Chapter 37

[Real-time Search Term No. 1 'NewBlack'... Who Are They?]

[EntertainmentIN = So Hee Oh Reporter]

NewBlack has taken the top spot on real-time search rankings, drawing attention from netizens.

This is the second time they have made it to the search rankings.

Just two months after their collaboration song "Something" with Jang So Won topped the music charts, this is an unusual feat for a rookie group that hasn't even officially debuted yet.

What is the reason behind their sudden popularity?

The direct reason is their appearance on PBS's "Ha Seung-ju's Music Cafe" yesterday (10th).

During the broadcast, NewBlack showcased various charms, including a performance of "Something." In particular, member Wooju's piano playing and the performance of "Between" highlighted the talents of all members, revealing the group's strong capabilities as a skilled boy group that had previously been overshadowed by their visuals.

The performance, which received high praise from MC Ha Seung-ju, garnered enough views to rank among the top 10 clips on Music Cafe, and the song briefly topped the music charts again.

However, the most talked-about part of the broadcast was leader Wooju's personal story.

While showcasing his outstanding looks and the story of composing "Something" with Jang So Won, the member revealed during the talk segment that his father is Seo Myung-ju.

The audience was visibly shocked, a reaction that anyone who remembers Seo Myung-ju, a legendary star of the 1990s, would understand.

This story spread across various internet communities, generating even more buzz.

Netizens commented, "Wow, the guy who sang 'Something' is Seo Myung-ju's son? Holy cow," "It seems he inherited his talent from his dad, since he even composed the song," and "He must be raking in the royalties. I'm jealous."

The agency commented, "We are cautious about the sudden attention NewBlack and member Wooju are receiving after the broadcast," adding, "We will all work hard to meet the public's expectations."

Regarding future plans, they said, "Nothing is set in stone yet, and aside from event schedules, NewBlack is officially on hiatus."

NewBlack aims to debut in June, and the agency added, "The debut album will include original songs by member Wooju," expressing gratitude for the support.

* * *

The rise of "Between" in the charts was short-lived.

As the morning rush hour ended, the song's ranking plummeted from 1st to 9th, and then to 23rd.

Still, it remained in the upper ranks of the daily chart.

We were delighted by this unexpected success.

After achieving tremendous success with "Something," the appearance on Music Cafe was more of a wrap-up for their activities.

None of us expected to gain anything more from it.

Moreover, we had successfully achieved our original goal of showcasing NewBlack's skills to the public.

Before the Music Cafe appearance, comments like "Huh? NewBlack only has their main vocalist singing? The others just provide harmonies. Are they not prepared?" were common.

The comments on news articles reflected this change.

For example, the most viewed article, "Real-time Search Term No. 1 'NewBlack'... Who Are They?" on EntertainmentIN, had comments like:

- They really did well lol. They must have felt so wronged until now.

- I was a bit put off by how nervous the members were during the talk, but I have to admit the performance was good. Wooju definitely stood out.

- I was surprised while watching yesterday; I didn't know they were the ones who sang "Something."

- They seem to be top-tier among new debuts in terms of skill.

- It's clear that Lemon really likes talented groups. Scarlet was the same, and they put a lot of effort into this one.

Most comments praised NewBlack's vocal skills.

Even when sorted by likes, the majority were positive.

This alone was satisfying, but there were also many comments reminiscing about my father.

- Seo Myung-ju... I've liked him since elementary school... I know young people today might not know him, but he was a huge source of strength during the IMF crisis. It's heartwarming to see his son grow up and appear on TV. I hope he continues to do well. ^^

- My mom teared up while watching yesterday.

- My dad was amazed at how much Wooju looks like his father.

Many comments warmed the heart.

Of course, not all comments were positive.

If 30 out of 100 people liked it, 70 were indifferent or had cold reactions.

Some were close to hate comments.

While they disappeared from the portal article due to low likes, such comments were visible on various community sites.

