SS Chapter 87: A Mediocre Talent (5)

TL: FoodieMonster007

≫ Is when I was () insane

It shows no signs of dropping off the charts.

Kang Kiyeon's solo, 『When I was ()』, did not perform a miracle like hitting number one on the music charts as soon as it was released. It did not draw a steep upward graph immediately after entering the charts either.

It came in at a moderate rank, moving up or down one or two spots.

However, looking at the bigger picture, its rank was slowly trending upward. The rate of its ascent grew steeper and steeper.

It was a sign that after starting to spread through word-of-mouth, its appeal to the general public had been verified.

It was not like we ran a loud and flashy pre-promotion campaign like for Jeong Seongbin's solo (if Kang Kiyeon had not forbidden it, I would have painted at least one of UtopiA's doors bright blue), and he did not borrow the fame of a global star like Park Joowoo, so how was this possible?

Let us see.

≫ I finally have a song to add to my playlist after a long time

This new song is like welcome rain for us who live for emotional songs…

└I've been waiting for a damp song like this…

└└My playlist is going to grow mold

≫ KY solo review

Doesn't sound like an idol song lol

└That person also brought a ballad or soft rock for his solo, but since he's such a top-tier vocalist, it wasn't a huge surprise. It's amazing that KY came out with a song that isn't a beat-heavy dance track.

≫ Why Lee Cheonghyeon is an elite Q-PD

He pinpointed the exact vocal range that makes his friend's vocal color shine the most

└He's not forcing his voice, and it actually suits his current singing style, so his vocal color comes alive even more. His voice is really good.

First, the song was good. If K-Pop is divided into typical idol songs and easy-listening tracks aiming for extreme public appeal, then 『When I was ()』, commonly called 'When I was', belonged to neither.

If you had to put a label on it, it was a dance track with strong indie music colors and a slow tempo?

Things with a solid identity usually have short names. The more ambiguous the identity, the longer the description becomes. A dance track with strong indie music colors and a slow tempo is a case in point.

It was a genre that had not yet been given a clear 'This is it!' label. It seemed to borrow the rhythm of R&B while using a unique texture… but it was 'good to listen to' music.

When the conclusion is good, uniqueness is reframed as individuality. The intro, which passed the test in the first five seconds, played the role of keeping the listener hooked enough to continue watching the music video.

The second reason for its success appears at this point.

His stunning looks, honed to perfection, a physique that had never seen a double-digit body fat percentage thanks to years of management, and the music video, which I and the dedicated team carved out with our very souls as chisels, combined with the artistic choreography to leave a powerful visual impression.

Kang Kiyeon's music video, inspired by a captivating photo of a deep blue sea, was born like this.

At one time, Kang Kiyeon ran forward, dreaming only of a future where he would become an idol and shine on stage. The dream he had became a paper sea sparkling under a blue sky in the music video.

Reality was not so easy. Kang Kiyeon's wish was not easily granted, so he had to take a long detour.

The vinyl-packaged seawater that arrived in a cardboard box, even when poured into a bathtub, only reflected the gray ceiling, looking murky. The sea projected onto the concrete by a beam projector was blurry and frozen, fixed like a photograph.

Nothing could give Kang Kiyeon a breath of fresh air. In his small room, Kang Kiyeon slowly became drenched, unable to feel the presence of the sea at all.

Just as he had been when he was trapped in the abyss of the vast ocean, sinking deep with a great sense of anxiety.

Water droplets falling from his black hair left marks on the floor that would not dry. They gathered and grew, slowly swallowing the floor Kang Kiyeon stood on.

When Kang Kiyeon lifted his head, a square hole in the ceiling came into view. It was filled with something like the sea in the photograph, something that did not flow downward.

The star-studded eyes of an idol were gone. In Kang Kiyeon's eyes, only the shadow of what seemed to be a rippling wave was reflected.

The camera's point of view shifted from top to bottom. A transparent blue light was cast over Kang Kiyeon's face, as if filmed through a blue cellophane sheet.

Reaching his arm toward the hole, Kang Kiyeon tore off the wire mesh. Then he extended his fingers and dug into the dry-textured object.

Crumbs, too lifeless to be a sea but too beautiful to be a fantasy, fell slowly.

