Chapter 360: One Minute on Stage
As the concert progressed, Jiang Shu sat in his chair, watching the big screen. The stands were a certain distance from the stage, making it difficult to clearly see the performers with the naked eye.
After the opening, the IZONE members had already begun the first phase of the concert.
He was already intimately familiar with the concert's flow, even remembering every song to be performed in each segment.
Actually, Jiang Shu wanted to give some of Girls' Generation's songs to IZONE, but there wasn't enough time, so IZONE had only received five or six of Girls' Generation's songs so far.
Jiang Shu was pondering who would be best suited for the remaining songs.
Neither the upcoming LESSERAFIM nor IVE seemed particularly suitable for Girls' Generation's songs.
But just leaving them unused would be such a waste.
How about…
Give them to NMIXX?
Even though JYP is currently paying a lot of attention to NMIXX, their exploration of musical styles is still far from reaching the forefront.
If they followed Girls' Generation’s concept…
That might not work either?
There were no issues with their performance capabilities, but there was still a gap in their image and style. If they simply copied Girls' Generation's style, would it be effective given NMIXX's negligible group synergy?
But these songs gathering dust in his memory were also… hmm?
Jiang Shu suddenly turned his head and looked at Kim Tae-yeon behind him.
Kim Tae-yeon, who was watching the concert with her phone, didn't notice the gaze from her President nim.
Jiang Shu glanced at Kim Tae-yeon, then at Sun Shengwan not far away, and withdrew his gaze.
Instead of forcing them onto NMIXX, why not…
Replicate a 'Got the Beat' type of group.
At this thought, Jiang Shu's eyes immediately lit up.
It was entirely possible.
DM Entertainment's current scale could form not just one, but three 'Got the Beat' groups.
Forming a large-scale limited group, following Girls' Generation's model, was completely feasible.
Instead of forcing these songs onto NMIXX, it would truly be better to create such a large-scale limited group.
DM Entertainment had plenty of main vocalists.
As for visuals, they had even more.
All four divine beauties of K-pop were at DM Entertainment, and there were even two candidates for divine beauty, making it easy to form a group of divine beauties.
They also didn't lack dancers; K-pop's recognized powerful dance groups and synchronized dance groups were both at DM Entertainment. Even if IZONE disbanded, they could pick two members from there.
No, that's not right.
Li Caiyan and Lee Chaeryeong, the sisters, weren't quite suitable. It would be better to pick members from ITZY.
The 'Got the Beat' limited group had visual positions, and Jiang Shu wasn't interested in bringing along mere accessories. He wanted to maximize the talent, so Li Caiyan and Lee Chaeryeong were out.
Even if they were his own artists, Jiang Shu wouldn't flatter them; in terms of visuals, these sisters truly weren't in the running.
However, there was no rush to confirm the members. A limited group couldn't be formed immediately. After IZONE disbanded, he needed to arrange the debuts of LESSERAFIM and IVE first before considering this matter.
Boom.
The music suddenly blared, pulling Jiang Shu's thoughts back.
The popular songs from the first section were brought out, including last year's hit comeback song, “Party.”
This song, which IZONE first used to win the summer girl group battle last year, was another summer hit after “red flavor.”
As soon as the intro began, the audience below the stage was already hyped.
The charm of a concert lies in this: as long as you don't deliberately suppress yourself, in an atmosphere where tens of thousands of people around you are cheering, even the quietest person will follow the crowd and immerse themselves in the fervent atmosphere.
Jiang Shu also didn't put on airs. He smiled cheerfully, followed the crowd, raised the complimentary light stick, and joined in the cheering.
...
The concert continued, with four stages lasting two and a half hours. However, behind these short two and a half hours lay a month-long preparation by the company and the team.
The songs were all rearranged to some extent from their original versions, especially the final closing song, which underwent a drastic re-arrangement.
The entire concert involved at least twenty songs. Even if only a small part of each song was changed, for a smooth listening experience, a large section of the arrangement had to be coordinated, which was a significant amount of work.
Besides these, stage props, lighting, and costumes all required time to arrange.
As the saying goes, “One minute on stage, ten years of practice off stage,” and it's truly no different.
And for singers, preparing for a concert isn't something that's done with just one or two rehearsals. Especially since this concert was the group's last before disbanding, it was given even more importance. The entire company, from top to bottom, treated it with extreme seriousness, and all other projects yielded to this concert.
When the outcome of disbandment could no longer be changed, this emphasis was also considered the company's final act of kindness towards this top-tier group.
It sounded a bit like crocodile tears, but it was indeed what was done.
The concert proceeded as planned: singing, costume changes, interaction…
The most important part of an idol artist's concert is actually the interaction. Many singers, to avoid negative impacts, refuse to arrange for audience interaction, and even if they do, it's pre-arranged with plants following a script to “interact.”
However, an idol artist's concert is different; interaction is the top priority.
With so many celebrities and artists present, introductions and camera time were naturally indispensable during the interaction segment.
At the end of the third stage, after “Fiesta” concluded and the members bowed in thanks, everyone began the interaction segment.
“We are very happy to spend this unforgettable night with everyone tonight,” said leader Kwon Eunbi, holding the microphone and coming to the left side of the stage facing Section C4.
At this moment, the director also switched the camera from a full stage shot to a close-up of Kwon Eunbi’s face.
“Today, we are honored to see many familiar faces attending our concert.” As Kwon Eunbi spoke, the camera suddenly cut to Jiang Shu, including the ordinary people next to him and Bae Joo-hyun and Kim Ye-rim, who were also captured in the shot.
The venue immediately erupted in deafening screams. Only the audience in a few surrounding sections had noticed Jiang Shu’s arrival. Seoul Olympic Stadium was so large that it was impossible for everyone to notice the cluster of celebrities there.
“President nim, welcome to our concert,” Kwon Eunbi said with a smile, greeting Jiang Shu.
Jiang Shu also smiled and waved at the camera, an action that once again caused the audience to scream.
Subsequently, the IZONE members introduced the attending celebrities one by one. Some individuals the members might not have known, but before the concert began, DM Entertainment had already investigated the identities of the audience, primarily focusing on the five thousand complimentary tickets.
The members might not have known, but the director backstage did. They would relay information about these individuals to the members through their earpieces, introducing them to the audience while also listening to information about the next celebrity.
After introducing these individuals, the audience interaction segment officially began.