Chapter 300: Six-Member (G)I-DLE
As time entered 2021, DM Entertainment officially announced the comeback schedules for its various groups.
On February 1st, aespa led the concentrated comeback of DM Entertainment's girl groups in 2021. Besides IZONE, ITZY, and NMIXX not participating, all other DM Entertainment girl groups made their comebacks this month.
In addition to the aforementioned groups' comebacks, the new girl group (G)I-DLE, announced last year, would also make their comeback on February 20th with their debut album, “Latata.”
The core of the (G)I-DLE group's formation was ITZY's producer, Jeon Soyeon, and her selection instantly garnered public and media attention.
ITZY personally stepping up to form a girl group was an unprecedented event in K-pop history. A noble producer deigning to be an idol?
Especially with Jeon Soyeon also having the added identity of being Jiang Shu's only student, the Godfather of Girl Groups, her popularity and 話題度 increased even more.
The other members of (G)I-DLE were also revealed one by one each week, taking over a month for all of them to be announced.
The first to be revealed was naturally Jeon Soyeon, the core and leader of the group's formation.
The second was Zhao Meiyan, who had a certain level of popularity on “Produce48” and was a rare officially recognized visual.
Since IVE, DM Entertainment rarely designated a visual for their groups. The only two with official visuals were Red Velvet and NMIXX.
(G)I-DLE was the third group to have an official visual.
The third member to be revealed was Song Yuqi, who also had considerable popularity on “Produce48.” This Chinese member's reveal caused quite a stir on both Chinese and Korean networks. Even before her official debut, Song Yuqi already had a significant number of individual fans, which was partly related to the company occasionally arranging for non-Korean trainees to participate in schedules in their respective countries.
The fourth member to be revealed was Minnie. This girl from Thailand, possessing a dreamy voice, also caused quite a stir after her reveal.
Minnie was also a highly popular member who made it into the top fifteen on “Produce48.” Her not debuting had been a regret for many viewers. Now, debuting with Song Yuqi and Zhao Meiyan, they went from being fellow contestants on the same show to real teammates, making many show fans exclaim that it felt like a return to 2019.
The fifth member to be revealed was Cheng Xiao. This member, who had no (G)I-DLE ties but joined (G)I-DLE purely through Jeon Soyeon's girl group producer ties, was added by Jiang Shu against all opposition.
As a trainee who also participated in “Produce48,” Cheng Xiao could be called the eldest sister in (G)I-DLE, being a month older than Jeon Soyeon.
At the time, Cheng Xiao gained many fans on the show with her gymnastics skills and her gentle older sister persona. At her peak popularity, she even reached a good ranking of 11th place.
As for the last member of (G)I-DLE, before her announcement, the public was still guessing which trainee from “Produce48” it would be. Some even listed existing DM Entertainment trainees and discussed them together.
Among them were supporters of Nakamura Kazuha, Naoi Rei, and Liz. After all, (G)I-DLE had five members announced, with three nationalities. Wouldn't adding a Japanese member also seem very reasonable?
However, the moment the last member was announced, the Korean internet exploded.
(G)I-DLE's sixth member, main dancer — Soo-jin Xu.
Xu Suizhen!!!
In late May 2018, IVE, with its unparalleled twin stars, debuted and instantly dominated the girl group scene, becoming a top-tier girl group.
Because the twin stars were so dazzling, the six-member IVE was often jokingly referred to as the twin stars and their four accessories.
Now, one of the twin stars is in the only group that has reached the top, being one of the four main centers. The other leads a top-tier group towards reaching the pinnacle.
And the four neglected accessories: lead vocalist LilyM joined NMIXX, a group co-managed by DM Entertainment and JYP Entertainment, and is now also a member of a second-tier group.
Choi Yunjin and Kim Garam, the two members who tried to betray their former company and were subsequently frozen, will not be mentioned for now.
Xu Suizhen's bullying controversy directly led to IVE's disbandment. Although she was later cleared with the support of DM Entertainment and the accuser was sent to prison, Xu Suizhen's idol career was considered over.
From 2019 until now, two years have passed, and the name Xu Suizhen has gradually been forgotten by the public.
But!
In early 2021, Xu Suizhen's name reappeared, and it was on the roster of DM Entertainment's new girl group, (G)I-DLE!
At this moment, IVE's fans belatedly realized that Jiang Shu truly had not lied to them; he really was serious about fulfilling what he had promised.
He had said at the time that he would not give up on Xu Suizhen. As time passed, everyone just assumed he had forgotten his words and Xu Suizhen, but now it seems he remembered, he always remembered!
Hot searches related to Xu Suizhen's re-debut and Jiang Shu keeping his promise appeared on the trending list along with Xu Suizhen's information, even overshadowing the comeback buzz of other DM Entertainment girl groups.
Even if they were just the four accessories back then, IVE was still that IVE.
Accessories were only relative to the twin stars; outside of IVE, even an accessory was a popular member in other groups!
Xu Suizhen's announcement delighted IVE fans. After IVE disbanded, IVE fans were divided, supporting IZONE, aespa, and NMIXX. Now, with Xu Suizhen joining (G)I-DLE, they would have one more group to stan.
And Xu Suizhen's individual fans literally rose from their graves. They had been lying in their coffins, watching IZONE, aespa, and NMIXX, reminiscing about their idol while watching Zhang Yuanying, Liu Zhimin, and Lily.
And then...
You're telling me now that Xu Suizhen hasn't been given up on and will re-debut as the main dancer of DM Entertainment's new girl group?
What the heck?
I'm literally rising from my grave! Revive, my idol!!!
February, like January of last year, was a month for DM Entertainment's concentrated comebacks. Other major companies very tacitly avoided February and March for comebacks, not wanting to clash with DM Entertainment's concentrated comeback period.
DM Entertainment had already been benevolent. If they had spread out their comebacks, they could have completely monopolized the market for an entire year, but they didn't do that; instead, they concentrated them into one month.
Of course, if DM Entertainment had really done that, they would have been collectively attacked.
If no one can survive, then let's all die together.
DM Entertainment had concerns in this regard, but usually, companies only do this after being severely beaten, like S.M. in Jiang Shu's previous life.
For DM Entertainment to be so proactively benevolent was indeed a bit too... uh... righteous.
Since they were so righteous, then others wouldn't go and compete for the market.
Of course, more importantly, they couldn't win anyway, so why throw money and people away?
Just as the artists and groups were in their concentrated comeback period, Jiang Shu called Liu Qi.