Chapter 43: First Album Released to Huge Success! Forum | Coldy...
Jiang Tinghan and Quan Zhilong exchanged New Year's gifts. Quan Zhilong gave her a pair of black Martin boots with a design he painted himself: white snowflakes blooming on blue waves, and a yellow smiley face smiling happily and brightly on a black background.
Jiang Tinghan gave her this red sweatshirt, of course. Considering that Kwon Ji-yong's shoulders should be wider than hers, she also bought a sweatshirt that was wider on the shoulders and half a size larger, which ended up fitting perfectly.
The boots that Kwon Ji-yong gave her were neither too big nor too small, which surprised Jiang Tinghan. She thought that they were probably roughly calculated based on her height and weight.
Neither of them had asked each other about their measurements beforehand; they relied entirely on observation and guesswork. Kwon Ji-yong smiled and said that they were indeed a match made in heaven.
Another gift Jiang Tinghan gave was a box of "cigarettes". Quan Zhilong looked at the familiar brand and didn't think that Jiang Tinghan, a model young man, would give him cigarettes. He opened it, took a cigarette, and blew a series of bubbles. It turned out to be just a cigarette box for blowing bubbles.
This plastic toy is too childish for young adults, but it's perfect for a 34-year-old.
Kwon Ji-yong laughed as he examined the cigarette pack with obvious delight, saying that he would definitely show his friends something amazing at the next gathering.
Jiang Tinghan offered her support and said she would definitely tell her friends' reactions so she could smile too.
The friends they were talking about were getting really anxious. Ever since they saw that new photo of Kwon Ji-yong, their pupils were in shock. They didn't care about the New Year's Eve celebration anymore; they were only interested in gossiping.
Even in a sweatshirt, the girl still looks very thin, with long, slender hands where the veins resemble the beautiful patterns on a delicate porcelain vase. The overall atmosphere of the photo is beautiful; even without seeing her face, one can tell she must be very pretty. The cat nestled obediently in her arms adds to the serene and warm atmosphere.
Photos always have a warmth to them; an observer can even see the photographer's love for the girl in the photo. This love is a clear, fluttering love, a sweet love, a love that asserts ownership, and there is no possibility of misunderstanding it as a sisterly or best friend relationship.
There was no caption, but the photo had a line that read "1/1," meaning that he only needed one lover in his life, and now he already had one.
Friends: When?! Where?! How long has this been going on?! They've already brought someone home! How come they didn't know anything?!
[Jong.J (GD's producer brother who has worked with him for many years): GD, after all this time, you finally have someone to keep you company. Congratulations!]
[Soojoo: How about we get to know each other at the next gathering?]
Lee Joo-hyuk: ?
[Sun: Huh? Is it the one I was talking about?]
[Chioce37 (Producer No. 2): G-Dragon, you won't be so lonely anymore, right?]
[CL: Tsk tsk tsk, you just took him home like that? Have some morals, oppa]
[Teddy: Spending New Year's Eve together is so romantic! (clapping) (clapping)]
[Cho Se-ho: What?! G-Dragon, be happy!]
...
Kwon Ji-yong's KKT contacts are numerous; in just a few hours, he has already received dozens of messages and hundreds of likes.
He wouldn't add people he wasn't close to on this private KKT account, so things shouldn't go wrong like the leaked videos from the other account. His friends had also mostly offered their blessings, which made Kwon Ji-yong secretly quite pleased for a while.
He began reviewing the memorials, replying to each one. When he reached CL, one of the only two people in the know, his tone became anything but calm: "[Cai Lin, what you're saying is wrong. How can spending New Year's Eve together as lovers be considered immoral?]"
CL: [Oppa, your happiness is dazzling! Can you show some love to this lonely soul?]
Kwon Ji-yong continued to boast: "[Oh dear... I was all alone just a month ago too. Life is so unpredictable.]"
CL: [Your Chinese language skills need some improvement.]
Kwon Ji-yong: [(Laughs)]
He said to another insider, Teddy: "Hiong, we'll treat you to dinner next time."
This "next time" is the "next time for sure," because he doesn't even know when he'll be able to see Jiang Tinghan again.
In response, Teddy replied: "No thanks, let someone else have this dog food."