Past the cardboard box with its shipping label smudged, the overflowing bathtub, and the stained gray walls.

A small, square object was captured against a pure white background. The giant acrylic box filled with blue gel was reminiscent of an ant farm kit.

Only, there were no ants.

No paths were made either. Only a small groove carved into one wall hinted at Kang Kiyeon's world below.

Since we could not just show similar scenes for the entire four minutes, I had to think about how to create a twist while keeping the keyword 'submersion' suggested by the composer.

I cannot count how many times we changed the props, because if each image did not connect organically, it would be nothing more than a simple sequence of scenes.

I was uncertain even as I wrote the proposal, but my worries were unfounded. The hands of experts turned my humble idea into a masterpiece with stunning visuals.

The final version, with solo dance scenes and group dances with backup dancers appropriately cross-edited, boasted flawless perfection.

≫ You have to watch 'When I was ()' with the dancing, whether it's the MV or the choreography video

It's a true work of art, that's all I can say…

└There's a reason the song is so unadorned.

└I'd believe it if they said he made a comeback just to show this performance… I've never seen this style of choreography before.

≫ Choose the most heartbreaking situation from the following

1. When you thought it was a hopeful message that you'd see the sea if you looked up, but it turned out to be the bottom of an ant farm
2. When you thought it was a water shadow cast over his head to look like he was underwater, but it turned out to be the shadow of a sewer grate

└The wire mesh was a sewer grate??

└└It's the grate they put over drains for rainwater, but they probably used a different shape for the video.

≫ When Lee Cheonghyeon was called 'Little Kim Iwol', Kim Iwol would say, "I guess I drank too much cold water in front of the kid," but when Kang Kiyeon was called 'Little Choi Jeho', he'd deny reality, asking, "How is Kiyeon 'Little Choi Jeho'?" I laughed back then, but now I think I get why he reacted that way. (Even setting aside his objective eye that only activates for Choi Jeho) they're really different, except for when they were on deserted island. I already knew their personalities and dancing styles were different because comparison videos pop up in my algorithm all the time, but if Choi Jeho captures your attention with his facial expressions, Kang Kiyeon feels like he has power in his gaze…?

Is it that their methods of drawing focus are different? I don't know how to explain it. Kim Iwol needs to open a crash course on how to stan ASAP.

└I think I know what you mean lololol I get it, don't worry!!

└> his objective eye that only activates for Choi Jeho

└└LOLOLOLOLOL

≫ There's something moving about black-haired Kang Kiyeon

The man who looks decadent in just a white t-shirt and jeans. The man who made Kim Iwol watch the MV and immediately tell Choi Jeho, "Jeho-yah, you don't have to be the only sexy one anymore." The man among men who made Choi Jeho ask, "Am I going to be unemployed now?"

└Mr. Kim, what on earth are you going around saying lololol

└Kim Iwol has never been wrong. He's right this time, too.

└Our Kiyeon loves his hyungs so much that he's helping them so they don't have to struggle to be the only sexy ones.

≫ I think it's perversely brilliant how in the low-saturation, monotone MV, only the unreachable real sea and the touchable sea (the thing pretending to be one) are a vivid blue.

└And that sea (the thing pretending to be one) is (spoiler)

└My blue, crumbly sea (or so I thought)…

[ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ Once the ears and eyes are convinced, people start to focus and look deeper. Because they like the song, they dig into the subject themselves. From there, they would look up the lyrics and discover the personal stories the artist had woven into it.]

≫ Why 'When I was ()' is bound to be special for Sparklers

Kang Kiyeon sometimes mentioned that he didn't get good evaluations as a trainee and had a great fear of cameras, so things weren't smooth for him. However, he never mentioned the time he went on hiatus due to panic disorder. This is the first song where he honestly tells us what he was like back then. He said he was worried about the direction (he wondered if he would be needlessly worrying fans by bringing up something that wasn't good and that he was already over), but he thought it might be a story that could resonate with someone right now + he could now confidently say he's better, so 'When I was ()' ultimately became the title track.

└He had a panic disorder? I didn't know.

└It was right after his debut… Back then they just said it was a health issue, but rumors were quietly circulating among the fans.

