Chapter 161 : A Song That Questions the Direction Again
Chapter 161: A Song That Questions the Direction Again
Neck and neck, a close match, evenly matched, a seesaw situation.
It was the conclusion we reached after comparing the two songs for a long time.
That’s how hard it was to determine which one was better.
The Team Leader of the Marketing Team spoke quietly.
"I listened to both songs."
No one dared to speak first.
It felt a little different from tension.
This wasn’t a vote.
It was a precarious meeting where if someone said a word, the opinion would tilt in that direction.
One could become a traitor just for saying the wrong thing.
The two songs made it to the final pitching with distinctly different vibes.
They showed such a clear contrast that it was impossible to say which was right or wrong.
One was trendy and sophisticated luxury.
The other was calm and familiar, yet oddly lingering with a long-lasting aftertaste.
The Team Leader spoke again.
"I didn’t expect the final pitch to be this difficult."
Despite his words, everyone just nodded silently in a heavy atmosphere.
The song started playing again.
"Let’s listen one more time and talk."
The first to be played was the song from Daebak Sound.
Everyone had expected Daebak Sound’s song to make the final pitch.
They were a proven company that had conducted successful collaborations in various projects until now.
"The sound quality is definitely different, right?"
The composer was ‘TEAM DB.’
The song, created in collaboration by composers from Daebak Sound, had a provocative title from the start.
<Royal Heat>
It was clear from the beginning.
Luxurious orchestration, sleek mixing, and restrained vocals soaked in low and mid-range tones.
It reflected all of the client’s demands.
Like a camera flash popping.
Dazzling tones burst forth for a full minute.
Music focused on looking expensive.
Just hearing the song triggered mental visuals automatically.
Sparkling jewels, designer leather bags, and covetable watches came to mind.
The model would probably disappear in a high-end sports car.
All it needed was to add the new perfume and cosmetics to be launched by Almond Young.
The response was good, too.
When the song ended, the Assistant Manager of the Marketing Team spoke.
"It’s a flashy song. It’s definitely mainstream."
Having experienced many external pitches, he judged everything strategically.
Someone quickly added as if waiting for a chance.
"This is luxury. Easy to understand."
It was a stable song.
While everyone was nodding in agreement—
"But still."
Everyone turned their heads at the voice from the other side.
A slender hand was cautiously raised into the air.
The owner of the hand was a new hire who had just joined the Marketing Team.
She startled the meeting room with a bold comment that didn’t fit a newbie.
"I think it’s a bit predictable. Like, it feels like ‘of course they’d bring this kind of song.’ In this kind of project, honestly…"
The startled Assistant Manager hurriedly interrupted.
"Hold on, hold on."
He let out a shallow sigh, trying not to make it obvious.
‘Seriously, how can she have so little tact?’
Even after seeing the mood in this room, she says something like that? Everyone’s already leaning this way!
…but he couldn’t say that out loud.
So he spoke to the new hire in a teaching tone.
"In marketing, you need to clearly show what’s expected. Our keyword from the start was ‘luxury.’ Then it's right to meet the customer’s expectations."
No one replied.
Someone let out an awkward cough.
The Team Leader, flustered, played the second song.
"Next is the song sent from KIM Entertainment."
When the news came that a pitch request had been sent to KIM Entertainment, the Almond Young staff initially had question marks over their heads.
Someone high up had said it.
No more collecting project demos.
And someone even higher said this:
Give opportunities to various agencies.
So they sent out requests to several companies without much expectation.
Yet one of the demos that came in last-minute made it all the way to the final pitch, flipping the company on its head.
To top it off, the composer was ‘STaY.’
A hot name currently gaining the most attention in the K-pop scene.
Employees who regularly listened to pop music were already halfway swayed just by hearing the name Stay.
The title was <First Spark>.
The first glimmer.
The preciousness of a first memory and a small but vivid luxury were encapsulated in the title.
And the song was exactly that.
If the first song brought to mind all sorts of luxurious objects, this one was different.
It didn’t evoke objects.
Strangely… it evoked memories.
Even though Stay’s song also had a trendy beat.
It carried an emotional flow that couldn’t be put into words.
5 seconds, 10 seconds, 20 seconds.
At first, no one said a word.
