Chapter 2 Chapter 2
Although Lia's intention was not to increase her evening practice time out of diligence, her practice progress improved significantly. One night, she took advantage of the break to go downstairs to buy some water.
As soon as she walked out of the door, she noticed a girl standing across the street. Compared to the trainees coming in and out of the company, the girl was dressed elegantly and looked obviously different.
The other person was obviously waiting for someone, holding a small bag. When she saw her come out, her eyes instantly lit up. "Are you a trainee?" She walked over quickly and asked in half-fluent Korean. Lia was stunned for a moment and nodded.
Judging from the accent, he seemed Japanese. The man breathed a sigh of relief, lowered his head, pulled out a beautifully wrapped small box from his bag, and handed it to her. "Um... could you please pass it to Zhilong for me? Quan Zhilongxi."
Lia looked at her, not immediately accepting the offer. "Do you know him?" she asked casually, somewhat curiously. "Ah... not really," the other party smiled sheepishly.
"I'm a fan from Japan. I noticed him when I went to see Seven's concert and he was dancing with Yongbae." Lia lowered her eyes and looked at the gift in the other person's hand. She was not surprised.
As expected, someone as powerful as him would be noticed even as a backup dancer. She nodded and reached out to take the gift. "Okay, I'll give it to him," she promised.
Then, carrying the gift, I slowly walked back to the office. For some reason, the touch of my fingertips felt strange. It was like I had grasped something that didn't belong to me. As expected... it was very popular. *
Lia initially thought that handing over the gift was a trivial matter. However, she soon discovered that things were not as simple as she had imagined. The atmosphere in the company had recently changed.
The trainees began to discuss privately that the company seemed to be preparing a debut plan for a new boy group and was going to record a documentary about the trainees.
YG's management suddenly became much stricter. Some floors began to restrict entry and exit, and the trainees' activity areas were re-divided.
Lia had originally planned to ask Sister Baoheng, who was in charge of trainee life, about Quan Zhilong's practice schedule and then find a time to give him the gift. But she realized that now was not a good time. He was probably going through an unprecedented bustle.
He was busy filming documentaries, preparing for his debut song, and breaking away from his trainee status. She could occasionally hear about his recent situation from other trainees' conversations.
"I showed my seniors 'Love'. I heard it was well done and might be included on the album!" It was that song. Lia felt a secret joy in her heart. She was the first person to hear it.
It was as if they shared a secret. Lia ultimately entrusted the gift from the Japanese sister to Sister Baoheng. "It was given to me by a Japanese fan. They said they noticed him because he was a backup dancer at Seven's concert."
She explained it briefly, covering only the necessary details. "Why don't you just give it to him?" Sister Baoheng asked casually after accepting the gift. Lia was stunned for a moment. Although she wanted to see him,...
"The company has been very strict lately, making it inconvenient to go in and out." She made up an excuse. He probably doesn't care about this gift right now, she added silently in her heart.
Soon, news officially broke that YG Entertainment was releasing a new boy band, Bigbang. The first few episodes of the documentary, which had the involvement of nearly the entire company, were quickly edited and began airing on television in separate time slots.
This was an era dominated by flower boy idol groups, with SM Entertainment's TVXQ being the most popular. Occasionally, Lia would hear classmates discussing Big Bang, but the conversation would quickly shift to other idols.
"Is this YG's new boy group? I took a look and they don't look that great." "Even though they're idols, they should be pretty good, right?" "Did the name Bigbang originate from the idea of becoming an idol group... YG is really crazy!"
Lia, listening from the side, couldn't help but interject quietly. "Don't you think... the captain is actually quite handsome?" The female student leading the discussion looked a little confused and turned to Lia. "Really?"
Lia sighed and nodded vigorously. After returning to the dorm, she turned on her computer and searched for Bigbang on the forum. Unexpectedly, the discussions on the forum were even more heated than those at school.
"The ugliest boy band in history." "Has YG gone crazy? They can debut with just these few people?" "I think I'm going to be a trainee too!" "I'm going to go see the kids from SM next door to refresh my eyes..." ...
Lia couldn't help but feel a little angry. Across the internet, people's malice is infinitely magnified. Hiding behind the safety of a screen, they can speak without restraint. It's really... so infuriating!
Unable to resist, she casually registered a fake account and started leaving comments under the malicious comments. [id lovelovegd222]: "Looking forward to the captain, he seems to be really good!"
"Haven't you noticed that Jiyong is actually quite handsome?" "I heard Bigbang's creative talents are pretty good too!" The response was lukewarm, with few comments responding to her. Bad reviews always spread faster than good ones.
Moreover, with the constant stream of news happening in the entertainment industry, not many people noticed this group. Therefore, after the initial buzz about their looks died down, the popularity of YG's new boy group gradually waned.
On Bigbang's debut day, the atmosphere at the company was even more lively than usual. All the trainees were gathered in the lounge to watch the live broadcast. Lia sat among the crowd, a water bottle in hand, her eyes fixed on the live broadcast screen.
Although I've seen his talent firsthand, the practice room is different from the stage. When people are nervous, they can sometimes perform at even half their normal level. If he falls, will it be edited out?
Lia couldn't help but feel nervous for him, her mind racing with thoughts. Not just her, but everyone else was glued to the screen. The staff also held their breath, waiting silently.