Late at night, Quan Zhilong escorted Jiang Tinghan back to her dormitory.
Putuoxi was curled up on the sofa with a pile of takeout food in front of her, while Sikai was already drunk.
She looked at Jiang Tinghan, who had tiptoed back, and felt a sense of familiarity about the scene: "Hey, Coldy, did you have fun?"
Jiang Tinghan, carrying the gift bag containing the shoebox, smiled and said, "I'm quite happy."
Putuo Qian leaned on the sofa armrest, staring at Jiang Tinghan, and asked curiously, "Did you go out to play? It looks very lively outside today."
Jiang Tinghan sat down next to Putuo Qian and picked up a piece of candy from the table: "You went to see the fireworks... and then you stayed here all night."
Putuo Qian hugged her tightly, still carrying a faint smell of alcohol. Jiang Tinghan, on the other hand, smelled refreshingly cool: "Yes, we don't have anyone to accompany us like you do."
“It’s not good to be like me.” Jiang Tinghan knew he was a negative example, and added, “You’ve already been keeping each other company.”
Putuo Qian reached out and pinched Jiang Tinghan's cheek: "I knew you were still talking. It's a good thing you came back tonight, or I would have called the police."
Putuo Qian is four or five months older than Jiang Tinghan. In Putuo Qian's eyes, no matter how cool or powerful Jiang Tinghan is, she is still like a younger sister who needs to be taken care of. She always feels like her daughter has been kidnapped by Huang Mao, especially when Jiang Tinghan comes back very late. It is more like Huang Mao's provocation of "Hey, stop your fire downstairs".
She had long noticed that Coldy's attitude towards that teacher was unusual. In his thirties, he was in his prime, and it would be easy for this old fox to hook up with a girl in her early twenties. After listening to Coldy's song "Don't Play Pranks," she, as a fellow songwriter, knew that it would be difficult to write something so genuine without sharing the same feelings as the composer. Even if the song wasn't about that teacher, she could tell that Coldy had definitely talked to her.
Jiang Tinghan could tell from her tone that the second half of her sentence was a joke: "I know, it's just that I think we won't be able to see each other for a long time, so..."
"And if we're unlucky enough to get exposed, you can take over as the top spot on Lumeera." She said this, but her tone didn't suggest she was handing over the No. 1 position.
Putuo Qian smiled helplessly: "This is a bargain for Zhicai, isn't it? Stop flattering her and go to sleep early, girl."
Jiang Tinghan retorted, "Grape, you're the one who should be resting after drinking so much."
Putuo Qian: "Okay, okay, how about you help me move this girl back to my room first? Her muscles are really something else."
One of them grabbed Jiang Tinghan's hand, and the other lifted his leg, but Sikai waved her hand and pushed Jiang Tinghan's hand away.
The sound was crisp and clear.
Jiang Tinghan and Putuo Qian exchanged a glance and then burst out laughing.
*
Two of the four songs on the album will have music videos filmed: the title track "Waves" and "Don't Play Pranks." Making music videos for all four songs would be too expensive. Although "Utopia, Tonight" is a sub-title track, the cyberpunk fantasy world it describes is too costly, so it was decided to make a music video for another song that showcases the members' energy and vitality, "Don't Play Pranks."
"The Waves" is, of course, set on the high seas. The story is about a captain who sets sail with his three sailors and a small, dilapidated boat. More and more crew members join along the way, and eventually the small, dilapidated boat becomes a large cruise ship. Each crew member wears different, but completely new, work clothes.
For example, the captain wore a crisp double-breasted suit jacket, the sailors wore dark blue overalls, and the engineer wore a gray jumpsuit...
When it came time to dance together on the deck, their costumes also incorporated elements of their respective roles. The sea breeze, carrying icy rain, doubled its destructive power. Considering that illness would affect upcoming album releases, promotional activities, and other events, and out of concern for the members' health, the company arranged costumes that were quite form-fitting and didn't show off their figures much.
The girls were amazed that Shining World could charter a cruise ship, and they thought the company must have made a fortune.
Jiang Tinghan plays the captain, wearing a navy blue cloak, while the other girls are also wearing thick down jackets while waiting for their flight.
Kong Yanshu couldn't stand the howling cold wind any longer. She stood up and was shivering like a leaf, but even shivering was much more comfortable than sitting still.
