Korean Entertainment: Perfect Cheating Life

After seeing the data results of Donghae and Eunhyuk's MV, Kim So-min spent five days reorganizing the data. With these data, she held a New Year's strategy meeting with the executives of Kakao and Melon.

The essence of a commercial singer is not just to create good songs, but to create more value and meet the needs of fans.

Of course, this is also inseparable from the most basic win-win exchange.

Kim So Min is not incapable of creating art or concepts, but she has to make the Red Velvet group and her own name famous first.

Who will pay attention to your art when you are not famous?

Ever since Taylor Swift launched the global "pay for music" model, SM's turnover has skyrocketed, and its music streaming revenue has doubled.

The amount of money Kim So Min earns from Melon every year is an astronomical figure that makes people's jaws drop!

As the person in charge of the data trends of Kakao and Melon, Kim So-min has long felt the changes of the times.

Back in the days of TVXQ and SJ, if idols wanted to become famous, they could only rely on traditional means such as music performances, concerts and acting, and the TV stations were still the ones that dominated the artists' exposure opportunities.

However, now, with the rapid development of science and technology, the popularization of the Internet and the continuous changes of the times, the path to fame for idols has become diversified, and the dominant force has become video websites.

Take the currently popular girl group EXID for example. They were just an unknown small group last year. However, due to member Hani's straight-shot performance in the song "Up and Down", they became an overnight sensation, and the song's audio source also became a big hit.

Because of their popularity, this year's era of idol group direct-shooting has kicked off in a grand manner.

Straight-shot shooting has also become a means for the new generation of idol groups to become popular.

At the beginning of the meeting, the data analyst integrated the data survey results obtained previously. As expected, everyone present saw that the main audience group of Kpop is almost entirely young people.

After in-depth data analysis and review, they came to a new conclusion - the current era has completely belonged to the streaming era, and the new generation of young people prefer things that are interesting and fun.

Streaming media is updated and replaced at a rapid pace. If you don’t want to be left behind by the times, you must keep up with the times.

Young people follow KPOP not to study what new musical concepts and elements are used in the songs, or simply to explore how powerful the idols are.

Most people follow KPOP just to listen to pleasant songs to relax and watch good performances to make themselves happy.

It is important to know this, as it represents SM's next planning route.

Park Eun-jung occasionally manages Kakao, so she is very familiar with Kakao's business affairs.

"Some companies want to promote their APP software overseas. They hope to cooperate with Kakao and allow users to log in to their software directly using their Kakao accounts."

"what is it call?"

“TikTok.”

Park Eun-jeong opened the PPT data and projected the company on the big screen.

"It's a short video software that is very popular overseas and in China. They bought the original American short video APP, and now it almost dominates the market."

She played several popular videos in China on the screen in succession.

"My suggestion is that we can cooperate. According to the data from the secretariat's survey, the short video market has a very strong momentum of development, and the secretariat is collectively very optimistic about the prospects of short videos."

Most of the popular short videos are humorous and funny or feature handsome and beautiful protagonists.

Kim So-min picked up his phone and watched several videos pushed by the app.

She said slowly, "We can cooperate. However, we need to add additional conditions to the basic conditions."

“Let Red Beibei be the brand ambassador.”

"If they agree, we can embed the APP into the four-star Butterfly series of mobile phones and promote the APP for them."

The Six-Star Butterfly series is a high-end series of mobile phones made by Six-Star specifically for her, and it has just been officially announced that Hong Beibei will be the spokesperson.

“Kaokao will also recommend it to them.”

This is a clear exchange of interests.

Park Eun-jeong smiled and said, "Yes, Somin is the ambassador of Kakao. With your popularity, I believe they will definitely accept it."

---

The next day, Kim So-min went to see Lee Soo-man with the sorted documents.

Although the political arena is turbulent, Lee Soo-man has experienced many ups and downs over the years and has long seen through the status of the four-star. As smart as he is, he certainly will not change his attitude towards Kim So-min, and the management will not change either.

The company readjusted its future development direction according to the planning proposal she proposed.

Immediately after this meeting, Red Beibei held a separate meeting.

They received song demos for their next album, The Velvet, and a thick planning book.

The title song "One Of These Nights" is a typical ballad, but like FX's Red Light, it is directed at the Sewol ferry.

Putting aside the concept of the MV, the melody and lyrics of the song itself are mediocre. It’s not bad, but it’s not good enough either. Mediocrity is a taboo in songs in the Kpop idol industry.

After listening to this, Kim So-min frowned.

Although the other members don't know how to compose music, they can still tell the good from the bad.

Lyrical songs are definitely a disadvantage for rising girl groups, especially now that the fourth-generation girl groups have begun to emerge.

At the end of the year, GFriend's new song was very popular, and everyone liked the style of the innocent girlfriend;

JYP's newly launched new girl group Twice has received a warm response;

MAMAMOO, who came from a smaller company, made a name for themselves with their song “Um Oh Ah Yeh”.

The new generation of girl groups are beginning to rise. It is obvious that next year will be the year when all the girl groups will go all out. At this critical juncture, let them return with such a plain lyrical song...

