boyutpedia Chapter 1491 A Powerful Arrival
Chapter 1491 A Powerful Arrival
Chapter 1491 A Powerful Arrival
"...What are your thoughts on some of the pessimistic views about XO that have been circulating online?"
On the afternoon of the 14th, in the SBS TV studio, all members of EXO were participating in SBS radio program "Choi Hwa-jung's Power Time".
This radio program stands out among many similar programs, and its popularity and topicality have remained high for many years. The host of this program, Cui Huajing, is a senior figure recognized in the industry.
Born in 1961, she has a hosting career spanning decades and is extremely experienced. As early as 2016, she won the SBS 20th Anniversary Award.
Cui Huajing's radio interview style is bold and direct, completely unconventional.
"Actually, these voices are a spur to us. We know that after such a long period of silence, there will inevitably be voices of doubt, but we have never given up and have been working hard to polish our work."
With the support of our fans, we have the confidence to keep moving forward. We will respond to all expectations and doubts with better stages and works, and live up to everyone's love.
After considering it for a moment, Chi Jingyuan took the initiative to answer.
After listening, Cui Huajing nodded in satisfaction, then changed the subject and posed a new question, her tone tinged with admiration:
"I've seen many media reports that your comeback has been very successful, with album sales reportedly exceeding three million copies? Although I'm not a die-hard fan, I can definitely feel your momentum. Are you satisfied with this result or not?"
"..."
After the words were spoken, the members looked at each other. It was leader Kim Junmyeon who spoke up to answer the question: "Actually, we have never set specific goals for ourselves. All of our achievements are thanks to the support and love of our fans."
We are very grateful for the contributions of every EXO-L. This achievement belongs to us, and even more so to everyone who has supported us. We will continue to work hard in the future to bring you even better works and live up to your expectations.
"Well said..."
After listening, Cui Huajing couldn't help but laugh, but her expression was somewhat strange: "It's just that listening to it, I feel..."
"I feel like I could run for election now."
Chi Jingyuan interjected at the opportune moment.
"Hahaha."
One sentence caused laughter to erupt in the studio, with the members laughing so hard they were doubled over.
In the following segment, Cui Huajing posed several pointed questions, such as, "An audience member asked, 'Your choreography for "The Eve" is so sexy; did you practice it extensively beforehand to achieve the desired stage effect?'"
Although the tone was direct and the angle was tricky, it had been confirmed with the agent in advance that no sensitive topics would be touched upon, so there were no unexpected incidents.
So this question was actually for the purpose of promoting "THE EVE".
After chatting about stage-related topics for a while, Cui Huajing suddenly changed the subject and asked a very interesting question: "I'm curious, which member looks the most handsome without makeup?"
The members instantly became interested, sizing each other up and exchanging smiles.
But no one spoke up.
Seeing this, Cui Huajing's interest deepened, and she said with a smile, "How about I guess?"
Upon hearing this, all the members of EXO displayed reserved expressions, as if each of them believed the answer was themselves.
Cui Huajing's gaze swept over the group, finally landing on Chi Jingyuan. She looked at Chi Jingyuan's face, then scanned the group again before returning her gaze to Chi Jingyuan.
She paused, then tentatively asked, "Is it Yuan?"
"Is it that simple?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the members deflated instantly, and Park Chanyeol let out a wail.
"Because it's really impressive up close, the skin is so good."
Cui Huajing burst into laughter, her tone full of smugness: "So I guessed right, didn't I?"
"Nei~"
The members answered lazily, their voices drawn out, full of helplessness, yet they had to admit it.
Chi Jingyuan nodded slightly, a reserved yet undeniably confident smile on his face.
Cui Huajing laughed for a while, then asked, "Now that you've guessed who's the most handsome without makeup, let me ask you another question: who's the best at 'managing their image'? In other words, who's a completely different person in private compared to on stage?"
Everyone understands the subtext of those words... They're basically asking who looks the most ordinary without makeup.
The studio fell silent instantly. The members looked at each other, none of them willing to speak.
Seeing this, Cui Huajing laughed even louder: "Hahaha, why aren't you saying anything?"
Still, no one spoke.
Seeing this, she came up with an idea: "Nobody wants to talk? Then let's play a game. I'll count to 321, two, one, and you all have to point to the answer in your mind with your fingers. No cheating, okay?"
The members exchanged glances, their expressions turning serious, as if a war had just begun.
"3, 2..."
"1!"
As soon as Cui Huajing finished speaking, it was like a starting gun. The nine members quickly extended their fingers, as if being a second late would make them the target of everyone's criticism.