She then performed a dance called "Waves," her arms as limp as noodles: "Is this how you dance?"
Anri Tsukichi laughed as she danced with great energy, even while wearing a down jacket: "Yeon-seo, straighten your arms a bit more."
"It's just that it can't straighten out." Kong Yanshu didn't even want to speak anymore, feeling as if a sharp, icy rain would hit her mouth if she opened her mouth. She grabbed Jiang Tinghan's arm and argued, "Our Coldy is in the center position, so it's fine if she straightens out."
Having been in Korea for a few months and only having a rudimentary level of Korean, Anri Tsukichi's attention immediately shifted to Jiang Tinghan upon hearing Kong Yeon-seo's words: "Little Han-chan, you said yesterday that move was difficult, have you mastered it yet?"
Jiang Tinghan could only stand up under the gaze of the two people. Her cloak was very heavy, but she still moved with great grace when she danced.
Anri Tsukichi gave a thumbs up: "As expected, there's no difficulty you can't overcome."
Once the three of them got moving, the others also put their energy to work. They stood up and started practicing simple dance moves, chasing and playing around from time to time. The little bundles of joy nudged each other, and even the usually composed Yoon Ji-chae was pulled up by Si-kai to join in the fun. All of this was captured by the behind-the-scenes camera.
When the MV director announced the start of filming and told everyone to take off their outermost warm coats, everyone's smiles vanished, except for Jiang Tinghan, who never smiled to begin with.
She's the captain, so she can at least wear a navy coat, which is better than nothing.
The music video shoot lasted for several hours. When I got back to the van, my ears were still sore, as if I had survived a disaster.
But when the girls thought about the effects that would follow, they felt that the suffering they had endured was nothing.
After filming "Waves" in three days, they immediately went to film "Don't Play Pranks." The previous MV was cool, but this MV has a touch of prankish humor, with Bae Soo-min playing the "senior" in drag.
She has short hair and a somewhat androgynous appearance; when she wears a boy's school uniform, she looks like a total heartthrob.
Jiang Tinghan couldn't help but exclaim upon seeing her makeup and styling, "Now I know where your déjà vu comes from."
With his single eyelids and small eyes, he resembles many Korean men in dramas, but overall he's quite handsome.
Pei Xiuwen had a gut feeling that Jiang Tinghan wasn't saying anything nice, and said with a hint of warning, "You're going to fall into my arms again later, aren't you?"
Be careful, or I might not pick you up.
Jiang Tinghan slightly raised the corners of his mouth: "We discussed it and decided that it would be most effective for Anri to do this action."
"After all, I'm a little taller than you."
Bae Soo-min: "..."
She glanced at Jiang Tinghan, who looked youthful and beautiful in her gray-blue school uniform, and her anger subsided; she couldn't bring herself to be angry at a pretty girl.
The story is simple: Jiang Tinghan likes this senior and keeps teasing him. The other characters are all aspects of Jiang Tinghan's personality. For example, Yue Di Xingli is shy, Yin Zhicai doesn't want to talk to people, and Si Kai is strong and brave... This is also reflected in their makeup and styling.
The music video was filmed in just two days. With only one week left before the new album release, the Luemra members didn't have a moment to rest. They filmed the practice room version, the dance version of the music video, and various photocards and pictures that came with the album. They also continued to practice for their first music show performance.
Two weeks of 2023 have already passed in the blink of an eye, and their debut album will be released on January 18th.
Everyone was on edge. January is a big month for K-pop comebacks. Newjeans, Monsta, SF9, ATEEZ, H1-KEY... all have new songs coming out with great momentum this month. In particular, Newjeans' new songs such as "Ditto" and "OMG" have been winning number one so many times that they're not used to it. "Ditto" has been a hit for a month and it's still hot.
The competition is incredibly intense!
At this point, the members would listen to the demos of the four songs sung by Coldy a couple more times, and their confidence would instantly soar. With such excellent songs, and having done their best, they would not lose to any other group or any song!
In early January, the company created Lumera's official account and announced that Lumera would be releasing her debut album soon.
[@Luemra: [Trailer image showing waves crashing against rocks, eight people scattered across the rocks, their backs to the viewer]
[OFFICIAL]LUMERA 1st Mini Album (Official Lumera's First Mini Album)
That wave that will freeze everyone.
