Chapter 111: I Look Better Than You

ar album is very important for a group. For a band, releasing a regular album proves that the company recognizes your market value and believes you can generate profit because the cost and selling pri...In similar events, it's not uncommon to see a slightly intimate stage interaction between male and female idols that really gets the audience excited. The choreographers and stage designers seem to understand this well, often incorporating these types of moves into collaborative performances to boost audience enthusiasm and generate some buzz and discussion.

However, apparently also considering the impact, Nam Tae Hyun lightly tousled Son Seung Wan's hair, causing a wave of screams and then directly stopped without any further interaction. However, the purpose was obviously achieved. Not to mention ordinary viewers, even for Ji Chang Wook who was watching, the most memorable part in their first collaboration stage was this last part.

Even if someone wanted to continue with **, I wouldn't agree.

>>>South Taeyoung is a member of the rookie group ner who is favored by YG. He's said to be quite popular since his debut, although not as much as Sun Seungwan and Red Velvet. His fans might even go online to attack Sun Seungwan if they see this interaction, because this kind of interaction is what girlfriend/wife fans hate to see most.

But perhaps some CP fans will also emerge...

As the music ended, the four rookie groups gathered in the center of the stage, laughing brightly and striking end poses. They took their bows to cheers and exited the stage, kicking off a great start for today's K-Pop Battle.

"Chi Jingyuan thinks that in a few years, after these new groups have developed and become popular, this collaborative stage today might become one of the classic performances fans talk about with relish."

After several MCs delivered their opening remarks, as the transitional host, Hwang Kwang Hee and Kangna arrived at the artist's seats with a VJ, standing beside EXO.

"Oh, the 2014 SBS Gayo Daechukje! We came here because of selfies. There are so many popular artists here, how will they take their selfies"

"I'm really curious!!"

"First up is the top group, EXO!"

Two people laughed at the camera and introduced themselves in an exaggerated tone, then took out a selfie stick with a phone on it and handed it to Park Chan-yeol, signaling for all nine members of EXO to take a selfie together.

This is also a gimmick program in the middle of this year's Song Battle, with the participating guests taking photos and selfies on site. The program team will upload them to SNS, and fans and viewers can vote on SNS. The combination selfie that receives the most support can win the title of first place.

Under Hwang Kwang Hee's indication, the camera zoomed in on EXO. The entire audience immediately screamed loudly. Park Chan-yeol at the front held up a selfie stick, and the members behind him all stood up to gather around.

It takes a bit of squeezing to get nine people in a close-up selfie.

Ji Jingyuan's position was conveniently just behind him, so he didn't need to move. He sat there letting the members beside him put their arms on his shoulders. He tilted his head and made a scissor hand gesture with his right side. In the cheers of the fans, they took a selfie together.

The selfie stick was returned to Hwang Kwang Hee, and the two MCs then passed it on to BLUE, APK, f(x), SISTAR, and several other groups sitting in the artist seats for selfies. They will be uploading them shortly for fans to vote on.

To be honest, this kind of competition doesn't really hold much meaning because in the K-pop world, fan voting competitions like this, EXO has practically never lost. Even if it's just a meaningless photo selfie voting contest with no real rewards, Exo-Ls would be very excited to go online and vote for their idols. They put all their energy and support behind them without reservation.

Next, Aliee and secret took to the stage one after another. The camera then cut to the second venue, the Crystal Cave Tower on Shangyan Mountain.

The audience and performers at the first venue watched the performances on the big screen on stage.

Several popular artist groups were assigned to the Prism Tower. At this time, VIXX, BLOB, and Teen, three popular male groups, were performing consecutively.

During the second stage's artist performances, the camera wouldn't cut to rea. Ji Jingyuan was sitting there watching the big screen and secretly fiddled with some fish for a while. Just as he was lost in thought, he suddenly felt someone elbow him in the waist.

With his ample experience, he reflexively thought it was Wu Shixun's signal for a break and immediately sat up with a slight smile on his face, clapping. Before he could react, his gaze shifted to the stage, curious about what was happening. A snicker came from beside him: "Hey, it wasn't a camera cut, it was just asking you to change positions... Haha, no, your reaction is too quick!"

"Haha..."

