Raising a Neglected Singer-Songwriter - Chapter 154



Only Noblemtl

Raising a Neglected Singer-Songwriter Episode 154

154. Give me your seat.

Glastonbury, the UK’s largest music festival, held at Pilton Farm in Somerset, South West England.

Coachella is a comprehensive music festival held in Coachella Valley, located in the Colorado Desert, California, USA.

Along with these two music festivals, one of the world’s top three music festivals is the ‘Lollapalooza Festival’, held every summer in Grant Park, Chicago, USA since 1991.

Although it is less well known in Korea compared to the other two festivals, it is a large-scale music festival that attracts over 100,000 audience members for each performance.

It was obvious what the official meant by showing ‘interest’ in him.

‘It must be something to do with the festival lineup and casting!’

Since K-pop entered the global music market, T/Os for K-pop artists have started appearing one or two times at various music festivals.

Lollapalooza has also been working to secure musical diversity for the festival by inviting famous K-pop groups since about two years ago.

The speculation that ‘interest in Korea’s rising star = recruitment’ was close to certain.

Seongjun and Oh Haesoo look at each other at the same time and exchange silent glances.

Oh Hae-soo’s thumb then started tap dancing on the cell phone.

And then, someone immediately returns to the screen and Oh Hae-soo makes a circle with his thumb and index finger.

It was a universal OK sign.

Seongjun asked Ariel.

“What is the dress code for the party Ariel mentioned?”

*

American celebrities’ parties are not a one-day or two-day affair.

A party for the dog’s birthday.

A party for my best friend’s wedding.

He threw a divorce party two days later.

What are you doing again, party, party, party?

As expected from a country at the forefront of capitalism, stars with money and time go crazy partying every day.

Tonight, in a townhouse in an upscale Washington neighborhood, a fancy party was being held as usual.

It was a pre-opening party to celebrate the opening of the ‘2024 Lollapalooza Festival’, which will be held in September.

The streets in front of the townhouses, where boutiques flow, are lined with shiny foreign cars, probably owned by partygoers.

And all around there were people wandering around with cameras hidden in their arms.

They weren’t people who came out to take pictures of foreign cars.

He was a celebrity photographer, aka paparazzi, who was out and about taking pictures of the car owner.

Their memories were already filled with countless celebrities entering the party venue.

It was at a time when they were selecting photos of celebrities that could make them a decent amount of pocket money if they submitted them to magazines.

A black limousine stopped.

As the paparazzi hid in their respective spots and aimed their cameras, knowing that the limousine was clearly a party vehicle, the faces of the limousine occupants soon began to appear beyond the lenses.

The first one to come out was a pop star that had everyone’s mouths hanging open.

America’s Nation’s Little Sister, ‘Ariel But.’

A series of glamorous faces followed, led by her in a sparkling dress.

Rookie ‘Mark Sin City’ recently entered the Billboard charts with his debut album.

The head of the label that manages these two pop stars, top American producer George Brown!

As the biggest stars leading the current American pop music market step down one after another, shutters are heard everywhere.

There are four members of the label ‘New Era’, also known as ‘George Brown Division’.

The remaining one, ‘Justin Bobby’, is currently on a world tour.

So, I thought there would be three people attending the party today.

“Huh? Who else is coming out?”

Someone’s legs extend out of the limousine.

Justin, no way? No way.

No matter how much of a troublemaker Justin is, he is a man who is more sincere than anyone when it comes to his music, so I never thought he would abandon his tour to attend a party.

So who the hell is he/she now?!

The paparazzi’s cameras were pointed at the mysterious person.

And finally he emerged from the limousine.

He was a handsome Asian man dressed from head to toe in ‘Corre’, one of the most luxurious Italian brands.

“Who is that handsome guy? (Who is that handsome guy?)”

There was a time when someone let out an exclamation and a question at the same time without realizing it at a visual that caught their eye.

“Got it! He’s D.Voice, Sungjun!”

An oriental singer who was recently appointed as the global ambassador for ‘Korea’.

And Sungjun, who also received attention in the US when Angela Corre, the head designer, officially mentioned him as the second muse through her Instagram, was recognized.

As the man’s identity is revealed to be Sungjun, previous gossip about him begins to surface.

There was a time when a photo of two people taken at an old pub in New York caused a stir in the American entertainment industry.

There were rumors that George Brown, a top American producer and the launcher of a new label called ‘New Era’, was considering recruiting Korea’s rising star Sung Jun.

At the time, many people questioned him, but George Brown drew the line, saying that the two only had a light conversation and that he hoped to “talk about music in the future.”

Sungjun, who was like that, got out of the George Brown Division limousine?!

This time, I couldn’t help but think of the title, ‘Secretly confirmed to recruit New Era!’

