Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Xing Ai Production, Full Production

"Xing Ai You looks full of energy. What's going on? Are you very confident that you can continue to be the producer of the new album?" The dance teacher knew that there would be a RD new album meeting today, but it was rare to see Xing Ai practicing dance in the practice room so early in the morning, so he asked curiously.

"Ouni, you may find it hard to believe, but I just finished working all night this morning and revised the song. I'm so excited now!" Quan Xingai didn't look like someone who had stayed up all night at all. Her eyes were bright and her face and skin seemed to be glowing.

"Why are you so excited this time?"

"Maybe I'm so excited after writing the song that I can't wait to run a lap!" Quan Xingai hugged the dance teacher Mincan and swayed around, acting coquettishly.

"I don't think I saw you this excited last time with the Evil Girl Virus. Is your new song interesting?"

"Because last time I was doing an adaptation, it was kind of a framework exam, but this time it was an open-book creation. I can only say that I felt like I was completely free to let go, and in the end, I was able to create according to my own mood and ideas. I personally felt very relieved."

Jeon Seong-ae has been writing songs and creating in the production room these past few nights. Ever since that day when Kwon Ji-yong discussed with her the styles and preferences of the Korean entertainment industry for the whole night and freely expressed their respective musical insights, Jeon Seong-ae felt that the clouds floating in front of her eyes seemed to have finally been blown away.

Although girl groups aren't considered mainstream singers and carry a strong sense of idol status, she was always under the rules of the record company in her previous life, which also reflects another kind of personality that can be called "being yourself". The European and American music scene is just another idol life. Her status as a superstar in her previous life was both a shortcut and a shackle. Now she has been reborn as a lonely and helpless little idol who doesn't even make much money. In turn, this allows her inspiration to flourish and grow freely.

It's really interesting. In fact, being a producer of a girl group is not as difficult as imagined. It is quite interesting to produce something in the idol field at the bottom of the singer circle's visual chain in the style of your favorite and to go "crazy" as much as you want.

After chatting with Minchan for a few words in the practice room, Quan Xingai saw that it was almost time, so she took a shower and put on some energetic makeup to prepare for the meeting to debate with the president, agent, and producers to promote her own concept.

"Why are Xing'ai so active today?" Several new producers who had already gotten to know each other were surprised to find that all of Xing'ai had arrived when they entered the meeting room, and they had even prepared a PPT and Bluetooth speakers.

"Well, I stayed up all night to sort out my concept and music, and now there are almost no problems. Did you see the look in my eyes? I'm full of confidence." The energetic little star said proudly.

"Wow, Xing Ai is the first one to arrive? Today is not a scout day!" Park Jinwen and Yin Yanzhen came in together and sat next to Xing Ai.

"You looked troubled a while ago, but have you figured it out today?" Kim Eun-mi doesn't follow the creative route so there's no pressure, it's just a simple meeting.

"My heart is still pounding with nervousness. A few days ago, senior Mike said that my lyrics are okay, but the melody is still not good enough..." Yin Yanzhen sighed. Only when she really started to create like Xing Ai did she realize how difficult it is to create. It is easy to write a melody casually, but it is very difficult to turn it into a tune that the producer can accept.

"I am fully prepared this time and will strive to get the position of main producer of our album like last time." Quan Xingai pulled his teammates together and discussed with them in a low voice.

"Looking at you, Xing'ai, you still chose the style that was originally set, right? Instead of the latest popular style?" When they lived in the dormitory together, several teammates would listen to Xing'ai talk about her troubles. Everyone knew that she was struggling with whether to express her own personality or the market trend.

"Yes, I've thought about it, so just wait and see. I've combined the two to the maximum extent." Quan Xingai raised his eyebrows.

Wu Xianhao and Wen Enzhu finally arrived at the meeting room while discussing business. The first thing they saw was the energetic Jeon Star Love standing in front of the multimedia screen.

"It seems that Xing'ai can't wait to show off." Wen Enzhu sat in front of the main seat seriously, with her fist against her chin, looking at Quan Xing'ai expectantly.

"Although I was somewhat reluctant to create music at the beginning of the year, I actually fell in love with music and creation during my time in Japan. We've mentioned the current pandemic several times in video conferences, and how it's become popular in the music industry: retro Mountbatten-style repetitive 3-second chorus melodies, or fresh, tranquil, low-beat styles. In fact, during my initial time in Japan, my creations revolved around rhythm and blues and even country music."