A few members burst into laughter immediately, and Woo Shi-hun bumped Ji-yeong's shoulder. Ji-yeong then turned his head to look around. The closest Do Kyungsoo also smiled and whispered a reminder.

It turns out that Apk and sistar have already gone backstage to prepare for their performance. The organizers arranged for the four new groups from just now to sit on the artist's side, and while they were showing their faces, there will also be a newcomer award presented later. Red Velvet was arranged in the first row, and EXO's members need to move back a bit to make room. Just now, Wu Shixun was calling Chi Kyung-won to change positions, but he accidentally bumped into him, and he reflexively started giving rea.

Pool Geonyeong looked at Red Velvet who were standing beside him, getting ready to sit down. A few of them were watching him, their expressions strange, obviously having witnessed everything that just happened. Especially Park Sooyoung, she was biting her lip, trying hard to hold back a smile, her eyes sparkling as she stared at Pool Geonyeong. It was obvious she found his embarrassing situation quite amusing.

His gaze shifted from Bae Joo-hyun's face, subtly glancing at Wu Shixun before he nodded and nonchalantly stood up. He casually sat down in the row behind, but inwardly, he declared those chocolate bars he had bought for Wu Shixun dead.

Pei Zhuhyun glanced this way and, under the staff's direction, hurried with the members to sit in the first row of the artist seats. They, Lede Bebe, were participating in the Song War for the first time. To be honest, they were really nervous.

Ji Jingyuan adjusted his mindset, sat at the back and glanced at the backs of a few Red Velvet members in front. He quite understood their current state of mind; it was similar to how EXO felt when they participated in the Song Battle 12 years ago.

He looked for two seconds, then turned his head and continued to look at the big screen on stage.

After the three boy groups' performances at the second venue ended, the camera cut back to the original location and six MCs took the stage to begin hosting.

Today's Super5 setting feels a bit underwhelming compared to the big charity song SBS produced last year. After the initial freshness of having 5 male groups and MCs, it gradually became ordinary. These guys aren't professional MCs either, and it's unclear how much they practiced beforehand. Anyway, Ji-sung felt that several people on stage were reading lines from a script without much fluency, and their attempts at humor were a bit awkward.

After MC’s introduction, the performance segment began. Lee Sun Mi and Yook Sung Jae performed “Full Moon” together, with B1A4, Kim Ji Young, and the rising star APK also making appearances.

Six people stood on a trailer mounted on tracks, it slowly appeared, with a very imposing presence, reminiscent of the recent popular girl group trend. It's unclear what purpose this serves, but during their performance, the first half of their hit song "v" was transformed into a lyrical version, and the six performers sang softly from the top of the trailer.

Unfortunately, the Apk itself is a group with only Zheng Eun-ji as the main vocalist. The other members singing the ballad version of "v" felt a little weak. In the latter half when they performed the original version, because the space on top of the trailer was too small, the dance moves couldn't be fully executed, making them seem restrained and lacking in stage presence compared to expectations.

But Chi Jingyuan spoke truthfully, their company's dance performances are truly top-notch. Tonight's outfits looked very striking on everyone, and this return has mostly seen such stage looks.

If ** had followed suit and taught her, maybe Red Velvet's debut wouldn't have been criticized so harshly.

However, the main reason they were criticized wasn't because of their makeup. It was simply that fans of other groups disliked them. Even if their makeup wasn't criticized, haters could find other aspects to attack, such as their height...

After several performances, the popular MCs Liu Jae-seok and Lee Kwang-soo appeared to present the rookie award, causing another wave of cheers due to their high popularity and national recognition. They stood in front of the microphone without saying a word, and their significant height difference and comedic effect instantly elicited laughter and screams from the audience.

After some playful banter, the award for newcomer was given and the screen transitioned to the second venue. This time, it was the turn of the female groups AOA and Girls' Day who had been waiting there.

These two girl groups, one debuted 12 years ago and the other 10 years ago, have both been relatively unknown until this year when they suddenly became popular. This is also the first time for both groups to perform on the stage of the Music Warfare show after so many years of debuting, although they are only performing in the second venue, it's still a significant achievement.

Girls' Day only had three members today, as Min Hya couldn't make it due to a foot injury from filming the variety show "Happy Home."