Thanks to that, the loud shutter sound, louder than when any celebrity arrived, penetrated Sungjun’s ears as he adjusted his clothes.

one side,

“As expected, they’re taking a ton of pictures.”

Manager Oh Hae-soo, who got off after him, whispered softly.

A few months ago, there was a lot of attention paid to something that happened in New York.

I expected this kind of reaction from George Brown at the party today.

This is also why Oh Hae-soo received permission from Baek-seok to attend today’s party via text message at the studio.

Originally, Sungjun’s US single featuring Ariel Grande was going to be kept secret until its release, but Baek Seok changed his plans after assessing the situation.

– Since it’s come to this, let’s get some real attention.

Anyway, we are aiming to enter the US market.

The idea was to take advantage of the opportunity and draw aggro.

So I deliberately rode in George Brown’s limousine and wore clothes by Core, who was the global ambassador.

“I’m not surprised that there are so many paparazzi. I guess they’re used to having this many cameras in Korea too?”

“That’s right. I saw the last article, and it said that the scene of Devoice Bro and Yuna’s departure was paralyzed.”

“So you have to take a private jet. If you join New Era, George will support you, right? Won’t he, George?”

“Of course.”

People from another world who talk about private jets like they’re taxis.

On the other hand, Sungjun had a calm expression on his face, but inside he was swallowing his surprise.

‘I thought it was a small home party because it was hosted by an acquaintance…’

What is this?

It’s a party to commemorate the opening of ‘2024 Lollapalooza’.

Meanwhile, Ariel was linking her arm with his.

Because it was American style for the main attendee to escort the ‘guest’ who was visiting the party for the first time.

So, it was a natural skinship for Ariel, but for some reason, Sungjun felt a chill running down his spine.

If the current two-shot were to be published as a paparazzi photo, I wonder if I would hear someone’s narrowed eyes and cynical snort…?

And Ariel, who doesn’t know that fact,

“Why are you shaking like this? Is it because it’s your first time at a party? Or is it because of me? Hehe.”

It was inevitable that there would be such misunderstandings.

Meanwhile, inside the townhouse, where the party was already in full swing, was filled with celebrities.

In addition to celebrities who live near Washington, celebrities from all over the country who were invited attended the event today in person using their own private jets and transportation.

On the sofa, Hollywood actors and directors of drama and movie production companies with fairly well-known faces were sitting and chatting away.

Around an Irish table filled with high-quality liquor, black rappers were talking at a rapid-fire pace with their signature swagger.

Around the windowsill, Billboard’s resident pop singers were chatting and clinking glasses of champagne.

What provided a break from the celebrity chatter was the visit of a guest who arrived a little later than the party’s start time.

Squeak-

As Ariel enters in a sparkling dress, all eyes in the room are instantly focused on her.

The eyes of the stars who saw the group with her grew wide.

“Wow, the George family is here.”

“Well, it was strange without Ariel, the ‘headliner’.”

Yes, that’s right.

Ariel was the main participant of this party.

That’s because she was the artist selected as the headliner for the ‘2024 Lollapalooza Festival’.

In addition to her, the festival, which ran for four days, had a total of four headliners.

one side,

“But who is that man? Does he look familiar?”

“Well, it’s my first time seeing you. Her new boyfriend?”

Ariel’s interest also turned to Sungjun, the man who was friendly and linked arms with her.

It was when the passive skill [Clearness Index] was maintaining Sungjun’s peace from the burdensome, overly focused gaze.

“Ariel! You’re late!”

Someone approached Ariel and called her name cheerfully.

She was a white woman wearing glasses and a neat dress.

“Laura!”

Ariel, who found her, opened her arms and hugged her, and the two exchanged an American greeting of lightly kissing each other on the cheek.

And soon Ariel introduced the person she had met.

“Seongjun. This is my friend, Laura, who is hosting today’s party.”

“And Laura, the ‘D.Voice’ and ‘Sungjun’ that he wanted you to see.”

Seongjun’s eyes light up at Ariel’s introduction.

That means that the bespectacled woman who was Ariel’s friend and the host of the party was actually the Lollapalooza festival official who had shown interest in her!

“Nice to meet you. And thank you for joining us at the party today, Seongjun.”

“I’m more than grateful that you invited me to this wonderful party, Laura.”

Sungjun, who has a ‘friendly smile’ honed through 5 years of social life, shakes hands with Laura.

Laura said.

“As you probably guessed when you heard from Ariel, we were looking for a passionate and talented K-pop artist who could make this festival hotter than summer.

And Sungjun, we fell in love with your recently released album ‘Music Everywhere’. Everyone at Lollapalooza wants you to join us for this festival-”

It was a bit longer, but it was ‘recruitment’ as expected.

‘Is this true? I got love calls from the three major music festivals!’

I knew that the last EP received a good response overseas, but this is the first time I have been directly contacted, so it feels new.

Does it show the possibility and anticipation of advancing into the US market?