"But my mind quickly overturned my thoughts. I felt that the concept of RD was not about healing or companionship. This concept was too cliché and boring. Give it up! We should blow the horn, we should hold the flag, we should shout and express our ideas, we should express ourselves boldly! In other words, we should go crazy."

Quan Xingai waved his arms and used rich body language. The multimedia screens switched between various avant-garde patterns of street artists and were filled with images of screaming crowds.

"During the pandemic, everyone truly needs a lot of healing, warmth, and beauty, but don't forget, we were all forced to stop, forced to live in a virtual space instead of real life, forced to be confined within four walls. It took almost a year from the album's production announcement last year to its release at the end of the year. After that, the world may recover or even get worse, but what won't change is that everyone will gradually become depressed because of this pandemic..."

Quan Xing Ai gradually led the topic to its own conceptual theme, and everyone present listened very carefully. In fact, Quan Xing Ai's ideas were completely different from theirs. The plan they prepared was indeed to take a lyrical and retro approach in the current pandemic, awakening everyone's good memories of the past.

And Quanxing Ai is even bolder and more extraordinary——

"That's right, when there's repression, there's a desire to explode, so we should stick to being ourselves and continue our 'crazy and rebellious' path." The final image that Quan Xing Ai captured was a dark-themed collage of various pieces, with the title being "GRIMM'S ASYLUM" in large, distinctive graffiti-style characters.

The speakers came with 808 drum beats and a unique and melodious prelude of the organ. After the unique melody with a classical temperament, it was the rap of All Star Love. The rhythm, percussion and emotions of the whole song were always suppressed at the critical point, until the high pitch of the female voice in the chorus rose, and the emotions were finally fully released.

This is a standard fast-paced dance music, a very catchy hip-hop dance music within the K-pop format.

Quan Xingai's new singing style with deliberately hoarse voice gives the song a sense of story and a crazy attitude.

"We became popular again because of the bad girl virus. In my new album, I continue the bad girl storyline. The bad girl 'Fujiang's' base camp is 'madhouse'. We define what a bad girl is and what a true fairy tale is. The style of music is mainly black bubble dance music and dark lyricism. Our storyline is a mental hospital ruled by a 'bad girl'. Each of us plays a fairy tale character imprisoned and disciplined. Music is the only 'therapy', representing our spiritual rebellion."

She put up several fairy tale characters at once, including Cinderella, Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood, and the Little Mermaid. Each picture had its deconstructed definition, from the ordinary fairy tale characters who needed to be rescued to the characters who took up the flag and became their own protagonists.

"I've actually been trying to decide between the completely opposite, market-received, and popular routes of those girl group exemplars, but I still can't convince myself to close the loop of the storyline. We shouldn't follow trends; we should stay true to ourselves. We've finally found something that makes people remember us, and now all we need to do is continue to deepen that impression."

"We are all good girls, but when you think of bad girls, you think of RIOT DOLLS. This is my goal. Once the virus is fully implanted, the solo talents of each of our members can be themselves and make the music they want."

Quan Xingai released all his thoughts in one breath, and when he saw everyone's shocked looks, he suddenly became nervous again from his confident attitude.

"Oh my, Xing'ai! When you told us, you only talked about deconstructing fairy tales and continuing to play the bad guy and go crazy. I didn't expect that there are so many connotations to be analyzed!" Park Jinwen stood up excitedly.

"Ah! I like this style! I want to be the worst woman!" Kim Eun-mi's eyes lit up.

"It feels like we've finally found our main mission three years after our debut." Yin Yanzhen said inexplicably, and then everyone laughed.

"Concept aside, this song is pretty good. Sarah, when did you write it? It's very complete and ready for recording." Mike only focused on the song. He sensitively noticed that Quan Xing Ai, who had entered creative mode, looked more professional than when they adapted the song last year.

"I had thought of the melody before, but I hesitated for a long time because of the style. I only recently finished producing it. In fact, I wrote several lyrical songs before, but if it was the main song, I would still choose the dance music I just played."

"I love the hook of this dance track, 'A good girl grew up eating Skittles, the medicine I made? A fairy tale mixed with glass shards' and 'Burn your Grimm's fairy tales, and from the ashes emerge a new you'. It's really interesting!"

"I want to hear Xing Ai's country music ballad!"