Two or three people pointed to Kim Jong-in, but most people pointed to Byun Baek-hyun.
"what?"
"Ya~ Ya ya ya!"
Byun Baekhyun's eyes widened instantly, his face filled with disbelief.
He then became somewhat embarrassed and angry, complaining loudly to the members who were pointing at him, and even pretending to hit them.
But as he complained, he couldn't help but laugh, looking helplessly like he had been framed.
Chi Kyung-won laughed along... Byun Baek-hyun really does look very different with and without makeup. Apart from his skin not being very good, the main difference is that he looks like a completely different person with or without eyeliner.
The radio recording continued smoothly, and Choi Hwa-jung chatted about a few lighthearted anecdotes from the industry and topics related to her comeback, easing the previous lively atmosphere.
He then picked up a neatly arranged stack of documents, tapping the paper lightly with his fingertips. His tone gradually became more serious, and his gaze fell precisely on Chi Jingyuan. His voice came through the microphone clearly: "According to the data we received, Yuanxi's number of SNS followers has reached 3000 million, making him number one among all K-pop artists. Moreover, it is a complete and overwhelming lead. This achievement is amazing."
"At the same time, Chanyeol's fan count surpassed GD's with 1800 million, becoming second, Sehun is third, and many members of XO are in the top ten of Peninsula artists."
Cui Huajing spoke with some emotion: "This era of increasingly valuing online media is a remarkable achievement, a powerful testament to its global popularity."
"We noticed that these figures surged in the second half of last year. Was it because they successfully entered the US market and became world-class stars?" Cui Huajing asked.
"There must be some reasons. More fans have gotten to know us, and more people are hearing our music and works," Kim Junmyeon nodded in response.
What are your thoughts on successfully leading K-pop to the international stage?
Ji Jingyuan sat up slightly and said sincerely, "The pressure is indeed great. We never thought about such a heavy topic as 'leading Kpop.' We just wanted to show our music and our stage to more people."
Being recognized by overseas fans and making K-pop known to people in more countries is our fortune and our responsibility. We will work even harder in the future to live up to this recognition, and we hope to work with more seniors and juniors to take K-pop even further.
"Clap clap~"
After he finished speaking, applause broke out around him... Chi Jingyuan felt that he could also participate in the election.
After finishing the more official topics, Choi Hwa-jung changed the subject and looked at Chi Kyung-won: "Regarding SNS content, Yuan has so many fans, do you usually look at it?"
“I will read some of the comments.” Chi Jingyuan nodded.
What about private messages?
"No, they've all been blocked."
"Huh? Why?" Cui Huajing looked puzzled upon hearing this.
"Because... it's hard to say."
Chi Jingyuan paused for a moment, then took out his phone without offering any explanation: "Senior, why don't you come and take a look for yourself?"
Upon hearing this, Cui Huajing moved closer to Chi Jingyuan, and the camera immediately focused on her.
Ji Kyung-won showed Choi Hwa-jung the scene in front of the camera... This scene was planned beforehand, so Ji Kyung-won changed the wallpaper image in advance.
He logged into the social networking site, showed Choi Hwa-jung the blocking settings, and then pointed to "unblock".
In that very instant—
"Ding ding ding ding ding—"
The notification sound exploded from the speaker, and countless new messages scrolled wildly across the screen at a speed almost impossible for the naked eye to follow—a few lines, dozens of lines, hundreds of lines…
The numbers were jumping faster than a heartbeat, and the entire screen became a cascading waterfall of text. The phone vibrated so loudly in Chi Jingyuan's hand that it seemed like it might freeze at any moment.
"omo!"
Cui Huajing instinctively covered her mouth, her eyes wide open, and stared intently at the rapidly scrolling screen. It took her several seconds to come to her senses.
This was the first time she had ever seen anything like it; the constant pop-up notifications made the phone completely unusable.
"Is this what 30 million followers looks like?"
She shook her head, her tone genuinely remarking, "No wonder, it's simply unrealistic to read every single one."
"So... I've been blocking private messages for a long time."
Chi Jingyuan closed the private message page and smiled helplessly.
Actually, there's something else he didn't mention: in his private messages, not only do fans send him strange messages, but many people also send him explicit pictures, directly showing his private body parts. There are both men and women sending him these pictures, and they are countless.
If he were to put them all together, he estimated he could start his own website.
…………
After the show ended, the members stood up and bowed to thank senior Choi Hwa-jung. After packing their belongings, they followed their manager to the back door of the TV station.
As soon as I pushed open the security door, the noise from outside rushed in.
"Ahhh~"
"SUHO oppa!"
"Yuan oppa, look this way!"