As human beings, they really wanted to sing the meaningful song "One Of These Nights";

But as idols, they have to consider more about their future.

Jin Zhaomin looked at the sisters' embarrassed expressions and said, "If this song is released, our popularity can be directly returned to the level before our debut, right?"

"The song is of average quality, but has a good meaning. I suggest releasing it as a single instead of using it as the main hit."

The producer was also confused: "It is because of its meaning that..."

Kim So-min: "Based on the quality of this song, how many people will buy it? Do they expect this kind of lyrical song to attract more audiences?"

The producer knew her identity and the purpose of the song, and was in a dilemma about the choice.

At the end of the argument, Li Xiuman came over in person.

"Somin doesn't like this song?"

Seeing the teacher come to ask in person, Kim So-min answered without hesitation: "Teacher, I don't think it's good."

In front of so many people, Kim So-min still restrained herself and gave Lee Soo-hyun face, politely adding honorifics: "We are a girl group."

"I got the news that the producer of the new song of JYP's new girl group Twice is Black Eyed Bi Sheng. I've debuted for so many years, and I don't want to be suppressed by a new girl group."

After listening to this, Li Xiuman began to think about Kim So-min's schedule for next year.

For artists like Kim So Min who have a professional team, every activity is planned several months or even half a year in advance.

Next March, Red Velvet's return will coincide with Kim So Min's birthday. She will announce her endorsement of Dior and her ambassadorship for Tik Tok on her birthday. In May, Kim So Min will also accept Dior's invitation to participate in the Met Gala charity event.

If at this time, Kim So Min's new song released in China was suppressed by an unknown newcomer... she wouldn't even have to lose her temper, her brother would come and tear SM apart.

"It seems that I really need to think about it carefully."

Thinking of this, he tapped the table lightly, and then looked at Kim So-min seriously: "It's not so easy to determine the title song. Do you understand what this song means to us?"

It not only has to sound good, but also has to be popular on the entire Internet.

"I know." Kim So-min addressed her respectfully, and said in a very arrogant tone, "Let me write a new song."

After listening for a while, Bae Joo Hyun immediately stood up to express her support for Kim So Min: "Teacher Lee Soo Man, I also think that So Min can write a more suitable song."

"The song 'One Of These Nights' is very meaningful. Can we include it as a track?"

Although the other girls did not dare to directly refute Li Xiuman, it could be seen from their eyes that they supported Kim So Min.

Wendy was more courageous: "Teacher, Somin will definitely be able to do it."

Seulgi is usually the most obedient one, but this time she was so nervous that she clenched her teeth and whispered, "Please let Somin try, Director-nim."

Park Soo-young and Kim Ye-lin looked at him expectantly.

Li Xiuman's time of contemplation was very short, but their hearts were beating fast due to nervousness.

Finally, Li Xiuman spoke: "Okay, then let you write the song. Somin, you must do it well."

Kim So-min was full of pride, as if she had already won: "Don't worry, I will do my best."

Lee Soo Man went on to say, "This time, we invited Red Velvet to perform at the MAMA awards ceremony. Come on, kids."

The organizer of MAMA is CJ Group.

CJ is a branch of the Four Stars, a delicate rival and relative, and also the company of Kim So Min's friend's family.

This temporary news was very sudden because before it was only said that Red Velvet would win the award.

The Red Velvet sisters were feeling happy about the chance to perform, and Kim So Min took out her phone and sent a Kakao message to her friends.

Kim So Min: "Did you do the performance at the MAMA awards ceremony?"

Jin Huizhen: "Are you being notified now?"

Kim Hye-jin: "It wasn't me! Princess-nim, you underestimated your popularity."

Kim Hye-jin: "Not only will you be performing, you will also be presenting awards."

Lee Soo Man happily announced, "Somin, MAMA officially invites you to be the award presenter to present the award to the flower artist Jolin."

"Jolin is the queen of the flower-growing music world."

Jin Zhaomin turned off the screen of her phone and smiled calmly: "Because I can speak Chinese, they chose me. There are not many actors in the Peninsula who can speak Chinese."

The marketing staff spoke only after they finalized the new album.

"Red Velvet's cheering stick and fan name have been decided."

Several staff members held the boxes, put them on the table, and opened them for them to see: "You can take a look first. There will be a live unboxing show tomorrow."

The girls from Red Velvet were all very happy: "Will we have cheering sticks?"

When everyone was overjoyed, Bae Joo Hyun suddenly came to her senses and asked, "Excuse me, seniors in functions..."

There are only three girl groups active in the company now. Girls' Generation's cheering sticks and the like have been made public a long time ago, but Function still has no official cheering items.

"Ah, don't worry." Li Xiuman nodded with a smile, "f(x)'s cheering lights and other related matters will be announced today, before you."

“f(x)’s live broadcast will begin tonight.”

"Your live broadcast will be tomorrow afternoon."

"Inside!"

The girls stared at the box with sparkling eyes, as if it contained the most precious treasure in the world.