That wave that will capture everyone.
LUMERA 1st Mini Album
The Wave
Release date: January 18, 2023, 6 PM (KST)
Pre-sale period: January 4, 2023, 12 PM (KST)
#LUMERA #TheWave#INGSOON #230118_6PM】
Fans were able to pre-order "The Wave" as early as January 4th. After disappearing for more than half a month, they had been waiting anxiously and were all eager to get their hands on it.
Fans have already checked, and the highest first-day sales for a girl group's debut album is Newjeans' 262,815, while the highest first-day sales for any group is X1's 268,008. We need to work hard to surpass both numbers and give them the best of everything!
X1 can be considered their seniors, having debuted through Ment's "Produce X 101" program, but were forced to terminate their activities due to a vote-rigging scandal.
Just after noon, countless fans flooded into the official purchase link posted by Luemra, and sales skyrocketed like a rocket.
All pre-orders will be converted into first-day sales on the day of the album's official release. So fans patiently waited until January 18th. During this time, many people posted pictures of their pre-orders online. One famous Coldy superfan, Fu Ge, even bought 888 albums by himself. To be honest, I thought that with Fu Ge's level of love for the album, he could easily have bought several thousand copies. However, 888 copies is still quite amazing.
Fans were very optimistic about the first-day sales of "The Wave" and also watched the official promotional materials released one after another, which sparked a very heated discussion.
Lumera has released its playlist, which only has four songs. How many of these songs, produced by Coldy, will be included?
[Poster]
[Screenshot of album playlist] The titles of these four songs are really interesting: the album title track "Waves", "Utopia, Tonight", "Don't Play Pranks", and I think the most interesting one is "Life is too tiring, so go jump into the Han River". Is this title really allowed to pass censorship?
I think the last song should be produced by Coldy; it looks like a really cool and crazy track.
【1L】
This name is really abstract. Lu Bao (Lu from Lumera), are you going to give me a good surprise or a bad surprise? I don't have a good appetite, so I can't eat bad food.
【2L】
Coldy's production skills are undeniable. If the company is willing to spend more money to hire better producers, the quality will definitely be good.
【3L】
I don't dream that big anymore. I just want to be on par with Whale. All four of their debut songs were hits, with "Attention" and "Hype Boy" dominating the charts for a long time and still in the Melon top 100. Our Shuo also has four songs. At least one of them should be a hit, please! And the company's marketing needs to be more effective!
【4L】
You're already dreaming big. Whale's debut achievements are already the best in history, but I'm envious too. Even an Aespa would be fine, but if it makes it into the top ten all-time, I'll be celebrating!
【5L】
I actually feel that it has already surpassed expectations. A lot of people bought the album during the pre-sale. The regular version is only 60 or 70 yuan. Many casual listeners are willing to spend money when they hear that the singers and groups from "Self-Eater" are releasing an album. The deluxe version is priced at over 100 yuan. As a result, many fans bought the deluxe version for the thicker photobook and more random photocards... I think the initial sales were definitely 300,000.
【6L】
Coldy, in particular, has a huge number of wealthy fans. She has several well-known rich Chinese female fans who don't hesitate to spend money on album sales. There's also a rich Korean male fan who spends even more lavishly, buying not only deluxe editions but also limited editions, each costing two hundred yuan. I feel like they've all joined in, competing to see who can spend the most money.
【7L】
Kou fans were upset for a long time because they didn't get any official photocards from the company when they were pushing for magazine sales last time. Now that they finally have official photocards, they're going crazy. I can't even imagine how expensive they'll be when they're resold.
【8L】
Are you all looking forward to Lumera's debut album? Personally, I think it's just so-so. Just looking at the song titles makes it seem so chaotic and inconsistent, like a jumbled mess. I still can't figure out what Lumera's main style is; there's girl crush, there's girly...it seems like they're trying to please no one.
【9L】
This eclectic style is exactly Lulu's style! Her debut show emphasized diversity, and the center position has tried all kinds of stage styles. Colorful, vibrant, and the ultimate mix-and-match describes our Luluera!
【10L】
Don't you think the members of Lumera look like a typical group? They were incredibly popular during their auditions, so their debut album is a sure thing, especially with Coldy on the team. Just watch Coldy's flawless performances and you can relax completely.
