hip-hop.
In fact, there’s more reason to do it.
“First of all, Chiyo Unni’s part in this album was way too small.”
As idols, the members should primarily shine on stage and in the music.
“I didn’t want to force a rap part that didn’t fit the song. I wanted to make a part where the Unni could shine instead.”
“D-Do-hee-chan, are you really thinking of me…?”
“Of course.”
“Wah…”
Of course, I really want to do hip-hop the most.
“However, there’s one big problem we face.”
That would be the new girl group from Haru Entertainment, which is continuing the lineage of hip-hop idols following Coral Blue.
“Recently debuted, Bitrin. And with that mischievous Ha-rang Unni as the leader, I can easily guess the atmosphere of the group.”
They would be living quite freely.
“That’s the true spirit of hip-hop…”
“Hmmm~ in that aspect, Chiyo won’t lose! If you’d pick my Kim Chiyo as the leader!”
“…You guys do it. I’m tired of being a leader too.”
“Really?”
“Seriously?”
“…Ah, no, I don’t think it’ll work. The group will really go down the drain…”
What the heck, I can totally be a great leader!
Anyway, what I meant was that it absolutely wasn’t about us being compared to Beatlin and looked down upon in the hip-hop genre.
“That side is, how should I put it, definitely sophisticated and well-done, but it still has that traditional hip-hop vibe to it.”
Not all hip-hop genres are the same.
We can do our own thing; I can do my own hip-hop.
“In my interpretation, yeah. To put it a bit too strongly, it doesn’t quite fit the times.”
In the meantime, I wonder if Woo-ah Unni polished her nails, as she asked brightly.
“Times? Were you giving another history lecture again~?”
Along with Kim Seo-yoon, who pretended to enter the restroom.
“Honestly, if you really don’t listen, you’ll probably sulk for days and be a pain.”
I hope she sits down quickly.
It would be a loss for the sisters if they miss out on this precious Do-hee’s lesson.
“I’ll put it very simply. Do you know why bragging about money has been ever-present in the lyrics since the roots of hip-hop?”
Of course, my lessons always follow the same direction.
“To prove their superiority and show they live better lives than their competitors? Simply to flaunt their success through wealth and fame?”
It’s a series of trends created by the backdrop of the times.
I could say this a hundred times and still not be enough.
“If that were the case, it could never have become a mainstream genre.”
This is directly tied to musical trends.
“Based on historical facts, Martin Luther King was assassinated in 1968. At least until the 70s and 80s, racial discrimination must have been rampant. It’s an awareness that doesn’t just disappear. And in that atmosphere of the 70s, hip-hop was born as the music of Black impoverished neighborhoods. When later artists flaunted their success and wealth, did it not seem like a display of their accomplishments for Black people?”
In my mind, absolutely not.
“It probably looked like this instead: ‘Did you see? I’m Black, and I was poor, but I succeeded in music. If I could do it, you can too. Follow me!’ Right?”
“Honestly, his class is surprisingly insightful.”
“I’m just trusting the producer.”
Ahem, I struck a pose, resting my arms on the windowsill, looking outside.
“Actually, hip-hop started with that meaning. But what’s important is what kind of hip-hop we do today.”
I wish someone would take a picture right now.
It would be so cool.
“Of course, the truth is, I don’t really know the current state of America. I’ve never lived there, so I don’t know what life is like for locals. It seems like it’s going through a transition, but anyway, what’s certain is that hip-hop is relatively weakening on today’s Billboard.”
─Click.
Nice one, Woo-ah Unni.
I should make this my background photo.
“Still, at least we know the Korean situation well. The atmosphere is one of mocking and laughing at hip-hop lyrics.”
It’s not that people are strange.
“When you think about it, it feels natural, right? The economy has developed, and times and trends have changed, but isn’t it just copying the money bragging of mainland hip-hop in Korea? Even if a somewhat unknown rapper does it… I’d laugh too.”
In that sense, the hip-hop we should pursue is simple.
“Honestly, this album has ended up with too heavy an image. Expectations got too high. They see me, Do-hee Lee, as some kind of artist and genius! Of course, I know I’m the artist and genius here.”
“Oh, I really don’t want to listen because of the nonsense they’re throwing in halfway.”
“Real talk.”
How can our older sisters know my genius and still be so heartless?
“Anyway, the new album should be lighter and more idol-like. Like, a little goofy and comical hip-hop would be great.”
But for some reason, Hana was on my mind.
[Ha-rang Unni: Hey, Debonaire, you’ve really lost it!]
[Ha-rang Unni: Last time you promoted your stuff on my broadcast.]
Is Ha-rang Unni questioning me about doing hip-hop again? There’s no sense of morality.
*
Lira received a sudden message.
[Do-hee Lee: I’m listening to Coral Blue’s song these days.]
Only family and members have bothered her with such pointless nonsense until now.
[Na: And?]
[Do-hee Lee: I’m listening to Coral Blue’s song. I like it.]
In fact, my members are also quite hesitant.
It’s a bit strange for indifferent Do-hee to act this way.
[Na: And?]
Somehow, it felt a little oddly cute.
[Do-hee Lee: I want to do hip-hop!]
[Do-hee Lee: I want to do hip-hop!!!]
[Do-hee Lee: Excuse me?]
She had nothing to say.
I wonder if she wants advice from me.
Or is she just declaring she wants to do hip-hop?
[Do-hee Lee: I asked Ha-rang Unni, and she said if you want to do hip-hop, you need to get a national hip-hop license.]
[Na: What are you talking about, seriously?]
[Do-hee Lee: She said to get a class 2 general license.]
[Do-hee Lee: Ah, typo, class 2 commonly used license.]
What on earth is this girl talking about?
Lira had no idea.
*
“I got permission from Lira, okay? Now I also have a class 2 national hip-hop license!”
“Wow!? Class 2? I knew this would happen. Dumb Do-hee is truly a fool!!”
“You don’t even need a class 1 license to do hip-hop. Good luck.”
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