Chapter 136
I scrolled through the comments on the music video for “Present,” and they were all positive and uplifting.
– Honestly, Seed might not be a big company, but it’s really excellent musically.
– The artists just seem so happy together that it warms my heart too… Autumn, earn a lot!
– Is Orca an idol? I’ve never heard of them, but they are the best-looking celebrity I’ve seen recently and they’re great at singing too. I’m amazed. Their voice sounds even richer than last year.
– 3:11 when it goes quiet and Orca does acapella, I got chills. Then Tomorrow joined in and I almost cried. Winter’s high note made me stand up and applaud.
– From “Rewind,” I thought the boss’s voice was amazing, but with Ji Woosung joining, it’s just paradise.
– Seo Moon-gyeol isn’t just good at rapping; he sings well too. He’s truly a cheat characterㅠㅠㅠ
– Who did the “chit chit” sound and the drum-like sound during the acapella partㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
┗ It’s not confirmed, but the “chit chit” might be Yohan and the drum sound might be Seongha!
And the chart rankings for the song.
[9. Present – Hong Seo-ram, Bae Saeil, Jang Go, Tomorrow, Kwon Winter, Yoo Siwon, ORCA (Orca)]
It entered the top ten.
Of course, this was thanks to Seed and its artists consistently producing good music and building a reputation for reliable quality with the public.
I couldn’t help but feel a little proud knowing I was part of that.
As time passed, the ranking didn’t drop; it actually climbed to second place.
I hoped our song would stay at such a high position.
Since more than ten people sang the song, a lyric video was uploaded on the same channel the next day to help people figure out who sang which part.
– The part distribution is amazing.
– The voices are so good that I was really curious whose voice belonged to whom, but Seed did a great job!
– On Raon’s voice is like freshly picked peppermint leaves gently placed on lemonade, and you can adjust the hot/ice and carbonation levels.
– On Raon’s voice is truly exceptional. Listening to it gives you a feeling of overwhelming emotion.
┗ This is so trueㅠㅠㅠㅠ I’m a 2D fan, but I hope Raon does a cover of Nekoyasha’s opening laterㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
The fair part distribution was praised.
Regardless of how many years each member had been active, everyone got exactly their allotted time.
With just five members in our group, we felt like we gained some advantage.
In Orca, except for the leader, there were no fixed positions. Seo Moon-gyeol, known for his rap in “Liberation,” and Gyun Seong-ha, who also joined as a vocalist, received good reviews.
Usually, rap in such songs can be polarizing, and if done poorly, people might say things like, “I wish there was a version without the rap part.”
However, both of them performed the vocals well, so there were no issues.
“Yes, today is Christmas, this is for you…”
The song was so good that I started humming it unconsciously.
My lips curled into a soft smile.
Such a carol wasn’t bad.
* * *
The only things left to do this year were the final week of “Liberation” music show activities and the announcement of the official fan club name.
We even had a vacation planned for two days at the end of the year.
I thought that was it, but…
“…What?”
“You guys are going to the SBC Music Festival.”
The SBC Music Festival is an annual year-end music show broadcasted on December 25.
“Suddenly?”
Kang Ji-woo, who was as surprised as I was, quickly managed his expression and asked.
According to Gwak Sang-hyun’s explanation, they requested the song “Present,” which was doing well, and invited not just us but all the participating artists as a group. It helped that the festival aired on Christmas.
It felt slightly pushy to be told to appear on such short notice, with less than ten days until the broadcast.
Aside from the short preparation time, it wasn’t a bad opportunity, so the company seemed to have accepted.
Although the stage preparation period was short, the practice period for the song itself was more than sufficient.
Since there were no complicated stage setups or major arrangements needed, the preparation wasn’t too demanding.
It just meant we’d be more exhausted both physically and mentally from the unexpected addition.
Still, the thought that we had to do our best never left my mind. Maybe I had caught Kang Ji-woo’s strange passion.
I’d rather borrow his stamina instead of his enthusiasm.
“Take it easy.”
“You put in some effort.”
Ban Yo-han, drinking water, gave a relaxed smile as if he had no intention of doing so.
He’s the most carefree member of our team.
It’s hard to imagine him locking himself in a storage room to intensely focus on something.