【11L】
Hilarious! Trying to be a big shot and bragging too much is a recipe for disaster. There's been absolutely no news about Coldy these past few weeks; he's practically forgotten. So many groups become famous during auditions, debut, and then completely fade into obscurity. "Debuting at the peak" only refers to that one night of debut; he's already past his prime at lightning speed.
【12L】
I'm dying of laughter! Did you just get internet access in your village or were you just released from jail? Coldy's duet with DK, "Dark Glory," is absolutely viral! It's trending both online and offline, and some people are even following the original singer because they love the song so much.
【13L】
I came to support the brother-sister duo as soon as I saw them. DK is such a nice guy, he even helped promote our little Shuo Shuo's new album.
【14L】
I'm dying of laughter! I can't help but laugh whenever I see those two names. During a live stream, Seokmin was asked what he talked about while collaborating with Coldy. He said they were discussing which group was noisier, SVT or Lumera. Coldy said their group was like having ten variety shows playing simultaneously. Seokmin said they had thirteen, and then Coldy seriously corrected him, saying proportionally it was 16.25. He even mentioned on the live stream that he was considering renaming Seventeen to 16.25.
【15L】
If you put our three small teams and the whole team together, it should be at least 20.25, right?
【16L】
Why is there increasing inflation?
【17L】
Kou Bao is so cute! Seeing them discussing such abstract topics makes me feel relieved. A funny guy and a funny girl together can only create even funnier moments.
【18L】
We Lumera aren't noisy, are we? It's the captain who's ruining our Lumera's reputation (not really). There's a perfect balance here, half cold and half enthusiastic.
【19L】
Hahahaha, you're still out of touch. Go watch a reality show, and you'll see that Yoon Ji-chae, Bae Soo-min, and Kim Seo-hee all talk a lot. And the three of them can't be put together; they'll argue and often say sarcastic things to each other. They don't really hold back in front of the camera. But when Coldy arrives, the three of them become much more well-behaved.
【20L】
What kind of weird rules are these... I'm just a passerby, and I'm really curious, their relationship is obviously not good, don't you fans care? A talent show group is bound to have arguments about team spirit, right?
【21L】
Because they weren't really on bad terms; they were just jealous of each other because of Coldy. Every time they argued, it was about what Coldy had done to her and whether anyone else had done the same. It was blatant boasting, and then they'd get attacked by everyone else. Yoon Ji-chae was the most pitiful. Coldy was incredibly cunning, but she'd never actually worked with him, always just watching him from behind, never admitting she cared about him.
【22L】
This description is so sweet... it makes me want to become a fan myself.
[23L]
Welcome to our rival-turned-couple pairing, Han-chae and Yoon Ji-chae's unrequited love!
[24L]
Don't you think this is actually the best way to show team spirit? At least when it comes to changing the captain or the center, seven people would disagree.
【25L】
Holy crap, no wonder Coldy has so many fans. Even disregarding his talent, his status within the group is enough to make him incredibly happy; he's definitely the group's darling!
【26L】
They may seem like the group's darlings, but in reality, it was all thanks to Sister Han who gradually won them over. Everyone was captivated by Sister Han during the talent show.
[27L]
I'm going to see "Shining World"! (Excited!)
【28L】
KOLs are still shamelessly praising their idol as always. Yoon Ji-chae clearly dislikes Coldy, and she's been criticized by KOLs for so long, yet they still manage to portray it as a secret crush – it's truly blissful. And those who promote her as a producer, please stop! It's impossible for anyone to have her involved in the production of her debut album. She's just a rookie who accidentally became popular with one song, and even then, it only lasted a week or two before fading away. She didn't even write the theme song for "Dark Glory"; anyone could have sung it and it would have been a hit, especially since she collaborated with an SVT member.
[29L]
The haters get really into it when they attack Coldy. If you have nothing better to do, just listen to "Autophagy" a few more times. Why don't you go and see how many times Yoon Ji-chae stole glances at Han during her audition? And look at the meaning behind the sentence "Coldy lives in the room next to mine" in Yoon Ji-chae's debut diary... What's the point of dismantling this arrow? Maybe Han can even write a couple of solo songs for you, Ji-chae.
