Chapter 173: “I”
July 1st, Inkigayo backstage, IU's waiting room.
Kim Tae-yeon, dressed in a strapless long dress with her hair tied into twin princess pigtails, sat on the sofa, eyes closed, taking deep breaths.
She was so small sitting there that if one didn't look carefully, she would be completely obscured by the busy figures of the assistants.
“DM Entertainment’s Taeyeon, get ready, you’re on stage in fifteen minutes.” A staff member’s voice suddenly came, startling Kim Tae-yeon, who was adjusting her mindset. She hastily stood up to respond, but the staff member had already left in a hurry.
Standing up, Kim Tae-yeon pursed her lips and looked uneasily at the door, as if searching for something.
“What’s wrong, Taeyeon?” Her manager Ouni’s voice came from behind her. “Are you still nervous?”
“Yes.” Kim Tae-yeon turned around and nodded with a bitter smile.
“If you’re nervous, just take more deep breaths. The more you do it, the less nervous you’ll be.”
Jiang Shu’s voice came, and Kim Tae-yeon quickly looked over, only to see Jiang Shu entering with his little follower, Song Yuqi.
Seeing Jiang Shu’s arrival, Kim Tae-yeon quietly breathed a sigh of relief, and her nervousness dissipated considerably.
According to DM Entertainment’s tradition, the Chairman would always be present when an artist debuted or made a comeback. Although he couldn't help the artist perform, the Chairman's personal presence and encouragement gave the artists a boost of confidence.
“Hello, Taeyeon Ouni.” Song Yuqi greeted Kim Tae-yeon with a smile.
“Hello.” Kim Tae-yeon responded with a smile. Her nervousness had lessened significantly, and her demeanor was much more relaxed.
“This stage is very special, you need to withstand the pressure.” Jiang Shu said with a smile, looking at Kim Tae-yeon, who was as exquisite as a doll.
To give the audience a shocking debut stage, Jiang Shu had spent a lot of money to persuade the Inkigayo production team to create such a debut stage.
This kind of stage was completely meant for grand performances, but Jiang Shu brought it to a debut stage, solely to make Kim Tae-yeon an instant hit.
He had already done his best to provide the optimal objective conditions for Kim Tae-yeon; the rest was up to her performance.
“I’ll do well!” Kim Tae-yeon nodded heavily, her expression serious and earnest.
If her debut stage, at thirty years old, had any mistakes, it would probably severely affect the company’s future investment in her, right?
As the company's groups and artists grew in number, Kim Tae-yeon was also aware that resources would gradually become insufficient.
This pressure was heavy for her, but at the same time, it was also a motivation. What she had to do was turn pressure into power!
“I look forward to your stage.” Jiang Shu said with a smile.
Soon, fifteen minutes passed in a flash.
Jiang Shu and Song Yuqi stayed in the waiting room, watching the TV. Song Yuqi held a selfie stick, and the camera captured both of them.
Looking at the stage lights, she suddenly spoke.
“Chairman, is Taeyeon Ouni rising from below?” Song Yuqi asked, looking at the gradually dimming lights but not seeing Kim Tae-yeon’s figure.
“No, she’s descending from the sky.”
“Huh?”
Amidst Song Yuqi’s surprised exclamation, the lights completely dimmed.
A butterfly suddenly lit up on the large screen. The butterfly in the darkness gradually flew upwards, and the light it brought as it flapped its wings illuminated the scene of someone sitting on an aerial throne above.
Kim Tae-yeon’s ethereal makeup was not very clearly visible to the audience at first, then the wires began to descend, the lights gradually brightened, and Kim Tae-yeon on the seat became increasingly clear to the audience.
“So beautiful…” Song Yuqi’s mouth hung open as she watched the scene in a daze, exclaiming.
Jiang Shu watched the scene with a faint smile on his lips.
When I unleash the strongest “I” stage from MAMA 2015 on a debut stage, how will you respond, Your Excellency?
I have done everything I can; the rest is up to you.
The lights converged on Kim Tae-yeon. Sitting on the aerial throne, Kim Tae-yeon looked at the live audience below, who were staring at her, and gave a slightly shy smile.
But the countdown from her earpiece made her, who had practiced countless times and imagined this scene countless times, enter the zone in a second.
The next second…
“The sky that pours down sunshine”
At Li Xiuman’s house.
“The sky that pours down sunshine~~~”
The moment Kim Tae-yeon opened her mouth, Li Xiuman’s pupils suddenly contracted.
Something’s not right!
There’s a f*cking big problem!!!
If he felt regret when he heard Lily, and cursed Min Xizhen when he heard Wendy, then at this moment, he was a little numb.
Lily was fine; her skill level was high, but not so high that he particularly desired her.
Wendy’s skill level was sufficient, and he did want her, but at least half of Red Velvet was under their control, so it was still acceptable.
But this Kim Tae-yeon…
This person is thirty years old, and only started getting into music last year. Is this level of skill correct?
He knew that Jung Seung-won had been taken by Jiang Shu to teach Kim Tae-yeon, but this wasn’t the kind of teaching he expected.
Even if Jung Seung-won were an immortal master, he couldn’t train a good prospect to this current level in such a short time, could he?
And Li Xiuman couldn’t help but admire Jiang Shu for one thing: the songs he wrote truly had a high degree of compatibility with the artists. Especially this “I” stage, even an industry veteran like him would be captivated by Kim Tae-yeon’s stage charisma, let alone the fans?
A thirty-year-old solo female artist, under his guidance, actually displayed such astonishing charisma. Is this right?
When the violin solo began, Li Xiuman couldn't stop marveling. The debut stage actually removed the rap from the studio version and replaced it with a more suitable violin solo?
What is in Jiang Shu’s mind? Are he and they truly the same species?
“The once distant days, gradually fade away”
“Brilliant flight”
The powerful high note completely interrupted Li Xiuman’s thoughts. Looking at the radiant Kim Tae-yeon on stage, he was momentarily speechless.
Could it be that his long-held concept of trainee cultivation was wrong?
DM Entertainment’s repeated successes caused Li Xiuman, the K-pop godfather who was confident to the point of arrogance, to question his idol cultivation philosophy for the first time.
Was he… truly right?
Looking at Kim Tae-yeon on the television, he felt as if he was witnessing the birth of a new renowned female solo artist.
No!
Neither Kim Hyun-a nor Lee Sun-mi had her talent. Even he was moved by Kim Tae-yeon's music, let alone others?
This was a characteristic that existing female solo artists did not possess.
Compared to DM Entertainment's first solo artist, Kim Tae-yeon was undoubtedly even more outstanding.
IU merely flashed through Li Xiuman’s mind. Although she gained some popularity due to “cherry blossom ending,” in Li Xiuman’s eyes, IU still couldn’t compare to the current Kim Tae-yeon.
After a brief moment of emotion, came schadenfreude.
Their S.M.’s female solo was Boa, but Boa and these solo artists were not from the same era or track. Now, it was JYP and YG who should be worried.