The lights came on, and a familiar figure appeared in the center of the stage. The five members of Big Bang wore simple white T-shirts, continuing YG's usual hip-hop style. Kwon Ji-yong stood in the center of the stage, microphone in hand.
The drums began to beat, and he began to sing along with the music, instantly igniting the atmosphere. His white hat brim was slightly lowered, and the light cast a mix of light and dark shadows on his face. He didn't show any nervousness at all.
He interacted with the camera with ease, as if he had practiced it a thousand times, a habit ingrained in his bones. The him on stage and the skinny boy in the practice room, wearing a baggy sweatshirt, seemed like two worlds apart.
On that day, he officially became a star. Lia felt a strange sense of loss. * Riding on the wave of their debut, YG Entertainment released Bigbang's first single album.
"This Love" is also among them. As soon as the album was released, it triggered a wave of discussion on the forum. "As expected of YG, the production level is too stable!" "This
The arrangement of Love is quite trendy. Could this be made by a new artist? " "The one above is just a cover of a Maroon 5 song with a slightly altered arrangement, right? Does this count as creation?"
“It really comes down to company resources. Whoever YG promotes will have a chance…”… Although there are both positive and negative reviews, for newcomers who have just debuted, as long as there is discussion, it is a good thing.
Lia quickly browsed the comments and typed quickly on the keyboard: [id lovelovegd222]:
"This level of production! I can't believe our leader just debuted! [heart][heart]" "Bigbang is awesome, every song is so good!!!" ...
After climbing the stairs for a while, she downloaded the music to her MP3 player and played it over and over again with headphones. The more she listened, the more she realized: This guy is real, ridiculously strong.
She used to think that most idol artists only needed to be outstanding in one aspect - either appearance, vocals, or dancing.
According to the theory of the wooden barrel, in a team, as long as the shortcomings are not obvious, the advantages can make up for everything. But Quan Zhilong seems to be an all-round genius.
He possesses every element necessary to become an idol, including dance, vocals, songwriting, and stage performance. He can even handle all the behind-the-scenes production. With such impressive abilities, even a solo debut wouldn't be out of place.
So, even though Bigbang's influence wasn't huge right now, Lia had an inexplicable confidence in his future. He was bound to become famous, and his fame would be unimaginable. But... Lia glanced at the lyrics.
Who was "Miss J"? She leaned against the headboard of her dorm bed, her head propped up with one hand, staring intently at the lyrics screen. Logically, she could find a chance to ask around among the trainees. But for some reason, she didn't want to.
——When he becomes more famous, there will probably be related interviews. * After Bigbang debuted, the company began to invest more resources in the five members.
The competitive pressure among trainees has increased a lot compared to before, and Lia's schedule is packed.
As her vocal and dancing skills gradually improved, the company began to add arrangement courses for her so that she could systematically learn the music production part. It was also at this time that she met Teddy for the first time.
Teddy is one of the independent producers YG has introduced from the United States in recent years, responsible for the production of albums for several major artists under the company.
Actually, he wasn't supposed to teach the class to the trainees, but the teacher who was supposed to teach the class that day had to take leave, so he was asked to fill in temporarily. So Lia walked into Teddy's recording studio in a daze.
"Have you learned it before?" Teddy sat in the chair in front of the operating table, his fingers casually tapping out a chord on the keyboard.
Lia was about to nod, but for some reason she suddenly thought of Quan Zhilong and quickly changed her words: "I've tried a little on my own, but I can't say I'm proficient." Most of her previous creations were driven by inspiration.
Record the melodies that suddenly come to your mind piecemeal, or download free demos from the website and try simple arrangement adjustments.
The complete production process was still a blur to her. She had no idea how many steps a song would go through from conception to completion. Teddy didn't ask any more questions, but simply waved at her, signaling her to look at the screen.
Lia leaned in closer and was greeted by the Pro Tools arrangement interface. YG primarily uses Pro Tools for recording and arranging, and while she'd used it a few times, she wasn't entirely proficient.
On the screen was an unfinished demo, the drums already laid out and the main melody clearly defined. "Try revising it," Teddy said casually, pushing the mouse towards her.
Lia took the mouse and began to think rapidly, looking at the screen. Intuitively, she lowered the volume on the 808 and tried to reduce the high frequencies, hoping to make the sound softer. Teddy remained silent, watching her work.
After making the adjustments, Lia hesitated for a moment before pressing play. The sound coming through the speakers seemed a little smoother, but she wasn't sure if she'd made the right changes. Teddy raised an eyebrow.
"Nice rhythm," he lazily commented. Lia breathed a sigh of relief. Teddy stood up, flipped through the notebook she had left on the table, and then turned his head to look at her.
"Come over when you're free. Next time, remember to bring your complete work." Lia was stunned, unable to believe her ears. She had never imagined she would be allowed in and out of Teddy's studio!
Only a handful of trainees get to experience the actual production process. Even if they train for a long time, without the producer's approval, they will hardly have the chance to step into the recording studio before their debut.
What's more, Teddy was already a very famous producer in the industry, and being able to receive his guidance was an opportunity that countless people dreamed of. Lia tried hard to suppress her excitement and nodded vigorously, her cheeks slightly hot with excitement.
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