Then after 30 seconds passed—
People started subtly adjusting their posture.
And at 40 seconds.
Just as the sound climbed toward a climax—
Instead of a flashy drop, soft strings wrapped around the mood and gently settled it.
Someone murmured,
"A luxury created by memories…"
The temperature in the meeting room changed.
The Marketing Team Leader cautiously spoke first.
"From an emotional marketing perspective, it’s nice. But I wonder if this can really express luxury."
The Assistant Manager chimed in, agreeing with the Team Leader.
"This style is good too. But doesn’t it feel like it lacks that punch—something that really hits?"
The one who responded was the bold youngest.
"No, it’s not emotional marketing. The sound design itself is structured to evoke emotions. I think it's a completely designed architecture. If this wasn’t our brand’s song, and I just happened to hear it somewhere, I would’ve thought, ‘Wow, this song is really classy, so sleek,’ and just moved on."
Then, someone who had been quietly sitting with arms crossed stepped in.
It was the Director from the Headquarters Brand Strategy Division.
"How odd. Is it just me?"
He smiled slightly and continued slowly.
"To my ears, it’s definitely luxurious. But it doesn’t feel like it’s describing a product. More like… a song that evokes something rather than a commercial? I’m not good with words, so—could someone sum this up?"
All eyes turned to the youngest.
She responded firmly.
"A song that questions the direction again…"
The words no one could say finally flowed from the youngest’s lips.
"I just got that feeling. Does Almond Young want to become classy, or… does it want to be loved again, like before?"
Silence returned to the meeting room.
Both songs captured the ‘luxury’ demanded by the company.
Each brought out a different charm through a clear contrast.
In terms of color, TEAM DB’s song was a vivid red.
Provocative and glamorous—a typical luxury.
Whereas Stay’s song was champagne gold.
Not flashy, but elegant. More of an aftertaste than a façade.
It didn’t shine dazzlingly, nor did it hit the ears in an instant.
Just like the last sip of champagne left in a glass.
It left a scent in the mouth that couldn’t be erased.
"This is tough, isn’t it?"
In a strange silence,
The Team Leader began wrapping up the songs.
"Both songs stayed true to the luxury keyword. One hit hard, the other went deep."
Then the Strategy Director got to the point.
"So now it’s just a matter of choosing?"
He closed his laptop as he finished.
On top of the laptop, a champagne gold light settled clearly.
The Manager from the division that analyzes profit and efficiency added his opinion.
"Marketing judges by reaction, not emotion. The music the customers will like is different…"
Just as he was about to continue—
The conference room door opened, and the Head of the Brand Division walked in.
"The CEO has listened to both songs."
He looked around the room once before continuing.
With a clear and firm tone,
"The final decision will be made tomorrow afternoon. Submit your rationale by then."
Yes. If Stay’s song was music that called memories,
Then this meeting was the moment that called reality.
The opinions were divided, but hearts were united.
‘Yeah, there’s no going home on time today.’
Days passed.
No word came to KIM Entertainment.
Hyung hadn’t said anything either.
Did we get eliminated from the final pitch?
Could be. He’ll probably tell me at some point.
Thinking that, I flopped onto the sofa—and a message arrived from Hyung.
[Our Hyung: Can you come to the office for a bit?]
I replied right away.
[Me: When?]
[Our Hyung: Whenever you’re free?]
[Me: Then I’ll come now.]
I hurriedly got ready and arrived at KIM Entertainment.
The meeting place was the CEO’s office.
When I arrived, Hyung and CEO Kim Minsoo were sitting on the sofa.
As I entered, CEO Kim stood up and went straight to the point.
"You made it into the final pitch."
"Really?"
I could feel a smile spread across my face.
Phew, phew.
Was I secretly nervous?
I scratched my cheek for no reason, and Hyung cut in.
"There are two songs in the final. The other one is, drumroll…"
"Daebak Sound?"
"Whoa. Sharp guess."
It was the obvious outcome.
Daebak Sound was strong in this area.
They were used to crafting songs that met client demands precisely.
Their past released records showed that, too.
Setting aside the uneasy vibe I got from their CEO and Director, they produced solid songs.
That’s undeniable.
Call it commercial or soulless all you want—
A song that proves itself with numbers can’t be ignored. And it shouldn’t be.