And my sister's self-composed songs are so successful, far surpassing a bunch of already debuted singers. What reason would the company have to give up such good resources? Giving my sister the title of producer idol wouldn't hurt the group. The company isn't as stupid as you. And guess why they invited Coldy for "Dark Glory" and not someone else? Sorry, it's all because my sister is too popular. Singing this theme song in the end even gave back to my sister. You're so mad, haha.
【30L】
No matter how stubborn Coldy's fans are, it's useless. During the audition, there was CL, Gary, and Fox, the ghostwriter Coldy hired. Everyone was praising Coldy and creating a fake creative persona for her. Once the new album is released, this false fig leaf will be torn off!
【31L】
Take a piss and look at your ugly face. My sister could probably handle two out of four songs, so stop being so sour.
【32L】
LOL, I'm saying your sister could be in charge of all four songs, but she'd just be the seventh, eighth, or ninth author and have her name on them, and that would be enough to call her a singer-songwriter idol. Anyway, the bar for being a singer-songwriter idol is getting lower and lower these days.
Coldy is undoubtedly a bloody and ruthless system, and in the end, there were hundreds or even thousands of arguments about Coldy.
Everyone waited and waited, and finally January 18th arrived—Lumera's debut day!
Lumera's first mini-album, "The Wave," was released globally at 6 PM sharp!
In just 24 hours, the sales volume on the first day, including the pre-sale period, reached an astonishing 1.08 million!
That's right, not 180,000, but a whopping 1,080,000! They've broken all records, becoming the K-pop group with the highest first-day sales on their debut album!
They are now number one in history!
With their debut album already selling a million copies, Lumera's incredible achievement refreshed the public's perception of them, instantly making them an enviable group.
The haters, having eagerly awaited a million sales, were even more unwilling to shut up. They cursed, "It's all inflated, the increase is abnormal, Wake One must have gone all out," and "That's how the fan economy is, they all rely on treating fans like韭菜 (a metaphor for exploiting fans), who will recognize them outside the fandom?" They also cursed, "Sales don't mean anything, a hit on the digital music charts is what really matters." They immediately checked the album's producer list, convinced that Coldy had absolutely no contribution.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out that Coldy was the lyricist and composer for "The Wave," Coldy was the lyricist and composer for "Utopia, Tonight," and the same composer for "Don't Play Pranks." Coldy was also the lyricist and composer for "Life Is Too Tiring, So Go Jump into the Han River," except for the arrangement which had Fox on it.
She single-handedly wrote the entire album! No matter which song you play, it's all "Coldy," "Coldy," "Coldy"! The name Coldy haunts them like a ghost!
They stubbornly checked the music charts on various platforms.
After its release, the album "The Wave" quickly topped the charts on Melon, South Korea's largest music streaming platform, as well as Genie and Bugs. The title track "The Wave" even achieved an "All Kill" in one day.
"Waves" garnered over 40,000 likes and 400,000 listens on its first day, ultimately settling at 48,732 and 417,935 respectively. This surpassed the first-day listen record of Bigbang's Taeyang's collaboration with BTS's Jimin, "Vibe," which was released just last week, and is currently ranked number one for 2023.
In a longitudinal comparison, this first-day data would be the second-best performance of the year, even if it were in 2022, second only to the hugely popular girl group Blackpink's 460,000 listeners and 50,000 likes.
"Utopia, Tonight" debuted at number two, "Don't Play Pranks" debuted at number five, and "Life's Too Tiring, Go Jump into the Han River" debuted at number eight. The whole family made it into the top ten, and "Utopia, Tonight" also surpassed 200,000 listens on its first day on Melon. It is currently ranked third for the year with 220,000 first-day listens. The other two songs also have 180,000 to 190,000 listens, nearly 200,000, and are also on the charts.
It can be said that every song on this album has achieved remarkable results. Just one day after its release, all the reviews on the internet about the album are unanimously praising it as a "masterpiece"!
Haters: "..."
They don't believe it! It's a paid troll! It must be a paid troll! The data is all fake!
-----------------------
The author's note: I checked ZB1's debut album, and it sold 1.2 million copies on its first day, so to be on the same page, this data is truly astonishing!
Happy 6th anniversary of Long's discharge from the military!
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