Anyway, although I was inwardly excited and clapped my hands, I answered on the outside with a slightly excited look on my face.

“I would be honored if you gave me the opportunity to do Lollapalooza, and I will not be disappointed.”

“I’m looking forward to that.”

Laura and Ariel smile at Sungjun’s confident answer.

Mark naturally joins the conversation at that time.

“Hello, Laura. This is Mark.”

“Nice to meet you, Mark. I hope you enjoy this festival too, Mark.”

“I asked you to take care of the festival, what does that mean-”

As Mark reacts in bewilderment, George and Ariel, who are suddenly next to him, start to hold back laughter.

Laura, who had grasped the situation, asked in a tone that showed she could not stop it.

“You didn’t tell Mark, George, that he was invited to the festival, did you?”

“Ah, I’m sorry. Mark must be so much fun to tease.”

“Huh? Really?!”

Mark’s eyes widen at George’s answer.

In fact, it was surprising that he, who was on the rise with his name on the Billboard Top 10, did not receive a call from Lollapalooza.

After hearing that Sungjun was interested in her, I thought that she had no connection with Lola.

“You were hiding it!”

“I was planning on making a surprise reveal at the party today. Didn’t Ariel already give you a hint before? Mark, I wish you could come too.”

“Oh, yes! Thanks Laura! No thanks George!”

Mark cheers excitedly upon hearing the surprising news.

It was while such a friendly conversation was going on.

“Asians can sing? This is the first time I’ve heard of it. Aren’t they just lip-synchers who shake their hips and smile?”

“It’s not K-pop, it’s gay-pop.”

A sarcastic voice was heard from around Sungjun and his group.

Two men with identical faces, who seemed to have overheard the conversation between the two, were glancing over at me with unlucky expressions.

It’s obvious to anyone who hears it that it’s a squabble.

“Hey, twins. Don’t pick a fight.”

As Mark, who was next to Sungjun, frowned, the twins’ trash talk was directed at Mark as well.

“Can’t you even talk to yourself, you red furry friend? You’re getting cocky because you’ve been on Billboard once.”

“That’s right. What on earth did he do to look good in front of George?”

Mark clicked his tongue as he watched the two giggling childishly and said to Sungjun.

“Bro. Ignore them, they’re bad dickheads.”

“Who are they?”

“Well, you’ve probably heard of the ‘Johnson Twins’.”

The Johnson Twins.

They are twin brother singers who debuted at a young age and released several Billboard hit songs.

Seongjun was also a name I had heard before.

I also knew the representative song.

However, since Sungjun was the type who only listened to music and didn’t look up their faces, he only just now realized what they looked like.

“Those racist guys. They’re really cocky, being the headliners of this festival, dammit. Let me apologize on their behalf, bro.”

“There’s no need for you to apologize. I wasn’t hurt by that kind of nonsense.”

Seongjun shrugs his shoulders as if it’s no big deal.

‘By the way, why does it seem like whenever I go overseas, I get into trouble?’

In Japan, it was Shiba, and this time it’s the Gochu (Johnson) brothers.

It was at that time that I snickered at the thought that it was limited to only those with strange names.

“Are you just calling us a shill?”

The Gochu brothers, or rather the Johnson twins, asked Sungjun.

“It’s just funny. It’s like a Billboard singer doing some petty checks.”

As Sungjun answers without fear, the party leaders’ attention is focused on Sungjun and the Johnson brothers.

That was when.

Tiring-

A system message appeared before Seongjun’s eyes.

Seongjun’s eyes sparkle when he sees the message.

‘Is it good?’

There was a good ‘mission’ written there that could be used to one’s advantage in this situation.

Seongjun quickly thought about it and opened his mouth.

“Are you scared? Are you afraid that K-pop, that my music will steal your attention?”

“Huh? What the hell are you talking nonsense about!”

“I’ve never heard music like yours!”

“I guess it’s true because you’re getting upset.”

“what!”

The brothers shout in excitement at Seongjun’s provocation.

His face turned red and he looked as if he was very feverish.

The fact that they got so worked up over just a slight touch like this could mean that they really do have a victim mentality about K-pop.

Whatever it was, now that we’ve warmed them up a bit, it’s time to throw out the bait.

“If you’re really not that into it, then you should bet.”

“bet?”

“I heard you guys are releasing a new song soon? I’m here too.”

Seongjun would never have known that a foreign singer he wasn’t particularly interested in would be releasing a new song.

So, naturally, that fact was what the system had taught.

[A surprise mission has occurred.]

[Compete against your brother artists and win a new song competition.]

Seongjun, who had taken the lead in the conversation at some point, made a suggestion.

“Let’s make a bet on the Billboard ranking of this new song. If you win, I’ll skip this festival. But if I win-”

Seongjun said, raising the corners of his lips greedily.

“Give me your headliner spot.”