As I was thinking that, Kim Minsoo called me softly.
"Taeyoon."
"Yes?"
"I heard the result will come out tomorrow afternoon."
"That’s sooner than I thought."
"It’s a pretty urgent project. So here’s the thing."
Kim Minsoo paused, and he and Hyung exchanged a suspicious glance.
Kim Minsoo blinked at Hyung—
As if saying, you explain it.
Hyung gave a small nod and spoke to me.
"The DJ arranged version. We’re thinking of sending that in."
"Gasp…!"
"Why? You don’t like it?"
"No. I like it. I love it, but… are we allowed?"
There’s something Kim Minsoo always said to me.
That the big shots at these big corporations were all old-school bosses.
No matter how much they pretend to keep up with trends, or say they want the latest hit songs—
Apparently, we absolutely shouldn’t do that?
There wasn’t even a big reason.
They just couldn’t change their solidified preferences.
That, I could actually understand.
Music was like that.
They say people keep listening to the songs they loved as students for the rest of their lives.
Music is persistent like that.
The emotions from the best times in one’s life follow them forever.
So, if you wanted to erase someone’s memory—or overlay something new onto an old one—
It had to be both novel and familiar.
You had to lay unfamiliar textures over familiar emotions.
That was the fate of a brand campaign.
"Ah, but that…"
When I hesitated, Kim Minsoo chimed in slyly.
"You think the old-school execs will hate it?"
"Come on, if you call it out like that… thank you?"
I forced a laugh, but I was still conflicted.
DJing was still an unfamiliar genre.
More precisely… flashy, chaotic sound?
That’s how people would see it. That’s what reality was.
Maybe he read my thoughts.
CEO Kim Minsoo spoke in a soothing tone.
"Don’t worry. We just want to gauge the reaction."
"Can we do that?"
"If we submit it officially as a demo, the process gets complicated. Have to convene a meeting, redo committee votes, yada yada. Ugh, just thinking about it gives me a headache. Don’t you agree?"
"Absolutely."
"This is for internal reference only. Who knows—if it really sticks in someone’s ear, it might get made official."
Thump—
My heart pounded hard.
"So don’t feel pressured."
Hyung added a comment.
"Alcohol always hits late, right?"
Geez, if only he could keep his mouth shut.
I squinted at him, throwing a glare.
But his words weren’t all that bad.
If my song could make someone drunk—now that would be truly romantic.
Truthfully, Kim Jinsoo didn’t think much of Kim Minsoo.
He had turned down the CEO seat at KW Entertainment, and now he was just running some tiny, no-name company?
That’s what he thought at first. He was sure of it…
What is he even trying to pull?
Lately though, he had started to change his mind.
The name Stay started popping up frequently, right alongside Kim Minsoo’s company.
He had assumed the guy was just training some rookie producer with a kid.
But then—
[ KIM Entertainment, industry debate over STaY’s exclusive contract. ]
[ From Lumière to Doubline. Is Stay the secret behind KIM Entertainment’s success? ]
[ Why the industry is eyeing KIM Entertainment’s sub-label ‘Track Race.’ ]
[ If you want to survive in entertainment, you need to land Stay. Real talk from an active A&R on STaY’s power… ]
He knew every track was a hit, but chalked it up to luck.
But as time passed, the unexpected, exponential growth became clear.
I thought it was unlikely, but…
This Almond Young case was the same.
He’d only given them a subtle hint in the name of fair play.
Yet they’d actually made it to the final pitch?
And even with just Stay, they held their own against a song put together by a team of seasoned Daebak Sound composers.
No matter how much buzz Stay had—
Presenting to a big corporate client was never an easy feat.
And yet, the result exceeded all expectations.
He hurriedly called his secretary.
"What did I ask you to check?"
"Yes. I’ll send it via email right away."
Things were starting to get more interesting.
On the very morning of the final decision, KIM Entertainment had prepared a last-minute punch.
"Alright, good work. You can go."
Click.
As the audio began playing, an unexpected beat flooded into his ears.
"Huh?"
When Kim Jinsoo checked the file name, he nearly fell out of his chair.
[ STaY_DEMO_DJing.mp3 ]
They’d gone with DJing for their final, surprise move?
In a situation like this?
But then…
Why does this sound so good?