Countless voices surged in from all directions, clear and fervent, while the sound of camera shutters exploded like bombs, clicking incessantly, almost drowning out all the shouts.
Chi Jingyuan subconsciously stopped in his tracks, put on the standard smile he had practiced countless times, and smiled and waved to the fans around him.
The walk from the car door to the SBS building entrance, which usually takes less than thirty seconds to walk briskly, felt like an eternity today. Every step was accompanied by the sound of camera shutters, shouts, and glaring lights, making even my breathing rapid.
"Aigoo"
After finally squeezing into the van, the moment the door closed, several members simultaneously let out a groan.
High popularity is certainly a good thing, but the enthusiasm of fans can be overwhelming... EXO's comeback after more than a year has completely ignited the passion of all EXO fans, and everyone is extremely excited.
Especially due to the rise of Wanna One, fans have been leaving the group and switching allegiances, and there have been frequent online conflicts between members of the group. Many EXO-Ls are feeling very frustrated, and their various support activities are extremely enthusiastic, as if they are being done specifically for others to see.
It seems to be saying to those people: 'Come and see for yourselves, this is the real TOP.'
And the main problem is that everyone is exhausted; the workload has been too heavy these past few days.
"Where to next?" Park Chanyeol asked lazily, almost asleep as he lay there.
"I have an interview with the TV station next, so I need to go back to the company first, followed by a variety show shoot on KBS..."
The agent looked down at the schedule in his hand: "But Jingyuan doesn't need to participate in the later variety show filming. Jingyuan, are you going directly to the film set, or..."
"Let's go back to the company together, bro. I need to grab something."
Chi Jingyuan took out his phone, swiped the screen lightly with his fingertip, and looked up to speak.
"Good~"
The agent responded and signaled the driver to start the car.
The van slowly started moving, and the interior gradually became lively, with some people chatting and others catching up on sleep.
Chi Jingyuan leaned against the window, his fingertips rapidly swiping across the news on his phone screen.
Just by clicking on a few websites, I was bombarded with promotional materials...
Wanna One is confirmed to make a comeback on March 16th, and a teaser for their new album "0+1=1 (I PROMISE YOU)" has been released!
"Wanna One's comeback teaser photos released! Yoon Ji-sung's captivating eyes steal hearts, while Kang Daniel's pink outfit sparks heated discussion!"
"Wanna One's new song 'BOOMERANG' MV teaser released, black and gold outfits + knife-like dance moves are coming!"
According to YMC Entertainment, Wanna One completed filming the music video for their title track earlier this month. The new album, "0+1=1 (I PROMISE YOU)," carries the promise between Wanna One and their fans, "Wannable," to create a "golden age" together, and is also filled with a greater and deeper love for the fans who have made Wanna One who they are today.
It's worth mentioning that this album will be released in two versions, "Day" and "Night," symbolizing "Wanna One's upcoming warm golden age" and "an even more glamorous and dazzling golden age," respectively.
YMC Entertainment stated, "To repay fans for their long-term wait and support, Wanna One is fully preparing for this comeback and will present a stage with an even higher level of perfection."
These press releases filled Ji Kyung-won's field of vision, even more than the numerous releases from EXO, who were making a comeback.
It's clear that YMC Entertainment has started to go all out to promote Wanna One. Their homepage is full of comeback teasers, concept posters, and stage previews. Every piece of material has a high number of reposts and comments, and the promotional efforts are astonishing.
It seems that EXO's popularity and momentum these days have not intimidated Wanna One and YMC. On the contrary, it has led them to invest more resources in dealing with the pressure from EXO and in more promotion.
They've really gone head-to-head with us.
He scrolled down and found that Wanna One fans were also enthusiastically promoting the brand. Their presence was felt everywhere, from comment sections and trending topics on social media platforms to various forums.
"Please keep an eye out for Wanna One's comeback on March 15th!"
"Top New Generation Boy Group!"
"Kang Daniel is the nation's center!"
Wannable users flooded the forums with promotional copy, posting and recommending the product in various uniform formats across different sections.
Someone meticulously compiled a schedule of music show appearances during the comeback period, someone translated the lyrics of the new song, and someone took screenshots of high-resolution images of every teaser photo—the organization was as well-organized as a well-trained army.
She's really not much worse than Alice.
Their fans are incredibly enthusiastic, flooding social media with recommendations. It's clear that EXO and EXO-Ls put a lot of pressure on them, but they're also very motivated, giving their all for their idols.
"Is the album being released tomorrow?"
Chi Jingyuan put down his phone and couldn't help but sigh:
"They're coming on strong."