Chi Jingyuan didn't even watch for two minutes before, at the staff's prompt, left the artist's seat and went backstage to change clothes in preparation for the stage performance of "So".

How do you spend Christmas

Pei Suzy stayed backstage and didn't go to the artist seats. Her stage outfit was already changed, and Ji Kyeong-won had also changed his clothes. After they met briefly, the two walked towards the waiting area. She blinked and took the initiative to ask a question.

"Number 25"

Ji Jingyuan thought for a moment and didn't hide it: "I probably got back to Seoul around noon that day, and the rest of the schedule was filled until the evening, so I guess there wasn't much time."

That's great.

Not at all surprising, Pei Suzy nodded casually, tidied her hair and smiled sweetly at him: "Are you going to give me a Christmas present"

"What do you think" Chi Jingyuan also laughed, tilting his head and meeting her gaze.

Then I'll thank you first. With a glance around, Bae Suzy proactively stepped closer and blocked with her body. Then she reached out and lightly tapped twice on Ji Kyeong-won’s hand, quickly stepping back to her original position. Then she smiled softly and made a 'k' gesture toward him.

Before this, the top 10 artists of the night were giving speeches. After a few minutes, at the PD's signal, the two prepared and stepped onto the stage. The performance of "" officially began.

"Recently, you feel like you belong to me but also don't belong to me."

"Like something that belongs to you, but not truly yours."

As soon as Ji Chang Wook and Suzy appeared, the crowd erupted in cheers. The first arena was buzzing with excitement. The power of a top idol pairing with a popular song is undeniable. "So," which has already been confirmed as the number one song on the year-end chart for 2014, is undoubtedly one of the hottest songs this year. It's safe to say that almost everyone in attendance knows how to sing it.

Entering the chorus, the two singers on stage were singing when they suddenly and tacitly turned their heads at the same time, giving each other a smile. The smile seemed to be a mixture of happiness, shyness, and a hint of ambiguity. This sweet and sour feeling instantly caused another wave of screams. Even though Ai Li hated seeing her Yuan Oppa and this woman interact like this, under the excited atmosphere on the scene, she couldn't help but be infected. She temporarily put aside her dislike for Bae Suzy and shouted loudly.

Meanwhile, the director cut to a shot of EXO and Red Velvet in the artist seats. As their maknae was performing, the members of XO were naturally very enthusiastic, several excitedly sitting there wiggling and dancing, more energetic than Ji-won on stage.

While Red Velvet's Irene has likely not experienced many music show battles, she appeared somewhat naive at this moment. Facing the stage of her seniors, she seemed to be a huge fan of their song, gazing intently at the stage with a smile and longing, clapping non-stop. Kang Seul Gi, Son Seungwan, and Park Sooyoung were clearly mouthing the lyrics along. Only Pei Zhuxuan didn't open her mouth; she just smiled and watched the stage. A closer look revealed that her lips seemed tightly pressed together, and the lipstick reflecting off them appeared to have been slightly worn away. Her clapping also seemed rather nonchalant.

However, the camera only flashed for a moment, and everyone's attention was on the stage. No one paid close attention to her.

As cheers filled the air, the stage ended and Ji Chang Wook and Suzy bowed before entering backstage. Following "so," the final stages of the first part of the Song Battle began, including SanE and Raa's "Summer Night Honey" and Sun's "Nose Mouth Eyes."

The stage of "Midsummer Night's Honey" also saw a surprising interaction, with SanE directly putting his arm around Raa, resting his arm on her shoulder and holding hands with her. Whether it was pre-planned or a spontaneous performance, it certainly caused quite a few screams.

After the first part of the Song Battle concluded, there was a short break before entering the second part. The lineup of artists' seats underwent a major change. Apart from EXO who remained firmly seated at their designated spot, other rookie groups like Red Velvet were escorted off by staff members. A fresh batch of idols took their place, including 2PM and AOA who rushed over from the second venue.

AOA, who had already finished their performance, seemed to have come out just to make an appearance or perhaps were waiting for an award ceremony in the second venue. They happened to sit next to EXO. Kim Se-hyun, who was closest to Ji-sung Park, wore a black bodycon dress with sequins that showed off their figures. As soon as they sat down, a wave of perfume filled the air, which was quite enjoyable.