On the other hand, Kang Ji-woo did his best as if it was natural, Seo Moon-gyeol was incredibly strict with himself on stage, and Gyun Seong-ha relentlessly pushed himself as if he was being chased by something.
I thought if all the young people in our country worked as hard as them, the future would be bright. But for now, I was satisfied that our group’s future looked bright.
‘Well, they are the unusual ones, and Ban Yo-han is the normal one. …Even if calling that normal causes a bit of cognitive dissonance.’
So, which side am I on?
Truthfully, I sometimes wished to take it easy and finish things off moderately, but I found myself working hard, swept up in the atmosphere the three of them created.
‘No way, that’s not it.’
Ever since starting this job, I had never once thought of doing it half-heartedly, from the very first Pick Heart shoot.
I remembered how joyful it was to practice when I first learned to dance and sing properly earlier this year.
People can be fickle, and now I couldn’t find joy in being stuck in the practice room endlessly repeating the same things until they were perfect.
However, the intense and joyous thrill of standing on stage at the end of that process was still unparalleled and irreplaceable.
Would there ever come a day when even standing on stage felt like just another task to perform?
I hoped not.
* * *
December 21.
The three weeks of Liberation music show activities had all come to an end.
Although we didn’t manage to win first place, we were nominated several times.
As Christmas approached, the streaming of “Present” gained popularity, holding steady around the 60th position on the charts.
On the 22nd, a dance practice video for “Liberation” was released.
[ORCA Orca ‘Liberation (Winter)’ Natural ver. Dance Practice]
I wondered what the natural version was, and then I noticed the members’ hair colors in the dance video were rather plain.
It meant that their hair was in its natural state, before being dyed for the music video shoot.
Fans who longed for On Raon’s black hair were especially pleased with this dance practice video, considering the drastic difference between black and white hair.
– The staff who decided to leave this as a video should get a huge year-end bonus.
– Honestly, I thought Seed didn’t know what they were doing, but they did a great jobㅋㅋㅋㅋ
In truth, this wasn’t born from some thoughtful, admirable idea like, ‘Fans might want to see the members in their natural state, so let’s show it in a dance video!’
The reason for uploading this video was actually attributed to Director Joo Yeol-eum.
Director Joo Yeol-eum, who had watched Orca practice before their debut and filmed the video for monitoring purposes, saw it and said:
“This could be uploaded as a dance practice video.”
…And they actually uploaded the real practice video.
That too, with just the MR playing while they practiced live.
Fans, who were watching the video without any prior notice about it being a live practice, were startled when Seo Moon-gyeol in practice clothes started the intro live.
After it was revealed that the video was taken during a normal practice session, fans were even more surprised.
– It wasn’t lip-syncingㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Where are the people who insisted it was live AR?
– Guys, please eat well. Stop eating CDs, it’s unhealthy.
– This was a normal practice video? Seeing them practicing live with all the harmonies was shocking.
– I came here after listening to “Present” and their live performance is amazing. Now there’s no need to watch MR-removed videosㅋㅋㅋㅋ I hope they get even more popular.
– After watching this, I decided to live my life diligently…
– Raon biting his lip while singing live and then collapsing as soon as the song ended was perfectly adorable.
┗ It’s funny because it looked like he really collapsed from exhaustion, not an actㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
– The skill level is amazing. Isn’t this the first time a rookie group has uploaded such a live practice video?
– I’ve always liked talented idols, and after watching this, I became a fan. Their spirit is incredible.
There was a significant increase in foreign comments on the YouTube video.
“Liberation” wasn’t a fierce concept that tore everything apart, but the stage with a cold determination, like a warrior wielding a long-honed weapon for the first battle, was effective in attracting international fans.
– Are they really singing??? What’s with them sounding more stable than my life???????
– How many international fans are here?
– Hey haters, still think it’s lip-sync?
– ORCA: Can sing while dancing
Me: Can’t talk while walking
Finally, on Christmas Eve, the day before the music festival, an announcement was posted on Orca’s official SNS.
[ORCA OFFICIAL]
At 10 PM on December 25, “This is a PRESENT for you” will be broadcast live on the B LIVE ORCA channel.
(link)
#ORCA #Jiwoo #Yohan #Gyeol #Seongha #Raon
#ORCA_First_B_Live_TuneIn
#Come_With_The_Fanclub_Name!