- Who is Seo Myung-ju, anyway? Is he the only one who doesn't know? ;;

- Do new debuts need to sell their parents for promotion? I turned off the TV because it felt too emotional.

- A group that hasn't even debuted is making a huge fuss.

- Why are they always saying how pitiful they are? What's so pitiful? Worrying about a celebrity is the most useless thing. He probably made billions from royalties. What's so pitiful about that? Our lives are the most pitiful.

But there were also people defending us.

- Some people don't know who Seo Myung-ju is; a quick search would reveal it. What kind of person doesn't know the president of the United States?

- It's clear he inherited his musical talent from his dad. It would be more ridiculous to hide it. If they wanted to hype it, they would have done so already. "Something" is already on its way out.

- I didn't think much of it, but after seeing the negative comments, I feel like I should support them.

- People are taking out their frustrations on a kid because their own lives aren't going well ;;

Such arguments were sporadically exchanged.

While I tried to see the hate comments as just a part of the reaction, they were frustrating to read, so I warned the kids to be careful when looking at their phones.

We didn't want their mental health to suffer.

But from another perspective, this was a good sign.

When we appeared on music shows with "Something" alongside Jang So Won, there were no haters.

NewBlack, in a way, was like the cream to Jang So Won's strawberry on a cake.

Our presence was so minimal that most people didn't even know we were the singers of "Something" until we appeared on Music Cafe.

But this time, we seem to have firmly established our name.

While interest in us will fade quickly, as seen from the trend of "Between," at least people will remember "Oh, there was a group called NewBlack."

For celebrities, the most terrifying thing is indifference.

You can only be hated if you're known. And right now, more people liked us than hated us.

"Bro!"

The youngest member's eyes widened as he pointed at his smartphone screen.

"What's up?"

"Look at this. Our fan cafe membership has skyrocketed! See? It was less than 200 yesterday, but now..."

"Eight hundred?"

Posts with the 'new' tag flooded the welcome board.

The promotion board was also buzzing.

The fan cafe, which had been like a deserted amusement park, was now active.

We looked at each other in disbelief and cheered.

Like a group of minions.

Mr. Jo was right.

Singers can easily gather fans through performances.

A week ago, we were wondering how to increase our fan base and even considered appearing on military variety shows, but things turned out this way.

The fan cafe membership grew to about 1,200.

While the influx stopped after that, it was still a significant increase.

It was truly unbelievable, and the day felt like a celebration.

Everyone at the company congratulated us, and our families were boasting to everyone around them.

Mr. Jang's father even sent a list of names, including "Mr. Yoon Gil-do" and "Mr. Son Byung-ok," saying he wanted to get signatures for the whole village.

He insisted on getting a signature from Seo Myung-ju's son, so I had to sign too.

The sudden surge in popularity.

But we didn't get complacent or lazy.

We knew from experience how quickly interest can fade.

We had only taken the first step, and we knew how important the next step would be, so we went back to the drawing board.

Right to our debut album's lead single, "Untitled."

* * *

I told Jang about the idea I had while watching Music Cafe.

A plan to understand NewBlack's musical color.

Jang enthusiastically agreed with my idea to compare the music we each liked, and we spent several sleepless nights finalizing the plan.

Now, all that was left was to execute it.

Finally, Monday arrived.

It was officially our day off, making it easier to work.

To be precise, it was a day without scheduled activities.

As "Between" achieved minor success, our schedule grew, and the company asked for our input.

How many schedules could we handle in a day?

How much rest did we need?

"Events are secondary. Some want to take advantage of the momentum, and we want to help you earn more money. But the priority is the debut album. We need to know how much you can handle to plan accordingly."

Under the guidance of Manager Yoon, we provided our input, and the CEO approved the plan.

A maximum of three schedules per day, with Monday as a rest day.

Well, not really a rest day. It was more like a day without scheduled activities, meaning we had to practice intensively.

So, we practiced intensively