The second half's stage performances were still excellent, but besides 2NE1's performance, it didn't leave a deep impression on Ji-won. It seemed rather formulaic.

The three members of 2NE1 performed with great intensity on stage, both in their dancing and singing. It gave the impression that they were venting out negative emotions. Leader CL remained expressionless throughout the performance, rarely smiling and exuding an aggressive energy in every move she made.

When it was their turn to receive the award, CL, as the captain who should have given a speech, directly bypassed the microphone stand and left the position empty. She stood aside pretending to be uninvolved. In the end, Park Sandara went up to give a few perfunctory words of thanks, and then 2NE1 quickly went off stage.

From a regular audience's perspective, it might seem a bit awkward but not too strange, because sometimes 2NE1's stage style is just like this - so cool and edgy.

They only know what's going on backstage, of course they know CL and the others are expressing their dissatisfaction. It is estimated that if it weren't for YG and SBS having already made arrangements, they wouldn't want to perform at all.

EXO still performed "Overdose" today. The music show battle isn't like MAMA, where a big idol group might have three songs and over ten minutes of stage time. There are so many performers participating in the music show battle that, besides special stages, each group basically only has one song performance.

It is worth mentioning that EXO's stage today was the second-to-last finale performance arranged by the host, just before the veteran Cultural President Xu Taizhi, who has been away from the music scene for a long time. It was also after the senior groups 2PM and BIGBANG's sub-unit GDX Sun, I wonder what SBS' intention was behind this arrangement. After the gala ended, fans from several agencies probably were going to argue with each other for a while.

And at this year's ceremony reviving the song battle awards system, EXO took home two awards. The most prestigious 'Source Award' and 'Album Award' went to Ji-yeong Kil, Soo-ji Bae, and EXO respectively. It can be said that this year's major awards were directly divided among them.

However, to be honest, there isn't much controversy. One is the number one on the yearly chart, and the other has a massive sales gap. Even if some artists or fans are envious or dissatisfied, there isn't really anything to question.

In the end, during Xu Taizhi's performance, all the performers took to the stage, standing around it individually. Raining colorful ribbons from the ceiling, the 2014 SBS Gayo Daejun officially concluded.

Today's stage was great, the interactive jumps were pretty good looking.

Even though actually Park Soo-hyeon was close by, within reach, Jiyeong still took out her phone to send her a message as they were leaving the set and heading back.

At this moment, Red Velvet might have had her phone restricted, and she didn't reply until EXO left SBS. When they were led by their manager to a grilled sausage restaurant for a late-night snack halfway through the meal, Seulgi finally replied. Upon opening it, she saw Ji Kyeong Won's message and immediately laughed out loud:

You don't look good laughing. (Pouts)

"What's so funny, Jingyuan" Jin Junmian, who was sitting opposite him, was startled by Chi Jingyuan's sudden laughter. He stared at him speechless as he asked in bewilderment.

"It's nothing, just got a message." Chi Jingyuan shook his head with a smile, didn't reply and put the phone away. He took a bite of food and stuffed rice into his mouth, hurriedly continuing to eat. They still had to rush to the airport later.

"What news makes you so happy Did a female idol confess to you" Kim Jong-in took a sip of his drink and asked with a smile.

"Ahni..." Wu Shixun swallowed what was in his mouth and drawled, "If it was truly a confession, he wouldn't be so happy."

"That's right, after all, I've seen a lot..." Park Chan-hyeol nodded in agreement, looking quite convinced.

"If it's not a confession, then what is it Could it be that tomorrow is a holiday"

"Haha, I guess so, that's just his personality..."

Listening to these members constantly arranging themselves, Ji Jingyuan wasn't annoyed. He was in a good mood and nodded his head, smiling as he ate his meal.

After finishing their late-night snack, the members first returned to their dormitory and brought along the prepared gifts. Then, they went to ** Building to meet with the company's team before heading together to Incheon International Airport and boarding a flight bound for Osaka, Japan.

If today's song battle hadn't been so hard to promote, they should have already boarded a flight to Japan this afternoon.

EXO's first world tour, the final stop of 2014 was in Osaka.

First published on Chinese Novels Networkfor both ceremonies.Having debuted just over a year ago, being nominated for a major award is astonishing and speaks volumes about their incredible popularity in the second half of the year."Don't wor...