"Me too! Me too!"

Quan Xing Ai thought about it and decided to let the speakers play a few songs she'd written over the past few months, one after another, including the country music she'd written in Kagoshima mixed with slow rock dance music. The ballads were completely Quan Xing Ai's comfort zone, and unsurprisingly, they were pleasant to the ears, with the heartbreaking flavor of sad love songs, but the slow rock dance music also won everyone's favor.

"This slow rock is also very nice. There is a male voice in the background that is always whispering. His presence is not strong, but it is very interesting. Star Lover, I am really jealous of your talent now!" Kim Eun-mi sighed after listening to the song.

Yoon Yeon-jin sighed and felt that Eun-mi was right. Xingai's talent was far beyond hers, and she couldn't even feel jealous.

Jeon Star Love stuck out her tongue and said, "Of course not. That male voice was specially recorded by Kwon Ji-yong. He changed the vocal position. If he didn't tell, no one would be able to tell that the male voice reciting Shelley's poems in a low voice blending into the background music was GD."

"Yeah, this will probably be a solo track."

"Xing'ai, you, you studied drama at Seoul University, right? How come you're such a professional producer?" Wu Xianhao had really taken a new look at Xing'ai after seeing her for three days. With such a talent, if she didn't want to participate in variety shows, then she didn't have to. Having that time to write songs was the most important thing...

"It seems that my poaching of GDxi was not in vain. The way our Star Love introduced its concept looked proud, confident and unquestionable. In fact, it is quite similar to GD." Moon Eun-joo had been observing from the beginning and was pleasantly surprised by the results of Star Love, but she still watched everyone's discussion calmly before speaking at the end.

She saw that among all the tracks listed by Xing Ai, the arrangement column of her solo song had the new name JY written on it. President Wen smiled meaningfully. She looked at Wu Xianhao's face with an expression of "my son has made it big" and said nothing. If young people want to play the game of "pretending to hide so that no one can find them", then let them play.

"No, no, GD senior is a senior, I, um, I still have to learn..." No way!

Quan Xingai shook her head repeatedly to refute her boss's ridicule, while secretly feeling dissatisfied in her heart.

"Don't be nervous, I'm just kidding. The concept of Star Love is mature, but the details still need to be worked out. We're planning to start pre-launching in the third quarter and release the album in the fourth quarter, but we still need to release a pre-release song before that. Star Love You needs to take this into consideration. Time is very tight, so we have to move forward quickly."

"Okay, President, what you mean is..." Xing Ai nodded, then suddenly looked up at the boss.

Moon Eun-joo smiled, "I always trust people I employ, and never doubt them. The concept of the Evil Girl Virus is very successful, and I Love You Star is still the producer of RIOT DOLLS."

"Yeah! Long live unnie!" Quan Xingai jumped up excitedly.

Once the direction was determined, song selection became simple, and the producers began playing songs they had produced. Yoon Yeon-jin and Park Jin-moon also introduced their own creative parts. They did not have the ability to produce a whole song alone, so they chose to collaborate with the producers, and they did write several songs.

The meeting lasted a whole day. Quan Xing Ai was clear-headed and planning everything at the beginning, but she was dizzy at the end. However, she couldn't rest because she had no time. She had to finish the song selection within this week because Sweet Home would officially start filming in early May.

Due to the epidemic, TV dramas are all shot in closed environments. Although she plays a supporting role, she still has to shoot "All Star Love" for two months. She has no time to deal with the album before the summer vacation. Fortunately, due to the epidemic, Seoul University recently started online teaching, which exempted her from taking extra leave.

Oh damn, why is there so much going on? But magically, she is tired but not empty.

-I heard that the whole production was a huge success, Princess Nim, I'm looking forward to your Grimm's Fairy Tales - from Bad Dog

-It's all thanks to the teacher (standard fake smile.jpg). Jeon Seong-ae took time out between meetings to reply to a text message from Kwon Ji-yong.

-Then you should treat the teacher to a drink. Are you at home or at the company now?

-Teacher, our Xingai is too busy and is still pitifully attending meetings at the company. It turns out that being an album producer requires dealing with so many things QAQ.

-Do you want me to come see you?

-No, senior, please don't come, thank you.

-Call me senior again and I will come to the company right away.

-Masochist, bad dog...

-Mo? Bad dog? Yeah, you...

-The battery is out, good night, Oppa.