≫ A song that makes you think a lot as you listen

Anyone who's experienced feeling like they're the only one falling behind, or being in so much pain from the morning sun that everyone else greets without a problem that they dread the daybreak, or forgetting how to look at the sky because they only had the strength to look at the floor, will probably relate.

└Most people probably wouldn't understand needing to press your forehead against a corner to breathe, or hiding in bed because you're lonely… (because you say you can't breathe but don't go to an open space, and you say you're lonely but seek a space to be alone), but anxiety makes people like this. It reminded me of my past self. I felt understood.

≫ The song, choreography, and MV are all calm, but it's hard because they stir up your emotions so much

I'm talking about 'When I was ( )'…

└It's so hilariously sad how all the Sparklers are listening to 'When I was ()' like they're women with tragic backstories. The funny reason: because I'm doing it too…

└It's perfect for crying to while sitting by a bus window on a rainy autumn day like today, but you have to bear the stares from those around you.

└I thought Kang Kiyeon was a nice guy, but he's turning Sparklers into stars.

≫ Sobbing after reading a post analyzing how it seems like he incorporated traditional Korean dance into the choreography

Everything Kiyeon liked is in this one music video… ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

└I've watched the MV 200 times and I have no idea where it is?? Did I miss it because I was only looking at his face?

└It's a really tiny detail lol I'll post the link below!

≫ I guess he'll long for the sea his whole life, but never be able to see it.

└A masterpiece of a comment.

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└I've come on a holy pilgrimage. Please let my cat be healthy.

└I've come on a holy pilgrimage. Please let there be a seat for me at the concert.

└Holy pilgrimage completed.

└Did something happen?

└└Just passing by and leaving a comment. The singer mentioned on social media that this comment perfectly expressed his feelings at the time!

It was full of wonderful posts. I captured a screenshot of one review that summarized all these reactions in one go and showed it to Kang Kiyeon.

≫ Kang Kiyeon is giving you all a final chance to get on board so you won't regret ignoring us. Stan him while he's promoting.

The guy laughed heartily. He looked incredibly relieved.

As his solo activities were wrapping up, Kang Kiyeon started heading to the practice room after finishing his broadcast schedules. It was to prepare for spArk's final comeback of the year.

He had to learn the choreography in advance to join the group practice that would be starting soon.

During the short car ride from the broadcast station to the company, Kang Kiyeon read comments and watched fan videos. This was something unimaginable back when Kim Iwol had forbidden him from monitoring reactions.

Now, reading the posts was quite alright. There were negative reviews, but his mood was no longer swayed by such things.

The joy of reading the reviews from people who enjoyed it was much greater.

He got out of the car in a good mood and arrived at the practice room to find Choi Jeho waiting for him.

"You haven't gone home yet?"

"You said you were practicing alone."

It seemed he intended to watch over his moves before leaving. Kang Kiyeon gladly accepted his help. Thanks to learning the choreography during his breaks, the catch-up session ended quickly.

Wiping away his sweat, Kang Kiyeon asked, "Jeho-hyung. You're an idol because you love it, right?"

Choi Jeho replied, "Would I be doing it if I hated it?" It was a very Choi Jeho-like answer.

"Then you really are a genius, hyung. You do it because you love it, you're good at it, and you have no hesitation in pushing forward."

It was an extension of the conversation they had before his comeback. His tone suggested that while he seemed to have accepted Choi Jeho's words, he had not completely given up his own thoughts.

After much thought, Kang Kiyeon shared the conclusion he had reached.

"I'm still not sure… but this work is the most fun for me right now, so I think I'll try to keep doing what I like."

Kang Kiyeon recalled the last comment he saw. It was a post saying that they were proud of the time they spent cheering for him.

It seemed that no matter what the public's evaluation was, or even if he sometimes felt his own image was shabby, he would be okay as long as he remembered those words.

"Yes."

Leaving that one word, Choi Jeho stood up first. Was it because he thought Kang Kiyeon had properly understood what he was trying to say? There were no unnecessary additions.

Kang Kiyeon was left alone in the practice room. He lay down on his back on the spacious practice room floor.

The tension in his entire body melted away.

The cool air settled on the floor cooled his hot body. It felt like he could get addicted to the refreshing feeling.

The day he would regret his decision to come here would probably never come.